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34 Expanding diagnostic capacity in marginalized areas through the echo autism: advanced diagnosis program

bmjpo · 2026-07-14 · canonical JSON source

7 visible annotations · policy: published · automated confidence ≥ 75.00%

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Objectives To improve access to timely, high-quality autism diagnosis for individuals of all genders and ages—especially those with complex or underrecognized presentations—by training and supporting local clinicians through the ECHO Autism: Advanced Diagnosis (EAC:ADx) program.Methods EAC:ADx is a year-long tele-mentoring program designed to strengthen diagnostic capacity among psychologists and physicians in historically underserved and marginalized communities (i.e., rural areas, low-income populations, and racial/ethnic minorities). Participants receive initial training in the ADOS-2 and join bi-monthly virtual sessions to present de-identified cases with a multidisciplinary team. Case presentation forms gather data on age, gender, history, measures used, and final diagnoses. Data were analyzed from 121 cases presented from 2019 to September 2024.Results Fifty-seven percent were male and 43% female, with average diagnostic ages of 9.6 (male) and 14.7 years (female). Despite known challenges in identifying autism in females, the program supported a near-equal gender distribution. Of 106 cases with wait time data, 90% were seen within six months, and 73% within three months—substantially shorter than the state and national averages.Conclusions EAC:ADx strengthens gender-inclusive autism diagnosis across underserved and marginalized communities by reducing wait times and training local providers. It addresses gaps in care for often-overlooked groups—females, adolescents, adults, and individuals in low-income, rural, or minority populations. Proven effective in diverse U.S. settings and adaptable to various cultural and linguistic contexts, EAC:ADx offers strong potential for LATAM, where barriers to diagnostic access are similarly, and often more severely, pronounced.