Governor David A. Paterson signed a bill (A.9512-A/S6527-B) this week that will require the Department of Health (DOH) to update the guidelines used by pediatricians to identify children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and refer them for appropriate services.
The bill requires DOH to establish best practice protocols for early screening of children for ASDs by pediatric primary care providers. These protocols would incorporate standards and guidelines established by the American Academy of Pediatrics and must include: (1) the routine employment of objective ASD screening tools at regular intervals during critical childhood developmental stages; (2) facilitation of a dialogue between service provider and parents for purposes of educating the parents about ASDs, using a modified checklist for ASDs in toddlers; and (3) an appropriate referral mechanism for children who, based upon results of the screening process, require further evaluation. The bill also requires DOH to make the modified checklist for ASD available to the public on its website. child-autism-parent-cafe.com
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Crystal Brown
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