Addressing Diagnostic Evaluation Waitlists Support and Resources for NJ Pediatricians
September 20, 2024
Autism New Jersey is pleased to announce its Pediatrician Resource Hub, a new web-based platform for pediatricians supporting autistic patients and their families. This “one-stop shop” will allow pediatricians to access accurate and up-to-date information on autism diagnosis and caring for autistic patients.
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Pediatricians play a vital role in children’s health and well-being. From the first appointment at only days old through transition to adult healthcare, pediatricians are not just medical providers. They are also listening ears, sage advisors, and care coordinators. When a patient is showing signs of autism, their family brings up concerns, or they receive an autism diagnosis, a pediatrician’s care and oversight become even more important and challenging.
With the support from Autism New Jersey’s Pediatrician Resource Hub, pediatricians have a unique opportunity to improve the health outcomes of their patients with autism.
- For some patients, they can provide an efficient and accurate diagnosis that allows access to necessary treatment.
Despite increased use of universal screenings for autism, the CDC reports that the average age of formal ASD diagnosis, which is slightly over 4 years old, has not lowered in more than 20 years. Unfortunately, many of those children had concerns noted in their medical chart by the age of 3. Most clinicians and researchers point to the bottleneck from primary care to specialist as a significant cause of this delay to formal diagnosis. In New Jersey, diagnostic centers report waitlists for initial autism evaluation appointments anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. With fewer than 40 developmental behavioral pediatricians statewide as of August 2024, there simply are not enough to support the approximately 50,000 autistic New Jerseyans ages 3-18.
Research supports the idea that pediatricians can provide an accurate autism diagnosis when a patient is showing clear and significant signs of autism. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics identifies several benefits to diagnosing autism in primary care settings:
- Reducing wait times
- Improving continuity of care
- Reducing disparities in access to diagnostic services
- Assisting families in better understanding their child’s strengths and needs for support
After diagnosis, pediatricians can also provide compassionate, effective care that sets the stage for successful medical care throughout the lifespan. Finally, they are able to support families with well-informed care coordination, an autism-friendly medical home, and effective transition to adult healthcare.
Autism New Jersey believes pediatricians are an integral part of addressing the health disparity experienced by people with autism and remains committed to partnering with pediatricians statewide. This new resource is one important piece of the work we are doing with our Advancing Healthcare Initiative. We will continue to grow and add resources in support of pediatricians who want to take a more active role in the diagnosis and care of autistic patients.