How can we increase access to early screening and intervention for underserved families?

The READi Lab is partnering with health care, early intervention, and early learning programs in King County to reduce health care disparities in early ASD identification and treatment. This project involves: (1) conducting focus groups with community providers and families to understand barriers to communicating about ASD concerns, and (2) offering materials and training to community providers with the goals of increasing ASD screening and reducing the age at which children receive ASD specialized intervention.

Funding Source: US Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

Who is Eligible?

• Primary care, Early Intervention, or Early Learning providers working in King County
• Parents of 16-30 month old toddlers who:
  • Receive services from one of the providers enrolled in the study
  • Have concerns about the development of their toddler
  • Speak either English or Spanish

Requirements

• Completing surveys at 2 time points (3 months apart)
• Bringing your toddler to UW for two assessment visits (3 months apart)

Your time is compensated

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This project evaluated a parent-implemented intervention designed to improve children’s social and communication skills. Our study examined the effectiveness of ImPACT (Improving Parents as Communicative Teachers) for infants at familial risk for ASD. Participating families were randomly assigned to either the Treatment group or an Assess-and-Monitor group.

Funding Source: National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

This project implemented and evaluated an innovative healthcare service delivery model designed to promote earlier access to specialized intervention for toddlers with ASD. The Screen-Refer-Treat (SRT) model provided a coordinated and cost-effective approach to early identification and intervention by involving both Medical and Early Intervention (EI) providers, and represented a practical and sustainable strategy for bridging the gap between ASD concerns and ASD intervention. We recruited participants from four communities across Washington State: Skagit, Lewis, Yakima, and Spokane counties.

Funding Source: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

The ECHO Study is a large, nationwide project examining the effect of environmental risk factors on child health outcomes. We participated in the “ASD-Enriched Risk Cohort” component, which studied the shed baby teeth (i.e., teeth that have fallen out) from children who have older siblings with ASD. The purpose of the study was to explore how genetic factors interact with pre- and post-natal environmental chemical exposures to impact ASD risk.

Funding Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH)