The Vietnamese Family Autism Advisory Board (VFAAB) is a community-led program that supports Vietnamese families raising children with autism and other developmental delays. The program is sponsored by HopeCentral Pediatrics and Behavioral Health, a nonprofit pediatric clinic that has served diverse Seattle neighborhoods since 2013. HopeCentral is part of the Seattle Children’s Care Network and provides care in a community where 56 languages are spoken. Their approach focuses on longer appointments, strong relationships with families, and integrated behavioral health care.
VFAAB was created after families and community leaders shared that Vietnamese parents often could not find autism-specific services that felt culturally relevant or easy to access. Many families faced language barriers, stigma around disability, long wait times for diagnosis and therapy, and difficulty navigating school and service systems. VFAAB’s mission is to help close these gaps by connecting families to resources and supporting them as they learn to navigate medical, educational, and social service systems.
One family’s story shows why this work matters. A Vietnamese family brought their three-year-old son to HopeCentral for pediatric care, where developmental screening identified delays and he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. At first, the family did not move forward with services. With support from VFAAB’s Parent Champion, who provided culturally responsive guidance and encouragement, the child’s mother gained confidence and learned about available options. Today, her son is enrolled in developmental preschool and receiving intensive Applied Behavior Analysis therapy. She shared that she is amazed by her son’s progress and grateful for the time, care, and outreach that supported her family during a critical time.
VFAAB has more than eight years of experience providing culturally responsive support. Through community listening sessions, families identified ongoing challenges that guide the program’s work, including limited awareness of autism, cultural stigma, a lack of Vietnamese-speaking providers, long waits for services, and financial strain when a parent needs to leave work to support their child.
The program offers educational classes taught in Vietnamese, monthly family support meetings with interpretation, quarterly cultural celebrations, and year-round clinical case management. Classes are small and interactive and focus on practical, evidence-based parenting and developmental strategies. Family meetings give parents a chance to learn from guest speakers, ask questions, and connect with one another. Cultural gatherings bring families, community members, and professionals together to share meals, celebrate Vietnamese culture, and build understanding and acceptance of autism and developmental disabilities.
Year-round clinical case management helps families access early intervention services, navigate Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and enroll with Washington State Developmental Disabilities Community Services. All services are delivered in Vietnamese by bilingual professionals using a cultural brokerage approach and are provided at no cost to families.
VFAAB is also leading a new project focused on school nutrition, funded by Best Starts for Kids in King County. The project aims to help schools better understand students’ dietary needs, cultural food preferences, and sensory sensitivities. Working with Vietnamese youth and families, school partners, and dietitians from Seattle Children’s Autism Center, VFAAB is developing a simple food assessment tool to support more inclusive and culturally relevant school meals.
Families can connect with VFAAB by emailing Program Manager Ben Nguyen or by contacting HopeCentral Pediatrics at 206-455-9845.
VFAAB is also seeking sustainable funding to continue and expand its work; those interested in partnerships or financial support are encouraged to contact Executive Director Thanh Kirkpatrick.
