Autism Diagnosis By Community-Based Primary Care Physicians Trained Through ECHO Autism STAT Model As Accurate As Center-Based Diagnosis

Primary care physicians (PCPs) can reliably diagnose autism in symptomatic children as young as 14 months, with training and support from specialist support via videoconferencing through the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Autism STAT program. In a small test of diagnostic accuracy for the ECHO Autism STAT model, 20 children aged 14 to 48 months diagnosed by a PCP trained through the model participated in an independent diagnostic evaluation with a specialist at a regional autism center. The specialist confirmed the PCP’s diagnosis for 19 of the 20 children. Each of the children had unambiguous symptoms of autism . . .