Cherokee Nation To Implement Lifespan Solutions For Members With Autism

The Cherokee Nation is planning to implement 22 recommendations for improving services across the lifespan for tribal members with autism and their families. The recommendations address caregiver support, wait times for testing and accessing services, creating inclusive care environments, enhancing access to applied behavior analysis and mental health services, and workforce development focused on opportunities for adults with autism. The rate of autism among the Cherokee nation is unknown because most autism research takes place in non-native communities.

The recommendations were developed by a task force formed by Cherokee Nation Health Services (CNHS) in 2023. The task force was . . .