Name
F07 - Starting Small: A PCBH Model of Care Approach to Autism Evaluations for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Date & Time
Thursday, October 16, 2025, 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
Location Name
303
Description

As many providers seek novel ways to address barriers to accessing timely autism evaluations for children in their communities, it can feel overwhelming to know where to start and what is feasible in a setting without an abundance of resources or staff BHCs. We will share our PCBH friendly assessment model for children 2-4 years old used by BHCs in a pediatric primary care clinic. We will show implementation data from our primary-care based assessments, including appointment structures and outcomes of the evaluations. Data will be related to both feasibility and usefulness of targeted assessments in our primary care clinic. We hope to provide an actionable framework for attendees with assessment experience and a foundational understanding of child development to replicate or extend an autism assessment protocol in their unique healthcare settings.

Speakers
Kristen Riem PhD, Assistant Professor, ETSU Department of Pediatrics, Johnson City, TN
Morgan Treaster PhD, HSP, Assistant Professor, ETSU Health, Department of Pediatrics, Johnson City, Tennessee
Sarah Tolliver MD, Assistant Professor, East Tennessee State University Health,
Matthew Tolliver PhD, Director of Behavioral Health Dept. of Pediatrics, Asst. Director Institute for Integrated Behavioral Health, ETSU Department of Family Medicine, Johnson City, Tennessee
Kristen Riem Morgan Treaster Matthew Tolliver
Content Level
All Audience
Tags
Pediatrics, Primary Care Behavioral Health Model, Rural
Session Type
Concurrent
SIG or Committee
Pediatrics (PEDs), Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH)
Objective 1
Identify recommended evaluation strategies, as well as barriers to evaluation, for children with possible ASD.
Objective 2
Review established protocol for primary-care based autism assessment from a pediatric outpatient clinic and evaluate feasibility of replication or modification in attendees’ own primary care settings.
Objective 3
Evaluate implementation data from a primary-care based autism assessment protocol for children 2-4 years old.
Content Reference 1

Hine, J. F., Allin, J., Allman, A., Black, M., Browning, B., Ramsey, B., ... & Allen, W. (2020). Increasing access to autism spectrum disorder diagnostic consultation in rural and underserved communities: streamlined evaluation within primary care. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 41(1), 16-22.

Content Reference 2

MacKenzie, K. T., Mazefsky, C. A., & Eack, S. M. (2023). Obtaining a first diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder: descriptions of the diagnostic process and correlates of parent satisfaction from a national sample. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53(10), 3799-3812.

Content Reference 3

Nasir, A. K., Strong-Bak, W., & Bernard, M. (2024). Diagnostic Evaluation of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Pediatric Primary Care. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 15, 21501319241247997.

Content Reference 4

McNally Keehn, R., Swigonski, N., Enneking, B., Ryan, T., Monahan, P., Martin, A. M., ... & Keehn, B. (2023). Diagnostic accuracy of primary care clinicians across a statewide system of autism evaluation. Pediatrics, 152(2), e2023061188.

Content Reference 5

McNally Keehn, R., Minshawi, N. F., Tang, Q., Enneking, B., Ryan, T., Martin, A. M., ... & Keehn, B. (2024) Accuracy of the screening tool for autism in toddlers and young children in the primary care setting. Autism.