A new clinic that offers autism diagnoses and treatment, will soon open at Washington State University’s Spokane campus.
At the program’s launch this week, clinic leaders said it could reduce wait times for care in eastern Washington.
Laurie Thompson, the co-director of WSU’s new Autism and Neurodevelopmental Clinic, said it’s a partnership with Range Community Clinic, which provides healthcare service to underserved communities across the region. She said she’s hoping the collaboration will allow the new program to serve communities that haven’t had access to disability services.
“Certain rural communities where they don't have access to certain providers, it could be families that are here in the Spokane region who are either underinsured, or don't have access to any health insurance,” Thompson said. “That's something that is a driving mission among the Range Community Clinic, but also a metric of success for this particular program.”
Ally Wulbecht, a mother of a child with autism who attended the launch, said waiting for a diagnosis is often really difficult for families. She says many students need services at school, but can’t access them without a diagnosis.
“It’s a huge impact, it will make a big difference for the kids and the families to get those services right away,” she said.
Georgina Lynch, who is also a co-director of the autism and neurodevelopment clinic, says early diagnosis is incredibly important. She says the clinic will be open to children as young as 18-months up to the age of 18.
“It can change the whole trajectory for the child,” she said. “The goal is for our team to work with our community partners to help families get to those appropriate services based on the evaluation. Our goal isn’t just to diagnose, its also to develop a comprehensive treatment plan to figure out exactly what that child will need, and benefit from most.
The clinic will also be an opportunity to educate future medical providers about disability. Lynch says students from WSU’s clinical programs will have an opportunity to both observe and gain experience.
The clinic will open its doors April 25.