Enhancing Health Care for Adults on the Autism Spectrum

ECHO Autism is seeking clinicians—physicians, advanced practice nurses and physician assistants—who provide care for adults on the autism spectrum, or who want to serve this population—to participate in ECHO Autism through live videoconferencing sessions. 

ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a model is being used worldwide to provide training in more than 50 medical conditions. This ECHO Autism training program is being developed by clinicians experienced in autism at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee, the University of Virginia, and the University of Missouri-Columbia. Through this training, you will learn skills that will help you care for a broad range of patients, such as psychotropic medication management and how to help patients sleep. 

ECHO Autism participants will commit to a series of trainings that meet for one hour every other week for six months. During each session, participants will present cases to fellow clinicians and expert hub team members and take part in short didactic presentations about resources available for supporting adults with autism. You will get real-time advice about your patients from autism experts, and you will get written recommendations for issues presented in the cases. Topics up for discussion will include: 

• Identifying autism in adults;
• Managing co-occurring medical and behavioral health conditions, including sleep;
• Using psychotropic medications;
• Housing, education, employment and community supports; and
• Supporting families/caregivers.  

ECHO Autism participants will commit to a series of trainings that meet for one hour every other week for six months. The next series will start in November 2021. Participants receive compensation for completing several study measures as well as earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for each session attended. Maintenance of certification Parts 2 and 4 are also offered.

For more information, watch this six-minute video presented by Vanderbilt principal investigator Beth Malow, M.D., M.S., and study coordinator Janet Shouse.