Title:

Empowering Families to Choose a Pathway to Services After an Autism Diagnosis

An autism diagnosis elicits a wide range of emotions for families; deciding how to proceed afterward can be daunting. Families experiencing significant barriers to care often feel added stress and need more support, which may not always be available. Through months of conversations, interviews and clinical evaluation observations, Micaela studied the network of autism supports and services available to families within New Hampshire. This research was used to create an infographic that presents pathways to autism services for young children, and empowers parents and guardians to understand their options and ask the right questions. In her poster, Micaela shares the findings that led her to include (or exclude) certain material from her infographic, and why each piece of information is designed to support the narrative that every parent/guardian is highly capable of making well-informed decisions based on their family's priorities and needs. This visual roadmap is intended to be used at the conclusion of neurodevelopmental evaluations where an autism diagnosis is given to families. Micaela shares some next steps for further testing and development of this material within Amoskeag Health, the community health center where her leadership project was based.

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