CollaborativetoImproveCare

Initiatives

Collaborative to Improve Care for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

A quality improvement initiative to make care for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) better in three areas: constipation, insomnia and wait time for treatment. The collaborative expands the work of the Autism Intervention Research Network.

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Status:

September 2011 to February 2014

  • Who: Healthcare teams at 14 Autism Treatment Network (ATN) sites across North America.
  • Funder: The Autism Treatment Network (ATN), a program supported by Autism Speaks, through a grant from the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P).
  • Our Role: Led a Breakthrough Series learning collaborative to apply quality improvement methodology including rapid tests of change to implement the ATN/AIR-P Care Model and improve care for children with ASD. Oversaw team’s use of algorithms to provide treatment for constipation and insomnia, development of a standardized review of systems to identify symptoms, and implementation of a monitoring protocol for patients taking atypical antipsychotic medications.