
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.

Status: Complete
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.