Autism
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses in the United States have increased significantly in recent years. Although this pattern is apparent across populations, several factors make Autism a unique and important topic in rural health. Appropriate diagnosis requires early access to specialized diagnostic services, followed by specialized treatment and support services; each of these are absent or inadequate in many rural communities in Georgia. Work force shortages, inadequate training, transportation and service barriers and socioeconomic barriers can all make diagnosis and support of affected children and adults difficult. At MUSM, faculty seek to address these barriers through population and health service research.
Current projects
ABA accessibility index
Our team is creating an Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Services Accessibility Index to quantify how easily parents and caregivers can access ABA across Georgia. After creating the index, they will use focus groups to validate it by exploring the experiences of parents and caregivers across the state. Ultimately, this index will identify ABA treatment deserts in Georgia, highlighting to clinicians, public health professionals, and policymakers where additional resources are needed.
Core research faculty:
Eye-tracking diagnostic system
In partnership with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, our faculty are leading a state-funded project to evaluate effectiveness of a new eye-tracking diagnostic system for autism spectrum disorder and family follow-up with rural children in two counties.
Core research faculty:
Autism Research Faculty
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Edson Jean-Jacques
Columbus
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Kim Roth, PhD
Savannah
Dr. Roth's research focuses on mental and behavioral disorders in Latinx and immigrant populations, both through epidemiologic investigations and improving service delivery. She is also interested in suicide prevention, improving the health of rural populations, and increasing access to autism services.
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Sarah Rotschafer, PhD
Savannah
Dr. Rotschafer created and manages the Autism ToolKit website which was created to help rural people learn more about autism and the resources in their home communities. She has also undertaken projects to map the accessibility of autism treatments in different parts of Georgia, develop a course about autism for nurse practitioners, create an autism ECHO for rural physicians, and assess the cost-benefit of diagnosing autistic children early in life.
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