Factors influencing waiting times for diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in children and adults.

McKenzie et al. (2015) looked at why some families wait longer than others for an autism diagnosis.

They studied both kids and adults. They counted how much information arrived before the assessment and how many contacts happened after the referral.

The team wanted to see which factors speed up or slow down the process.

More paperwork before the first visit shortens the road to a child’s diagnosis.

High-risk adults get seen sooner, but they need extra appointments, so the total time still grows.

In short: front-load the forms for kids, and budget extra steps for complex adults.

Bradford et al. (2018) show the same idea in action. They tucked a two-visit autism triage into regular pediatric offices and cut the median wait to 55 days. Karen’s paper says gather info early; F’s paper proves it works when you do.

Sicherman et al. (2021) add a parent twist. When parents avoid reading materials, diagnosis drags. When they speak up and no one answers, it drags even more. Karen points to information volume; Nachum shows who must read and respond.

Capio et al. (2013) keep kids on schedule with routine well-child visits and gain a 1.6-month head start. All three studies line up: move information, move faster.

You can trim months off a family’s wait. Send parent packets before the first appointment. Ask pediatricians to slip a short autism screener into regular check-ups. When an adult referral looks complex, block two or three follow-up slots on day one. Small front-end moves give families answers sooner and start services earlier.