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Increasing numbers of children diagnosed and treated for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has impacted both neuropsychologists and educators. Though both play key evaluative and treatment roles, there is no available method or process in place enabling the translation of the neuropsychological report recommendations into a format educational teams can easily use, leading to a gap between neuropsychological recommendations and educational planning. In the following, we review the areas evaluated by a neuropsychologist when assessing a child with an ASD, discuss the domains targeted by educational teams when designing an educational plan, and then present a process that has met with some success creating a “bridge” between the diagnostic/assessment process and the subsequent academic planning. Though presented in the context of ASD, the process described can be used by neuropsychologists for various populations to facilitate partnerships with educators that result in improved care for the child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Most research on comprehensive primary care interventions for children with chronic health conditions has been conducted in large urban areas, where child health and related services are readily available. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and impact of a medical home demonstration project in a more rural part of the country. Methods. Fifty-one parents of children with special health care needs participated in a pre-/posttreatment assessment of a program designed to enhance comprehensive and coordinated care. Participants were recruited from 3 primary care practices in a central Midwest state and remained in the program for ∼12 months. Results. Parents reported significant increases in satisfaction with care coordination and access to mental health services after the intervention. They also noted decreases in family needs, caregiver strain, parents' missed work days, children's school absences, and utilization of ambulatory services. Satisfaction with primary care declined slightly but remained in the "very good" range. Families of children with more complex conditions were more likely to report a decrease in needs after intervention, but other factors, such as geographic location or socioeconomic status, were not related to key outcome variables. Conclusions. Comprehensive care has a positive effect on children with chronic health conditions and their families, including those who live in more rural areas. Additional study is needed to learn more about rural service delivery strategies that promote implementation of this approach in general practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the goal of identifying a population of children in primary care settings who may benefit from quality improvements in their care, we examined a new method of screening children for chronic health conditions. Parents of children treated in a pediatric clinic (N = 769) completed the screening measure. Approximately 1 in 5 children had a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition, which is similar to prevalence rates in national surveys. Among children with chronic conditions (n = 162), 79% required prescription medications, 70% had above-average service use, and 28% had functional limitations. The use of the screener in primary care settings has the potential to identify a vulnerable group of children who need comprehensive and coordinated care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]