Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) play a significant role in providing primary and preventative care in rural areas that are underserved. Currently, there are 4,500 RHCs and 1,350 CAHs nationwide.

It is critical that these facilities are able to provide services for people on the autism spectrum, as this is a huge area of need in this country.

“In addition to a diminished presence of and access to minimally adequate care for rural areas, there is a lack of evidence-based practices for identifying and providing services for individuals with ASD (Rhoades et al., 2007). This combination of factors contributes to a variety of unfavorable outcomes for affected children who live in rural locations, such as delays in developmental screening and diagnosis as well as fewer available interventions, which can lead to comparatively worse educational and functional outcomes.”- Rural Trends in Diagnosis and Services for Autism Spectrum Disorder, NCBI Continue Reading →

A number of countries that did rely on BCBAs for treating people with autism will have to evaluate other viable options. With the prevalence and awareness of autism increasing substantially worldwide, many countries are not well prepared to serve this population.

People with autism vary significantly in how autism impacts them and the way they perceive the world, making it important to have qualified experts that truly understand autism to treat them. However, having qualified practitioners is a very common problem, especially across lower and middle-income countries throughout the world:

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A number of countries who relied on BCBAs for treatment for autism and other related disorders will have to find another alternative.

This article explores the prevalence of autism worldwide, the lack of diagnosis and treatment options in many countries, and why the BACB decided to make the decision. The next article focuses more on what these countries can do if they are looking for alternatives. Continue Reading →

By Anita Lesko, BSN, RN, MS, CRNA, CAS (and proudly on the autism spectrum)

Currently, 1 in 44 children in the US are diagnosed with autism, with many more children and adults being missed or receiving a diagnosis later in life as adults. This means a high percentage of individuals bring seen in hospitals, pediatrician or primary care offices, emergency rooms, and other healthcare settings have sensory and communication differences that need to be understood and addressed by providers. 

Lack of specific training and knowledge in the healthcare field is constantly leading to people with autism not being diagnosed or treated properly as well as often avoidable situations that impede timely or effective care. The experience of a person with autism starts when they arrive at your facility and first get to intake, so the importance of training does not stop with the medical staff. It actually starts with the non-medical staff in intake, as often times overwhelm can start before the person with autism has even seen their healthcare provider, adding sometimes insurmountable challenges to effective care. Continue Reading →