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ERIC Number: EJ1454846
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jan
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-3613
EISSN: EISSN-1461-7005
Short Report: Integrated Evaluations for Autism Spectrum Disorder in Pediatric Primary Care Clinics
Serene Habayeb; Anne Inge; Erica Eisenman; Sheina Godovich; Maria Lauer; Amanda Hastings; Vanessa Fuentes; Melissa Long; Xavier Marshall; Alexis Khuu; Leandra Godoy
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, v29 n1 p259-264 2025
Primary care providers are often the first to identify concerns for autism through routine screening in the first 2 years of life. However, most children do not receive a diagnosis until years later resulting in delays accessing appropriate intervention. Delays in diagnosis disproportionately impact those who are otherwise disadvantaged by society based on race or socioeconomic status. Embedding mental health clinicians into primary care clinics offers a promising opportunity to address barriers to accessing diagnostic and intervention services once primary care providers identify concerns. The goal of this study was to assess the Autism in Primary Care program through which embedded mental health professionals in an urban primary care setting, primarily serving Black and Latinx families with Medicaid, were trained to provide autism diagnostic evaluations. Two hundred and fifty children completed evaluations through Autism in Primary Care program. Wait times to access evaluations in primary care were found to be significantly shorter than through standard avenues of care (e.g. tertiary care clinics). Referring primary care providers and caregivers endorsed high levels of satisfaction with the program. Embedding autism evaluations into primary care settings offers a promising opportunity to improve earlier diagnosis and treatment access for families, reduce inequities in care, and increase caregiver and child well-being.
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2993
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: District of Columbia
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Child Behavior Checklist; Social Responsiveness Scale; Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A