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The movement toward competency-based education (CBE), endorsed by AACN, has highlighted the need for nursing programs to engage in curriculum revisions. Best practice Writing Across the Curriculum instructional strategies may play a key role in revising courses to meet CBE criteria. Faculty may not feel prepared to modify or develop courses to meet the CBE standards detailed in the AACN 2021 Essentials and may not recognize how Writing Across the Curriculum strategies can be utilized to meet CBE requirements. Evidence-based Writing Across the Curriculum strategies can be easily incorporated into courses to enhance students' critical thinking abilities, clinical skills, and leadership proficiencies. Writing Across the Curriculum strategies can be used during course revisions to address CBE. Nursing faculty should be familiar with best practices for incorporating writing into nursing assignments to allow students to demonstrate competency of learned knowledge. • Writing Across the Curriculum strategies can be a tool used during course revisions to address competency-based education. • Evidence-based writing strategies can be incorporated into courses to enhance students' critical thinking skills. • Nursing faculty should become familiar with best practice strategies for incorporating writing into nursing curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The age at which children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has not significantly decreased in the past 20 years. Adverse childhood events (ACEs) experienced by caregivers of autistic children may predict delays in caregivers attending ASD diagnostic evaluations, negatively impacting the age at which the child is diagnosed with ASD. The purpose of this study was to further explore the caregiver delay response by analyzing recurring events common in caregivers of children at risk for ASD. We used a quantitative research design with convenience sampling to categorize caregivers of children referred for an ASD diagnostic evaluation into three groups based on their ACEs score and medical history. A higher percentage of caregivers with four or more ACEs compared to the national average was noted. Parental separation or divorce, verbal aggression, emotional abuse, and parental alcohol or substance abuse occurred most frequently, and the latter predicted a prolonged time in attending the diagnostic evaluation. ACEs experienced by caregivers of children with ASD may delay the age of ASD diagnosis. Further investigation into the effect of ACEs on caregivers' mental health status and executive functioning is warranted to develop best practice for assisting caregivers in ASD recognition, diagnosis, and care management. Clinicians should consider caregiver ACEs score when referring a child for a diagnostic developmental evaluation. Resources to address caregiver mental health needs should be provided at the onset of the referral process to increase the likelihood of caregiver adherence. • Caregiver ACEs may delay the age of pediatric autism (ASD) diagnosis. • ACEs scores for caregivers of children with ASD are higher than the national average. • Parental alcohol or substance abuse predicted a delay in attending an autism evaluation. • Clinicians should address caregiver ACEs when referring a child for ASD evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), with the current prevalence at one in 44 children, is the most rapidly escalating neurodevelopmental disorder in the United States. While the 2000 to 2018 Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network reports indicate progress toward identifying children with ASD by age 24 months, the actual age at which most children receive a diagnosis, ranging between age 51 to 53 months, has not significantly changed since 2000. Racial and gender disparities further complicate ASD identification. This article explores past ADDM findings to highlight ASD identification practices and provide relevant care management recommendations for primary care clinicians. Armed with this information, clinicians can improve ASD identification in their practice and advocate for beneficial, evidence-based health policies that decrease known disparities and enhance ASD care management for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]