Evaluating the Efficiency and Equity of Autism Diagnoses via Telehealth During COVID-19.

Given existing barriers to a timely autism diagnosis, this study compares the efficiency and equity of diagnoses conducted in-person vs. telehealth in a developmental behavioral pediatrics setting. The transition to telehealth was prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Improving Efficiency and Equity in Early Autism Evaluations: The (S)TAAR Model.

This paper describes the (Sin Exclusión) Transdisciplinary Autism Assessment and Resources ([S]TAAR) model and presents early metrics tracking efficiency and equity in access to high-quality comprehensive autism evaluations for young children. Retrospective chart reviews over one year (08/2018-08/2019) with n = 173 children were reviewed. Through care coordination with community providers, the model was developed to meet local needs by increasing throughput of children (< 4 years old) evaluated by a transdisciplinary team.

Comparing methods for assessing receptive language skills in minimally verbal children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.

This research addresses the challenges of assessing receptive language abilities in minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder by comparing several adapted measurement tools: a standardized direct assessment of receptive vocabulary (i.e. Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4); caregiver report measures including scores on the Vineland-II Communication domain and a vocabulary questionnaire consisting of a list of words ranging from simple, developmentally early, to more advanced words expected to be understood by at least some older children and adolescents; an eye-tracking test of word comprehension, using a word-image pair matching paradigm similar to that often used in studies of infant language acquisition; and a computerized assessment using a touch screen for directly measuring word comprehension with the same stimuli used in the eye-tracking experiment.