Project A.N.C.H.O.R: Autism. Network. Culture. Healthy Outcomes. Resilience.
Funded by the Remillard Family Grant
Grand Rounds Presentation for World Autism Day
Video Link
PowerPoint Presentation Slides: “Inshallah/Ojalá: God Willing” Perception of Autism in Immigrant Families: Implications for Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment
Strengthen resilience for families in Worcester by improving the early identification and disparities in access to services for young children at neurodevelopmental risk (birth to 5 years) and their families in Worcester
Project A.N.C.H.O.R is working in collaboration with Yaminette Diaz-Linhart, LCSW, MPH, Ivys Fernandez-Pastrana, JD, and Ileana Gatica, MD, MPA to develop a Learning Community that includes ongoing trainings on Famiy Navigation Services (FN).
Children from diverse cultures under the age of three continue to be underserved, missing the early intensive services and planned transitions to preschool. FN services are often grant funded, unavailable in needed areas and hard to sustain.
The overall goal of this project is:
To develop capacity for early identification of ASD in Worcester by: building on strong community partnerships with the early autism and developmental screening program through the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (DBP) at UMass Children’s Medical Center (CMC). Through these partnerships, Project A.N.C.H.O.R aims to identify and train existing staff on Family Navigation to improve access to diagnosis and services for culturally diverse young children.