AUTISM SERVICE CENTER OF SAN ANTONIO DBA AUTISM COMMUNITY NETWORK

THE GOAL OF ACN'S CLINICAL SERVICES IS TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY AND TIMELY AUTISMDIAGNOSES TO UNDERSERVED CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. In 2024, Autism Community Network (ACN) received 1,067 referrals from pediatricians or primary care physicians. Of the 1,067 children were referred for services, 108 were over the age of services.415 were under 36 months at the time of referral and thus placed into Earliest Connections Clinic (ECC) Diagnostic program. ECC was initiated in 2019 to serve infants at an increased likelihood of autism diagnosis to afford these children earlier access to diagnosis and crucial early intervention services. Of the remaining children, ACN conducted 331 developmental diversity assessments (screeners ) which are focused examinations meant to look for markers of developmental differences in communication, social reciprocity, sensory processing, and emotional regulation. 66% of children evaluated were recommended to return for a diagnostic appointment. 121 full interdisciplinary diagnostic evaluations were scheduled in 2024, and 113 were completed. 82% received a positive diagnosis with a 93% attendance rate. 96 children were placed on the expedited diagnostic track and 87 were completed. 95% of these children received a positive diagnosis for autism. 140 Earliest Connections Clinic (ECC) appointments were scheduled and 127 were completed (91% attendance rate). 35% of those children evaluated were positively diagnosed. A new diagnostic track was added in late 2023 which is called The Pathways Program. This evaluation requires a team with additional mental health experience to medically and psychologically evaluate the child. Families in this program meet criteria as having higher psychosocial barriers, including high parental anxiety/depression, an elevated number of ACES for the child, and/or low parental self-efficacy. In 2024, out of 99 scheduled appointments, 93 were completed with a diagnostic rate of 72%. ACNs Caregiver Empowerment Program had a number of successes and new initiatives come on board in 2024. When ACN shifted into lockdown in March 2020, ACN began providing virtual programming to support caregivers during this unprecedented time. Within four weeks of shutdown, ACN launched an online weekly education and support program called Coffee & Connection for two reasons. First, it would take the place of Family Empowerment Classes which were hosted at ACN for many years. Second, connection could be maintained with families and professionals, as most were navigating uncharted waters, especially with children who were now relegated to virtual learning, essentially putting special education support services in question. ACN intends to hold these classes in perpetuity and continue to invite speakers from the community, international universities and advocacy groups, as well as expert speakers sought out to target specific, underserved subsets of our demographic. Furthermore, ACN can offer professional speakers from all over the United States, Canada, the UK, and now Australia, through existing relationships ACN clinic staff have. In 2024, Autism Community Network conducted 53 classes through Coffee & Connections and Off-site Trainings. "Fam Jams", affinity-based, on-campus events for the entire family, were introduced on ACN's new campus in 2023, and in 2024 we held 3 of such events, bringing together 134 family members. Our support groups for caregivers and for siblings were held 21 times in 2024, and were attended by 29 parents, grandparents and siblings. PACT ACN is proud to be the first in the US to use Pediatric Autism Communication Therapy or PACT. PACT is a theory based, parent-mediated, and video-aided intervention designed to improve social communications competencies in children with ASD. The principles of PACT derive from research on pre-linguistic, pragmatic, and language development. The approach is based on interventions developed for children with developmental language delays and targets core impairments in shared attention, understanding, and intentional communication. The rationale for PACT intervention is based on findings that children with ASD require a style of adapted interaction that is specifically matched to their individual level of social communication, (Green et al., 2010). PACT intervention occurs through child-led, naturalistic play, which is supported by the childs caregiver and filmed for retrospective reflective analysis. PACT intervention occurs through child-led, naturalistic play, which is supported by the childs caregiver and filmed for retrospective reflective analysis. Researched and developed in the UK, PACT has only recently become available in the US. ACN offers PACT training assuring primary caregivers of young children with autism, their parents, their teachers, and their early interventionists access to state of the art, evidence based, parent-mediated intervention shown to help caregivers understand and adapt to their young childs cues to promote the optimal developmental trajectory of children impacted by autism. In 2024, 35 caregivers of 20 children participated in PACT. In 2024, also joined forces with CliniKIDS Australia to schedule the first iBASIS-VIPP training (Baby PACT) in the United States, which will afford our families the earliest access possible for evidence-based therapeutic supports. Camp AUSOME! In 2024 ACN hosted two STEM/Technology/Coding camps for autistic children called Camp AUSOME! WE:Code once again, in partnership with Youth Code Jam. 25 children attended Camp AUSOME! WE:Code in 2024. A Coding Club was also held throughout the school year, serving an additional 17 children. Autism Community Network once again hosted a camp called Camp AUSOME! WE:Go at Camp Aranzazu in Rockport, TX. This camp is for neurotypical siblings of autistic children, and 20 children attended in 2024. Camp WE:Play created and hosted this half-day, one-week camp on our campus for the 2nd year in 2024. It is tailored to autistic children between the ages of 5-11 with all supports needs, and focuses on social-emotional skills as well as functional communication. An added component is the mentorship therapy staff give daily to our student clinician volunteers. We had 30 campers/students. For many of these children, this was their first time ever to attend a camp.All camps were fully funded by grant support and were free to attendees.