Assessing Autism: New Training Brings Specialty Care to Rural Areas
Autism specialists from the Institute on Community Integration’s TeleOutreach Center are sharing detailed insights on better diagnostic evaluations, care navigation, and intervention techniques through free, on-demand modules created for primary care medical professionals and other professionals serving rural and military-connected families.
One of the modules, Autism Assessment , goes beyond published diagnostic criteria to discuss factors that can improve the quality of an assessment and tailor it to the unique needs of each child.
“Identifying whether autism is the right diagnosis is important, but it’s only the beginning,” Amy Esler, a licensed psychologist and professor in the University of Minnesota Department of Pediatrics, says. “Knowing someone's diagnosis tells you very little about their needs. A comprehensive evaluation, when done well, should identify unique areas of strength and difficulty and give the patient and family a roadmap for where to start with interventions or support services.”
The work is part of the TeleOutreach Center’s contributions to the Department of Defense Child Collaboratory Study, which includes 125 teams nationwide working to increase access to mental, emotional, developmental, and behavioral health resources for rural and military-connected families, who often lack access to specialty pediatric care. ICI and the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain collaborate on several teleoutreach initiatives that use digital formats to connect behavioral health specialists with primary care and other professionals working with children.
“I hope this series gives providers the motivation to pursue even more training. I hope the modules unlock a new interest that motivates them to seek further specialization and expertise,” Esler said. “These diagnoses we talk about in the modules are complex, and we need more people who are more specialized in specific areas to meet the demand.”
In the assessment module, Esler takes care to focus on diagnostic processes and strategies that affirm each child's individuality and needs. She also adds context that moves beyond the medical-model terminology found in official diagnostic criteria.
“Autism spans a range of needs and abilities, and I am working to use language that neither pathologizes nor euphemizes the needs of those with autism,” she says.
The module walks learners through a case study of a 3-year-old child who has struggled to make eye contact and communicate. Esler then discusses best practices for conducting assessments, including measuring current functioning and evaluating caregiver reports, as well as cognitive testing and assessment of co-occurring conditions.
“These asynchronous modules will be a vital resource to providers and others who care for children with behavioral health needs,” said Jessica Simacek, director of the TeleOutreach Center. “They complement the in-person events we have held in greater Minnesota and beyond and will allow many more providers to access specialty care resources.”
The modules include downloadable supplemental resources that can be handed out to families and other professionals. A parent/caregiver guide from Esler and colleague Stacey Brandjord leads readers through a checklist of items a proper autism evaluation should include.
“Assessment serves as a foundation for individualized care and meaningful support,” Esler said. “Every assessment should start with, ‘Why are we doing this, and who is it for?’”
She said the power of teleoutreach to increase health providers’ capacity to serve children and families with behavioral and developmental health needs is just beginning to be realized.
“I can’t wait to hear from providers how these modules worked for them and what we can do to build on and improve them,” Esler said.