Implementation of a Practice Development Model to Reduce the Wait for Autism Spectrum Diagnosis in Adults

This study examined waiting times for diagnostic assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder in 11 adult services, prior to and following the implementation of a 12 month change program. Methods to support change are reported and a multi-level modelling approach determined the effect of the change program on overall wait times. Results were statistically significant (b = − 0.25, t(136) = − 2.88, p = 0.005). The average time individuals waited for diagnosis across all services reduced from 149.4 days prior to the change program and 119.5 days after it, with an average reduction of 29.9 days overall. This innovative intervention provides a promising framework for service improvement to reduce the wait for diagnostic assessment of ASD in adults across the range of spectrum presentations.

• Publication year

  2018

• Venue

  Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

• Publication date

  2018-03-03

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Psychology

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1007/s10803-018-3501-5PMID 29502151PMCID 6061014
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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