Identification of autism spectrum disorder and interprofessional collaboration between school and clinical settings

Abstract

Providing high‐quality services to autistic students and their caregivers requires interprofessional collaboration. This paper highlights the importance of collaboration between clinical and school settings to promote integrated and comprehensive care for autistic students and their caregivers. First, we present how autistic students are identified and diagnosed in school and clinical settings, with particular attention to how these processes impact access to services. Next, we present interprofessional collaborative practice (IPC) as a framework to facilitate increased collaboration between school and clinical providers working with autistic students. Key tenets of IPC that address barriers to collaboration and several examples of IPC are outlined. To assure readiness to engage in collaborative practice, we discuss graduate interprofessional education (IPE) as a means to train emerging professionals in IPC for autistic students. Finally, we highlight several examples of IPE training programs specific to autism and related developmental disabilities.

Interprofessional collaboration: Ethical considerations for school psychologists.

“…The field also is responsible for preparing school psychologists to collaborate with other professionals in an ethical manner. Gardner et al (2022) explained the importance of graduate training in collaborative practice to help alleviate some of the barriers to coordinated care. We argue that this type of training should include a specific focus on ethics.…”

Comparing and contrasting barriers in augmentative alternative communication use in nonspeaking autism and complex communication needs: multi-stakeholder perspectives

“…Related to this, educators lamented the lack of collaboration and communication when clinicians decide on AAC fit. Such barriers can be eased by implementing an interprofessional collaboration (IPC) framework ( 64 ), which is both patient-centred and population‐oriented. In IPC, problem solving is shared at the community level to ensure appropriate access and fit to services for autistic individuals.…”

Addressing the Need for Training More School Psychologists to Serve Toddlers and Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…Collaboration is essential to the proper establishment and running of programs such as this and must occur from the very beginning (Sweizy et al, 2008 ; Gardner et al, 2022 ). There must be a compatibility between the university program’s training model and the training site’s service-delivery model.…”

“…With the increasing prevalence of young children diagnosed with ASD, the demand for qualified personnel and behavioral health work force to meet the diagnostic and clinical services needed for toddlers/preschoolers in the school system and community remains a daunting task. To identify early signs, diagnose in a timely manner, and assure early intervention services are delivered, clinicians from a variety of related disciplines need to join forces in identifying focused training tracks within their specialty (Gardner et al, 2022 ). Although NASP ( 2015 ) calls for school psychologists to be prepared to assess and identify young children with ASD, and deliver evidenced based interventions, many school psychologists feel ill equipped and unprepared to meet this need (Harris et al, 2020 ).…”