School-Clinic Care Coordination for Youth with ASD: A National Survey of School Psychologists.
School psychologists are untapped leaders for coordinating school-clinic services for students with autism—invite them to the next IEP meeting.
01Research in Context
What this study did
McClain et al. (2020) sent a national survey to school psychologists. They asked how these psychologists link school services with outside clinics for students with autism.
The survey used mixed methods. It gathered numbers and open comments about current coordination practices.
What they found
The paper describes what psychologists do, not what works. It shows psychologists are ready but under-used leaders for school-clinic teamwork.
How this fits with other research
Hu et al. (2021) asked the same questions to college counselors. Both studies found more demand than autism-ready staff, extending the gap from K-12 to higher ed.
Goodwin et al. (2012) argued early that kids with autism need a Medical Home. Brunson’s survey shows school psychologists could be the on-the-ground coordinators that paper called for.
Granieri et al. (2020) surveyed families who hire special-ed advocates. Like Brunson, they showed schools need extra partners to bridge services, confirming coordination is still spotty.
Why it matters
You can tap school psychologists right now. Invite them to your next IEP or clinic liaison meeting. Ask them to track clinic letters, share data, and set joint goals. One small step adds a free, skilled coordinator to the team.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Many youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may benefit from interdisciplinary care coordination. Communication and collaboration between the school and clinic settings is particularly important when youth with ASD are receiving both special education and clinic-based services. The responsibility of initiating coordinated care has historically been with the medical home (e.g., primary care clinicians), however, educational professionals (e.g., school psychologists) are also well positioned to assume a leadership role in care coordination. Little is known about the current state, feasibility, or effectiveness of school psychologists leading care coordination efforts. The current study utilizes a mixed-method approach to understand school psychologists' engagement in interdisciplinary collaboration across settings, a central tenet to coordinated care, in providing services to youth with ASD.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2020 · doi:10.1007/s10803-019-03985-3