Western-Star.com

There's a new way to help those dealing with autism in Warren County.

The county is one of five areas selected to be part of the Autism Diagnosis Education Pilot Project. According to Project Manager Dan Farkas, the program will "Create a Warren County specific approach to dealing with autism in Warren County."

Wednesday, March 5th and Thursday, March 6th, project organizers will meet with local parents, health care providers, educators, and administrators to get their perspective on localized care for children with autism. The meetings will take place from 6:30-8 p.m. at the offices of Work Force One, 300 East Silver Street, in Lebanon.

From there, Medical Director Dr. John Duby will lead a team of experts combining state and national data with the local information gathered to help create local solutions to improve education awareness, and early diagnosis of autism for children in the Warren County area.

"Early diagnosis is essential to improving the quality of life and care for children with autism," Duby said.

Autism affects 1 in 150 children. The typical time from a parent's initial concern about their child's development until diagnosis is one year. Dr. Duby said that year is "A lost opportunity for early intervention."

"Many studies now suggest that autism may be recognized even in the first year of life," Duby said. "The earlier the disorder is found, the more likely it is that early intervention will be beneficial."

Farkas said the work in Warren County will also help develop a model that is appropriate for state-wide dissemination leading to 1) heightened public awareness of the early signs of autism, 2) improved access to developmental screening, including specific screening for autism, 3) improved coordination of medical diagnosis of autism, and 4) enhanced access to evidence-based intervention services for children with autism.

"Warren County is the second fastest growing county in the state," Farkas said. "The work we can do here can directly translate to other parts of Ohio."

The American Academy of Pediatrics, Ohio Chapter, is administering the Autism Diagnosis Education Pilot Project, which is being funded through by Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Early Intervention Services.

Duby is the Director of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and Co-Director of the NeuroDevelopmental Center at Akron Children's Hospital. Dr. Duby is also the Medical Director at the Family Child Learning Center, a joint program of Akron Children's Hospital and Kent State University.

For more information, contact Dan Farkas at 614-846-6258 or dfarkas@ohioaap.org.