ECHO Autism: Transition to Adulthood

Contact: Gary Stobbe (gastobbe@uw.edu)
Core Function: Professional Training, Technical Assistance and Outreach Training
Program: Adults and Elders

The increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has overwhelmed the medical workforce in Washington State, and there is a clear need for training and education opportunities for existing healthcare providers. The Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (Project ECHO) framework is an approach that has proven successful in increasing the role and expertise of the practicing community-based primary care provider (PCP), and 2019 saw the continued delivery of “ECHO Autism: Transition to Adulthood” – supporting primary care providers working with adolescents and adults with ASD and related developmental conditions. In cooperation with the University of Missouri and other national experts in the field, Dr. Gary Stobbe (Director, Adults and Elders Program) continued his role as facilitator of this first ever ECHO program launched originally in the Fall of 2018. In 2019, Washington State led with the largest number of primary care participants in ECHO Autism: Transition to Adulthood. Also in 2019, the results of this first ever pilot were published in the journal Autism, highlighting the improvements seen in primary care provider self-efficacy and provider satisfaction in caring for teens and adults with. Stobbe and colleagues continue to expand ECHO Autism: Transition to Adulthood in 2020 with funding from the Department of Defense to further study the design and implementation of the program nationally.