Autism Diagnostic Clinic receives honor

Designated an Emerging Practice by AMCHP

The Association for Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) recognizes our Autism Diagnostic Clinic (ADC) as an emerging practice for the early detection and intervention of autism. The designation shares the work and process of the ADC on the AMCHP Innovation Hub.

The Innovation Hub is an online platform for maternal and child health professionals providing tools and resources to explore, build, and share best practices. The hub is home to the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Innovations Database, a searchable repository of "what's working" in the field that improves the health and well-being of MCH populations. Practices are assessed through a continuum and receive a designation of Cutting-Edge, Emerging, Promising, or Best, depending on the amount of evidence demonstrating the program's impact against other criteria. The clinic received the Cutting-Edge designation in 2021 and progressed to Emerging in 2022.

Easterseals Autism Diagnostic Clinic is designed to identify autism in toddlers ages 18 months through three years of age. Today, most children are not diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) until after four years of age, even when developmental concerns are present during their toddler years. The most significant barrier to early detection is a lack of access to qualified diagnostic professionals and long waiting lists. The clinic's primary goal is to provide access to autism diagnosis as early and quickly as possible by addressing the shortage of developmental pediatrics in rural and suburban areas.

The clinic was created in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and funded by the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block grant. The ADC uses a virtual model with a psychologist and/or developmental nurse practitioner administering the evaluation via teleconference while guiding the parent through activities with the child in their home. Diagnosticians from either Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) or St. Christopher's Hospital for Children are also online to observe. The team then collaborates to complete the intricate assessment scoring and provide the family with a same-day diagnosis.

By using a telehealth model, residents of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, and Pike counties have access to specialists in Philadelphia. Families do not have to travel for services and the child is evaluated in familiar surroundings. The wait time for an evaluation with Easterseals ADC is less than eight months, while the average wait time through other clinics and hospitals is over one year. The ADC also contracts bilingual clinicians, which is a tremendous advantage in reaching people who are traditionally underserved. Title V funding provides families the added benefit of not bearing the cost of the service.

"It is such an honor to be able to share the great work that Easterseals is doing within the Maternal Child Health community,” says Gloria Alvarez, Easterseals Autism Program Manager. “Our staff works tirelessly to ensure that the communities we serve are given equal opportunities to improve the lives and development of children."

Jill Glose, Vice President Clinical Services, comments, "The virtual model helps to reduce health inequities in traditionally underserved communities and builds on the foundation of the program's primary purpose, which is to bridge the gap of accessibility in rural areas. Our partnerships with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, CHOP, and St. Christopher's give us the leverage to solidify the services we offer at Easterseals. Their support and expertise enable us to continually improve our practices."

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