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. 2022 Feb 28;12(3):327.
doi: 10.3390/brainsci12030327.

Project Extension for Community Health Outcomes (ECHO) Autism: A Successful Model to Increase Capacity in Community-Based Care

Kristin Sohl  1 , Agnieszka Rynkiewicz  2   3 , Valeria Nanclares-Nogués  1 , Alicia Brewer Curran  1 , Julie Scorah  4 , Mandy Steiman  4 , Catherine Lord  5 , Roma A Vasa  6 , Agnieszka Słopień  7 , Małgorzata Janas-Kozik  8   9 , Izabela Łucka  10 , Artur Mazur  11
Affiliations

Project Extension for Community Health Outcomes (ECHO) Autism: A Successful Model to Increase Capacity in Community-Based Care

Kristin Sohl et al. Brain Sci. .

Abstract

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) struggle to access high-quality health care due to the shortage of trained providers. ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) Autism is a unique educational program that allows ASD experts to provide knowledge and skills to professionals in local communities to deliver evidence-based care to children with ASD and their families. The model teaches clinicians how to screen and diagnose ASD, as well as manage common co-occurring medical and mental health issues. ECHO Autism is particularly useful for addressing the complex needs of children with ASD and reducing disparities often present in rural and underserved communities. The model can be disseminated globally due to its flexibility in accommodating local and regional differences in social norms and constructs. This article provides an overview of the format of the ECHO Autism model, data supporting the model's efficacy, and discusses future research directions.

Keywords: ECHO Autism; autism spectrum disorder; cross-disciplinary care; global programs; health care access; primary care providers; screening.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. Kristin Sohl does not have a conflict of interest to declare but is the founder and executive director of ECHO Autism Communities, which receives grant and foundation funding to help disseminate autism best practices through the ECHO Autism model.

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