Building a comprehensive care team for your child with autism is both a journey and a necessity. By understanding the American Academy of Pediatrics’ medical home approach and actively engaging with various professionals, you can ensure your child receives the coordinated care they deserve. As you navigate this process, remember to also take care of your own needs as a caregiver.

Chelsea lays out how she used the medical home model through four phases of her son’s development, from his birth through high school years.

These previous episodes might provide more information and/or context for this topic (listed in the order of relevant mention within this episode):

• Episode 2: Introducing Justus 
• Episode 19: Diagnostic Criteria for Autism
• Episode 18: Autism Assistance Service Dogs  
• Episode 13: Puberty & Autism    

Here are more topics, terms, and resources, in order of their appearance in the podcast, that might evoke some curiosity:

• medical social worker: a professional who plays a vital role in the healthcare system by providing support to patients and their families who are facing medical and emotional challenges (National Association of Social Workers)
• Wisconsin Medical Home Implementation
• Shared Plan of Care template
• Medical Home Resources for Families and Caregivers 
• Katie Beckett Medicaid
• CLTS waiver program 
• Extended School Year (ESY) 
• wraparound mental/behavioral health services  
• ADRC 
• WI Department of Workforce Development  
• A competency evaluation is conducted by a qualified medical professional (such as a neuropsychologist) to determine whether or not guardianship is appropriate for a disabled adult. See Wisconsin’s GN-3130 for more information.  
• Transition plan https://dpi.wi.gov/sped/about/state-performance-plan/indicators/13-transition
• Epic Systems develops large-scale software systems for electronic health records.

Podcast includes an introduction for episodes 6 and following at the beginning. Transition music, "Taking a Vocation", by Noey Budde.

Closing narration for episodes 6 and following.