The Autism Assessment Capacity Project (AACP) began in 2021 to study and address the reasons why Oregon has limited capacity to diagnose autism. The project brings together leaders from Health Share of Oregon, the OHSU Institute on Development and Disability, Providence Children’s Development Institute, Legacy Randall’s Development and Rehabilitation Program, CareOregon, and the Children’s Health Alliance. Health Share of Oregon began providing seed funding for the project in 2023.

The AACP's initiatives are designed to enhance autism diagnostic capacity and access across several key areas:

Provider Level:

Training primary care providers (MD, DO, PA, and NPs) with the skills and knowledge needed to offer autism diagnostic services in young children, expanding access to care for children throughout Oregon.

Click here to view the AACP Autism Assessment and Diagnostic Training for Primary Care Providers Flyer. To learn more about training opportunities, please contact aacptraining@ohsu.edu.

Family Level:

Partnering with Autism ALERT, a family navigation service that supports the families of children who have been referred to an autism specialty clinic for an evaluation. Families are connected with Autism Family Navigators, who guide them through the evaluation and provide valuable resources before, during, and after the process. 

Primary care practices can enroll in Autism ALERT and begin referring families by following the steps outlined in this document. Click here to view.

Payor Level:

Supporting the long-term financial stability of primary care providers as they include autism evaluations in their primary care practices.

System Level:

Fostering collaboration amongst the Portland Metro health systems to streamline care and improve diagnostic outcomes.