The Hidden Spectrum: Uncovering autism in Black and Brown Communities

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 36 children have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. Although a study released in 2025 by the CDC, shows an increase in ASD diagnosis of BIPOC children, communities of color still have less access to resources than their white counterparts. 

For the Robertson family autism is a daily journey they share in their book, “Jero’s Journey: Finding Hope in Autism.

This episode of Dialogue, we explore autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. We ask how culture, access to care and community support affect how BIPOC families navigate autism.

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GUESTS: 

Mallory Robertson 

  •  Mother of Jeremiah
  • Author of “Jero’s Journey: Finding Hope in Autism”

 Jeremiah Robertson 

  • Person with autism
  • Undergraduate at Eureka College
  • Author of “Jero’s Journey: Finding Hope in Autism”

Camille Proctor 

  • Founder of The Color of Autism Foundation

Penny Bradford

Patricia "Penny" Bradford is a senior majoring in journalism and minoring in public relations at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. She is a producer for Dialogue and a native of the Champaign-Urbana area.