Elsevier

The Journal of Pediatrics

Volume 254, March 2023, Pages 96-101.e1
The Journal of Pediatrics

Brief Reports
Evaluation of Race and Ethnicity Across a Statewide System of Early Autism Evaluation

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.10.023Get rights and content

We evaluated racial and ethnic disparities across the Early Autism Evaluation Hub system, a statewide network for autism diagnosis. Our findings suggest that this system has the potential to reduce longstanding disparities in autism spectrum disorder diagnosis for children from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds.

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Methods

Data for the present study were collected as a part of the Indiana University School of Medicine EAE Hub system quality improvement initiative (see McNally Keehn et al for more information18,24). No protected health information was collected as part of this effort; as such, a waiver for human subjects research was provided by the university's institutional review board.

Results

Of those evaluated in the EAE hub system in 2021 for whom demographic data were available, 78% (n = 383) were White and 22% (n = 105) were non-White (ie, Black, Native American/Alaskan, Native Hawaiian, or 2 or more races); 11% (n = 56) of children were Latinx and 89% (n = 440) of children were non-Latinx (Table I). Notably, the proportion of non-White (22%) and Latinx (11%) children was somewhat greater than expected, given state census data (ie, non-White: 16%; Latinx: 8%).27 Regarding

Discussion

Long-standing disparities in access to ASD assessments and inconsistent service referrals for racially and ethnically diverse children are well documented.28 As such, developing and testing novel methodologies for ASD diagnosis that reduce demographic disparities has been recently prioritized. The aim of the current study was to evaluate racial and ethnic disparities across the EAE Hub system, a statewide network of primary care early autism evaluations in local communities. Demographic

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  • Ongoing sustainability of the EAE Hub system is supported by the Riley Children's Foundation, Kiwanis Indiana Three Wishes Campaign, and Robert and Helen Haddad Family Foundation. Additional support to A.M.M. and R.M.K. is provided by Indiana University Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities (IU-LEND; HRSA T73MC00015). The authors have no conflicts of interest.

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