Impact of Autism Navigator on Access to Services. Issue 3 (April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Roth, Beth Mishkind; Kralovic, Shanna; Roizen, Nancy J.; Spannagel, Sarah Cain; Minich, Nori; Knapp, Julie
• Is Part Of: Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics. Volume 37:Issue 3(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-04
• Subjects: autism -- Medicaid -- services; Child development -- Periodicals; Developmental disabilities -- Periodicals; Behavior disorders in children -- Periodicals; Learning disabilities -- Periodicals; Child psychiatry -- Periodicals; 618.92805
• DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000261
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0196-206X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Objective: To determine whether access to an Autism Patient Navigator (APN) for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at <48 months of age would be useful and lead to more appointments with needed services. Method: Participants included parents of 39 children diagnosed with ASD in a multidisciplinary clinic. After diagnosis, the patients were randomized to 4 groups: Medicaid early (n = 9) or late support (n = 9) and non-Medicaid early (n = 11) or late support (n = 10). Early access to the APN was at the family meeting and later at 3 months after diagnosis. Data included demographic information and completion by phone interview at 3 months postdiagnosis of a questionnaire on the usefulness of the assessment and parent's desire or ability to obtain recommended services. Results: Demographically, the groups were not different. Children were most frequently male, white, non-Hispanic, and non-Medicaid with a mean age of 35 months. In comparison with the non-Medicaid groups, the Medicaid groups more often endorsed the 9 questions on the usefulness of the assessment as being "A Great Deal" useful ( p = .022). Groups with early support were more successful in scheduling or completing appointments for recommended services overall including medical, educational, therapeutic, and parent resource appointments ( p = .031). Barriers to services or resources were reported by 35.9% . Conclusion: Parents of young children with Medicaid with a recent diagnosis of ASD found the assessment "very useful" compared with non-Medicaid group. The groups with immediate access to an APN were more successful with scheduling and completing appointments.