The primary goal of this proposed pilot is to implement a teleconsultation model that will increase access to improved quality and consistency of lifespan care for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) living in rural areas of North Carolina. Specifically, we propose to create a pilot Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) model to support primary care providers in rural Eastern and Southern North Carolina.

Specific Aims: Implement a Project ECHO Teleconsultation Program to:

1. Improve ASD-specific knowledge and treatment self-efficacy of rural primary care providers in North Carolina

2. Improve the quality of lifespan care received by individuals with ASD by increasing provider diagnostic screening and treatment of common medical and behavioral health comorbidities

The TEACCH Autism Program is committed to increasing access to ASD specialty care in rural North Carolina. Along with our community partners, the Autism Society of North Carolina and the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (Area L, Eastern, and Southern Regional AHECs), they are proposing to conduct teleECHO consultations serving rural primary care providers in Eastern and Southern North Carolina.

Principal Investigator: Laura Klinger, Ph.D., UNC TEACCH Autism Program

Co-Investigator: Nicole Ginn, Ph.D., UNC TEACCH Autism Program