Laredo disability group works to map ASD diagnostic and post‑diagnosis pathways; childcare providers seek training

Members of the Community for Global Disabilities on July 16 discussed a new effort to create a parent‑facing flowchart and a medication/diagnostic pathway to clarify what happens if a caregiver or provider suspects a child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The committee agreed to continue monthly strategic‑plan updates and to develop tools that community preschools, pediatricians and families can use to navigate Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) referrals and school‑age evaluation processes.

The work springs from committee members’ concerns that families often do not know where to get help when children age out of ECI at 3 and before they enter public school. “The only issue that we have is that… once we get to 3 and the parent decides not to take them to the district, we don’t know what else to do,” said…