School-Clinic Care Coordination for Youth with ASD: A National Survey of School Psychologists

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.