ECHO Autism: Primary Care Provider
With increasing prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) which occurs in 1:36 children in the United States, diagnostic and treatment demands far exceed the capacity of specialty centers. Early identification, referral and effective treatment are essential for enhancing outcomes, yet children with ASD face delays in diagnosis. Although PCPs provide immediate and community-based care for children, they often feel ill-equipped to care for children with ASD.
By participating in Echo Autism, community providers receive mentoring focused on improving their knowledge, confidence and competence in managing children with ASD in their respective practices. Participants receive direct benefits in the form of knowledge gained and continuing medical education credit. Ultimately, participation will benefit children with autism and their families by enhancing access to best-practice medical care in local communities.
Session Topics
Screening, Identification and Tools for Diagnosing
What to Do While You Wait
Having Culturally Appropriate Conversations: Delivering the Diagnosis, Talking to Caregivers About Concerns
Family Centered Care and Empowering Families to Make Decisions
Role of a Speech Language Pathologist in Treating ASD
Role of a Occupational Therapist in Treating ASD
Therapeutic Approaches to Behavior
Medical Interventions and Treatment for Severe Behavior and Irritability
Co-Occurring Conditions ADHD
Co-Occurring Conditions Anxiety
Co-Occurring Conditions Sleep Problems
Co-Occurring Conditions Medical Issues
Dates
1st and 3rd Wednesday, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (EDT) | September 3 – December 17, 2025
September: 3, 17
October: 1, 15
November: 5, 19
For Further Information:
Featured Faculty
Dr. Williams-Arya is a board certified developmental and behavioral pediatrician at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital with clinical expertise in the evaluation of autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. She worked as a primary care pediatrician for 10 years prior to returning to pursue a fellowship in developmental and behavioral pediatrics. She also works in an interdisciplinary evaluation clinic for preschool-aged children with a history of prenatal opioid exposure and is a Maternal Child Health Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) faculty member involved in interdisciplinary training.
Dr. Smith is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and a clinical psychologist with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. She is a board-certified behavior analyst. Dr. Smith is the Program Director of the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) Training Program in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s.
Accreditation
In support of improving patient care, Cincinnati Children’s is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
CME: Cincinnati Children’s designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
MOC2: Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the activity and individual assessment of and feedback to the learner, enables the learner to earn up to 1.5 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) & American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABP & ABIM MOC credit. Credit is uploaded approximately 30 days after an activity.
