Check out these autism resource toolkits
by Scott
Remember my blog post about Easter Seals Crossroads delivering important autism resources to local pediatricians? On April 1st we conducted a mass distribution which reached 150 doctors in one day, and we are continuing to distribute autism resource toolkits.
The toolkit is a product of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is an awesome resource for any doctor providing primary care. It includes information on everything from screening and diagnosis to handouts that doctors may give to their families. It even includes sample referral forms and letters that doctors can use to gain access to insurance payment for early intervention, educational, and therapeutic services for people with autism.
The toolkit story got picked up by the Indianapolis Star — last week they ran an article called Pediatricians Getting Help in Recognizing Signs of Autism. The article starts with a story about Easter Seals Crossroads and our medical director, Dr. Chuck Dietzen.
Dr. Chuck Dietzen, medical director at Easter Seals Crossroads, remembers the first child with autism he saw as a medical student in 1986. A mother brought her 6-year-old son, who was slow to develop, not toilet-trained, and non-interactive, to a specialist. Her pediatrician had said he would outgrow his condition, but she was rightfully concerned.
Now, Dietzen and his colleagues at Easter Seals Crossroads are trying to make sure that pediatricians in the community are up to date on autism. They’re in the process of distributing “autism resource tool kits” to about 200 pediatricians and family-practice physicians in the community.
The article includes a Q & A explaining why it is so important to keep pediatricians and physicians up-to-date on autism. Thanks to this article, many others might become aware of autism too.