ARIZONA NEWS

New program trains more Valley doctors to diagnose autism

Sep 16, 2019, 4:15 AM

(Phoenix Children's Hospital Photo)...

(Phoenix Children's Hospital Photo)

(Phoenix Children's Hospital Photo)

PHOENIX — Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the Arizona Department of Economic Security have teamed up to save Arizona families time and money diagnosing autism.

In recent years, the average age of Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis have drastically decreased. There are still many barriers to getting a diagnosis.

In order to get an accurate diagnosis, parents must consult a psychologist, child psychiatrist, neurologist or developmental pediatrician for an official diagnosis, which is required to access services in resources.

The earlier you can intervene the better but there are these giant wait lists,” Dr. Richard Frye told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “First to diagnose, up to 12 months, then there are waitlists to actually get into therapies.”

Frye is the Chief of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at the Barrow Neurological institute of Phoenix Children’s Hospital. He is a strong advocate for their new Early Access to Care-Arizona program.

The idea behind EAC-AZ is to streamline early detection by training more primary care physicians and pediatricians to diagnose autism.

“Pediatricians are on the front lines,” Frye said. “ We really want to empower them to recognize all the symptoms and know what to do when they recognize the symptoms. We want to empower them to diagnose autism and plug them into systems early on.”

In educating primary care physicians, Frye said this would not only cut down wait list times for specialists in busy areas like the Valley but also help improve diagnosis rates in rural parts of the state.

He added that this will not only cut down on the time it takes to diagnose autism spectrum disorders but that it will greatly cut down the cost.

“We’re hoping that by making sure that we diagnose the children correctly and meet the standards of the different entities out there that we’ll be able to get parents more services that are covered,” Frye said. “And when it comes to cost the thing we know is that by intervening early you have better outcomes and so there is going to be less therapy in the end if we start out early.”

EAC-AZ training is already underway for dozens of doctors in the Valley and around the state.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

(Facebook Photo)...

Associated Press

Pilot killed in small plane crash near Eloy Municipal Airport

A pilot has been killed in a small plane crash in a vacant lot near Eloy Municipal Airport, about halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, police said.

8 hours ago

Firebird Motorsports Park....

KTAR.com

Chandler racing complex renamed Firebird Motorsports Park

Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler has a new name -- Firebird Motorsports Park.

10 hours ago

Pamela Andrews...

KTAR.com

Silver Alert canceled after 68-year-old woman located

The Mesa Police Department canceled a Silver Alert on Saturday after locating Pamela Andrew, the Arizona Department of Safety says.

10 hours ago

Silver Alert...

KTAR.com

Silver Alert canceled after 81-year-old found dead

John Saler, an 81-year-old who went missing in Tonopah on Wednesday, was found deceased, authorities said Saturday.

12 hours ago

Southwest Human Development...

KTAR.com

New Head Start early education center set to open in Phoenix

Southwest Human Development will host an open house for a new Head Start campus in Phoenix next week.

14 hours ago

caution tape...

KTAR.com

Woman charged with murdering her husband in west Valley home

A woman is behind bars for allegedly murdering her husband in their west Valley home, according to police.

16 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Follow @KTAR923...

Valley residents should be mindful of plumbing ahead of holidays

With Halloween in the rear-view and more holidays coming up, Day & Night recommends that Valley residents prepare accordingly.

Follow @KTAR923...

The best ways to honor our heroes on Veterans Day and give back to the community

Veterans Day is fast approaching and there's no better way to support our veterans than to donate to the Military Assistance Mission.

...

Desert Institute for Spine Care

Desert Institute for Spine Care (DISC) wants to help Valley residents address back, neck issues through awake spine surgery

As the weather begins to change, those with back issues can no longer rely on the dry heat to aid their backs. That's where DISC comes in.

New program trains more Valley doctors to diagnose autism