{
  "abstract": "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.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Echo Autism Communities, Columbia, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Valeria Nanclares"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Echo Autism Communities, Columbia, USA",
        "Fundación Neurodiversidad, Rosario, Argentina"
      ],
      "name": "Ramiro Mitre"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Echo Autism Communities, Columbia, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Alicia Brewer-Curran"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Echo Autism Communities, Columbia, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Melinda Odum"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Echo Autism Communities, Columbia, USA",
        "Children’s Hospital of Atlanta, Atlanta, USA"
      ],
      "name": "John Constantino"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Echo Autism Communities, Columbia, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Lindsey Nebeker"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Echo Autism Communities, Columbia, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Melissa Mahurin"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Echo Autism Communities, Columbia, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Katrina Boles"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Echo Autism Communities, Columbia, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Kristin Sohl"
    }
  ],
  "title": "34 Expanding diagnostic capacity in marginalized areas through the echo autism: advanced diagnosis program",
  "uid": "980072ff-bc48-53f6-9c64-4b0056ab04c5"
}