Project Description:
Approximately one in 68 children (1.5 percent) in the United States has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).1,2 In addition, approximately 13.8% of children under the age of 18 in the United States (US) have been diagnosed with a developmental disability (DD) (http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dd/ddsurv.htm). Access to adequate health care is a significant problem for children and youth with special health care needs (CSHCN), but is even more pronounced for those with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). This is due to a variety of factors including a lack of trained providers for children/youth with ASD and developmental/ behavioral disorders (DBDs) and their families. Further, significant racial and ethnic disparities exist in the recognition and diagnosis of ASD, and access to treatment and intervention for ASDs and DBDs, particularly in underserved populations such as those in New York City.3 This concern is exacerbated by a lack of sufficient numbers of providers for children with ASDs and DBDs who are trained in systems thinking and interdisciplinary (ID) practices.
The needs of children with ASDs and DBDs and their families are particularly acute in the Bronx. With more than 30% of its residents living at or below the poverty level, the Bronx, NY is the poorest urban county in the US.4,5,6,7 Demographically, the vast majority of residents of our borough are members of underrepresented groups (URGs). According to the 2014 American Community Survey, 58% of the population is Latino and 30% is African-American. While these needs represent a significant public health challenge, they also depict the future demographics of the United States. As a result, investments in workforce preparation in New York, and the Bronx in particular, offer a unique opportunity to train the next generation of health care leaders who will meet the needs of children and youth with ASD and DBD in the future.
The purpose of the RFK DB Peds Training Program is to enhance the behavioral, psychosocial, and developmental components of pediatric care by supporting DBP fellowship programs to prepare fellows for leadership roles as teachers, investigators, and clinicians, and provide other traineesincluding pediatric practitioners, residents, and medical studentswith biopsychosocial knowledge and clinical expertise, including with ASD/DD. In addition, the RFK DBP Training Program supports short-term (ST), medium-term (MT) and long-term (LT) DBP trainees to use valid and reliable screening and diagnostic tools, in addition to providing evidence-based interventions for children with ASDs and other DDs with a focus on children from URGs in the greater NYC metropolitan region. The following goals will be achieved:
Goal 1: Train 6 DB Peds fellows annually for leadership roles in DBP as teachers, investigators, and clinicians to advance the field through mastery of exemplary clinical care, interdisciplinary collaboration, research, teaching, administration and advocacy skills; and
Goal 2: Provide other ST, MT, and LT trainees including pediatric practitioners, residents, medical students, and allied health professionals, with essential biopsychosocial knowledge and clinical expertise required to recognize and manage development and behavior (DB) issues in children with ASDs and DDs from URGs.
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees, Performing Direct and/or Demonstration Services, Performing Research or Evaluation, Developing & Disseminating Information, Continuing Education/Community Training, Other Direct/Model Services
Target Audience:
Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Community Trainees / Short term trainees, Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Empowerment Zone, Urban
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Another State, Single-County, Mulit-County, State, Regional, National
