From: Autism Society of North Carolina
Purpose: The nature of autism and a lack of understanding of the disorder in the medical community contribute to barriers to care and to a failure to diagnose medical problems of the 1 in 150 children born with autism.
- Collaborate with hospitals and doctor's offices to accommodate patients with autism and equip families with tools to make accessing medical care more successful.
How:
- Provide model program training to 15 - 20 pediatric offices in Wake County;
- Create and distribute autism "tool kits" to pediatric offices and hospitals;
- Engage parent advocates in presentations to families and support groups;
- Use media to raise awareness.
Outcome:
- Raise physician comfort level for treating patients with autism;
- Encourage and empower families to seek care;
- Make accommodations to health care system so access to care is more likely, and more effective.
Cost/Term: $285,004 over three years. July 2007 - June 2010