Irang Kim, PhD, MSW

Education

• PhD in Social Work from University of Georgie School of Social Work
• MSW from University of South Carolina College of Social Work
• BSW from Catholic University of Busan, South Korea

Biography

Dr. Irang Kim’s research builds on more than ten years of professional experience supporting individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities (DDs) and their families. Her study is focused on two areas: 1) examination of disparities in underserved communities of children with autism and other DDs; and 2) development of empirically based, culturally relevant interventions for parents of young children with autism.

Dr. Kim received a MSW from the University of South Carolina and a PhD from the University of Georgia. Given the lack of knowledge of ethnic minority families, her dissertation focused on caregiving experiences of Korean American immigrant parents of children with DDs. With funding from the Organization for Autism Research, she conducted a rigorous qualitative study.

She completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship under the mentorship of Sarah Dababnah, PhD, MPH, MSW, she dedicated her time to two community-based studies in Maryland. First, she coordinated a feasibility study of a peer-led program for Black families in low-income Baltimore communities raising young children with autism. Second, she led the project to better understand service need and barriers of Asian American families raising children with DDs in Maryland.

Expertise and Research Interests include:

• Services and Support for Individuals with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities
• Disparities in culturally diverse communities of individuals with Developmental Disabilities and their Families
• Early Intervention for Young Children with Autism
• Intersectionality between Developmental Disabilities and Other Areas of Practice
• Community-Based Research and Practice
• Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience
• Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods

Selected Funding

2020 – 2021, Co-investigator, “Addressing racial disparities in autism diagnosis and treatment: Translating peer-to-peer support into a clinical setting,” Co-PIs: Sarah Dababnah and Charina Reyes, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Institute for Clinical & Translational Research (ICTR) and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Clinical Translational Science Award (Grant No: 1UL1TR003098), $40,000

2019 – 2020, Co-Principal Investigator, “A needs assessment of Asian-American parents of children with developmental disabilities in Maryland.” Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council, $5,000

2015 – 2016, Principal Investigator, “Experiences of Korean-American immigrant parents of children with developmental disabilities.” Organization for Autism Research, $2,000

2015 – 2016, Principal Investigator, “Parental Stress and Coping Strategies of Korean-American Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities.” Asian and Pacific Islander Social Work Educators Association, $5,000

Recent Publications

Dababnah, S., Kim, I., Wang, Y., & Reyes, C. (Accepted). Brief Report: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Asian American families with children with developmental disabilities. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities. Advance online publication.

Dababnah, S., Shaia, W., Kim, I., & Sandra Magaña (Accepted). Parents Taking Action: Adapting a Peer-to-Peer Parenting Program for Black Families Raising Children with Autism. Inclusion. Advance online publication.

Robinson, M., Kim, I., Mowbray, O., & Disney, L. (2021). African Americans, Caribbean Blacks and depression: Which biopsychosocial factors should social workers focus on? Results from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL). Community Mental Health Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-021-00833-6.

Dababnah, S., Kim, I., Shaia, W. (2021). I am so fearful for him: A mixed methods exploration of stress among caregivers of black children with autism. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities. https://doi.org/10.1080/20473869.2020.1870418.

Kim, I., Wang, Y., Dababnah, S., Betz, G. (2020). East Asian American parents of children with autism: A scoping review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40489-020-00221-y.

Rizo, C.F., Kim, I., Dababnah, S., & Garbarino, N. (2020). The Intersection of intellectual and developmental disabilities with child exposure to intimate partner violence: Implications for research and practice. Journal of Family Violence. 35(8), 899-909. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1007/s10896-020-00138-4.

Robinson, M., Kim, I., Mowbray, O., & Washington, T. (2020). The effects of hopelessness on chronic illness on African Americans and Caribbean Blacks: Findings from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL). Community Mental Health Journal. 56(4), 753-759. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-019-00536-z.

Kim, I., & Dababnah, S. (2020). Appreciation of the ‘subtle changes’: Perspectives of Korean American parents raising children with developmental disabilities. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities. 32, 307-322. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10882-019-09693-1.

Kim, I., Dababnah, S. & Lee., J. (2020). The influence of race and ethnicity on the relationship between family resilience and parenting stress in caregivers of children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities. 50(2), 650-658. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1007/s10803-019-04269-6.

For more publications, see Dr. Kim's CV or her page on ResearchGate.

Community Involvement / Board Positions

• Council on Social Work Education
• Society for Social Work and Research
• International Society for Autism Research
• International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities