Autism Care Coordination: The Key Telemedicine Benefits
Putting shoes on a child can sometimes feel like an Olympic sport. For a child with special sensory needs, it might involve full-body grappling that would put some of the nation’s top athletes to shame! Now add a coat, a hat, and a car seat.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just stay home?
If you suspect that your child may have autism, then you’ve probably experienced your fair share of challenging transitions. The stress of new sounds, new smells, and new people can make any young child act atypically cranky. The myriad telemedicine benefits of virtual screening might be the perfect fit for your family.
The benefits of accessing telemedicine options go far beyond eliminating rough transitions. What if treating autism could be efficient, gradual, and comfortable for all involved? Developmental Pediatrics of Texas can offer you thorough diagnosis and screening that can help you gain access to the services that you need right now.
If you’re curious about how the increased supervision of telemedicine autism screening can improve your life, keep reading to learn more.
Parents Retain the Agency
You trust your eyes and your gut instincts, and so do we. We begin the evaluation process by listening to your concerns. In that regard, you will always hold the agency when it comes to your child’s diagnosis.
We’ll begin with a video conference on your schedule, during which we’ll ask for a detailed history. We’ll review the data that you provide as part of the M-CHAT-R assessment. This will allow us to hear your concerns and help you process what you’re seeing.
Our second meeting is also focused on listening. We’ll conduct a standardized interview that will provide us with the information that we need to complete the Vineland 3 Adaptive test. This data will help us to guide you as you complete the video interaction of your child’s behavior.
In only four video meetings we can provide you with a comprehensive picture of your child’s level of functioning. If we suspect your child might benefit from further testing, we can guide you and help you find local practitioners that offer these services. You will never have to surrender your agency in the process and will be able to complete each step from your home.
Authentic Assessment
If you’ve begun pursuing an ASD diagnosis for your young child, you might have observed this “magic trick.” It might have taken months to get an appointment with an evaluator. As soon as you arrive for your appointment, your child’s behavior seems to do a complete 180, and you’re back at square one.
Your child will act like his or her most authentic self when in the comfort of home. In fact, as part of our telemedicine evaluation, you will be in control of the observation. We’ll give you everything you need to conduct and film an interaction that will be a major part of our simple screening process.
This gives you an incredible amount of flexibility. Who is a better judge of a child’s typical level of functioning than the parents? If necessary, you can choose to refilm your interaction on a day when your child is acting like his or her most authentic self without having to get back on a waiting list.
We’ll use your filmed interaction during the third stage of our evaluation process. It will help us to score an assessment called the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale 2. Once you’ve submitted your footage, we’ll only need to meet one final time to discuss a possible diagnosis for your child.
Efficient Access to Diagnosis and Services
For many families, the hardest part of the diagnosis of autism is getting off a waiting list and in front of a developmental pediatrician. In many cases, you might have to travel to see a professional with the right expertise. For many parents, these are barriers that extend the length of time between evaluation and diagnosis.
While we believe a gradual approach is more comfortable for everybody, efficiency is key when it comes to access to services. The earlier a child with autism begins therapeutic intervention, the brighter their prospects become. You shouldn’t have to spend time on a long waitlist that could be better spent receiving early intervention and therapies.
It’s even more frustrating when you do put in the time, finally gain access to a professional, and receive instructions to “wait and see.” You know your child better than anyone. A telemedicine evaluation will immediately provide you with a data-backed diagnosis that can confirm what you see every day.
A formal diagnosis is often the first step when it comes to securing speech therapy, occupational therapy, or access to other necessary supports. A telemedicine diagnosis with Developmental Pediatrics can considerably shorten the time it takes to gain access to autism treatment.
The Telemedicine Benefits of Developmental Pediatrics
All research suggests that efficient access to autism services can make a considerable difference in the lives of children with autism. If you’re looking to expedite the process, a telemedicine screening through Developmental Pediatrics of Texas will start you on the right track. Additionally, the telemedicine benefits will ensure that the process is simple, transparent, and gentle at every stage of the process.
You can begin the process from the comfort of your home today. Contact us to request an appointment, where we’ll answer any questions you might have about what we do. We’re ready to support you as you move forward and pursue services and support for your child!
