News Release

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana University’s training system is gaining recognition after research confirms primary care clinicians with specialized training are better at diagnosing autism in children.

The research was conducted by a team of IU School of Medicine researchers. The study found doctors who participated in the training system made accurate diagnoses for 80% of the children referred to them for developmental delays.

Indiana University suggest the findings are a confirmation as to why community-based models of autism evaluation is necessary for the improvement of access to care. IU’s statewide training system, Early Autism Evaluation Hub, works to make specialized autism training accessible to clinicians in addition to providing joint learning opportunities.

Providers in the training system care for children aged 14-48 months who have a high probability of having autism. Over 5,000 children have been evaluated since the hub’s 2012 launch.

According to a 2023 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, 1 in 26 children are diagnosed with autism. Although, many areas have lengthy wait lists or other barriers to getting evaluated.

Read the full study here.