Autism and Social Communication

This past year saw the conclusion of the collaborative work between HMC and the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital from Toronto which focused on two main areas:

• Autism and social communication
• Clinical governance
  

Considerable change and progress was seen over the four visits the Holland Bloorview team made to Doha. Teamwork, dedication, enthusiasm and commitment to change resulted in the streamlining of the assessment process for autism patients, the consolidation of the developmental history into a single page interprofessional assessment document, improved documentation of the ADOS, (the primary tool used for diagnosis of autism), and the establishment of a reliable consistent scoring process.

The HMC Social Communication/Autism Team engaged families in the development of the service design and model of care. The team created a more child-friendly physical environment which provided the perfect setting for the integration of play-based assessments. This play-based model for assessment has become the standard for all professionals on the Social Communication Team.

Ms. Karen Ward, of the Holland Bloorview Team, noted that one of the most impressive things about the HMC Social Communication/Autism Team is that the group itself is always looking for ways to improve and provide more for the patients and families. It is this shared belief that the team has found that will ensure future growth and sustained success.

Impact of the Social Communication/Autism Project

On Patients and Families

The time to diagnose a social communication disorder has decreased significantly through the streamlining of processes. This results in the children receiving more timely initiation of intervention. Families are included in the documentation and goal planning in the treatment of their children. Their viewpoints, hopes and dreams are integrated into their child’s care.

On the Multi-Disciplinary Model of Care

Through the work with Holland Bloorview Team, the multi-disciplinary approach has been enhanced. There is consistency of care with all team members creating common goals. This results in an integrated model of service. The initial assessment is inter-professional, which allows for more collaboration, improved communication and improved efficiency for families and team members.

On the Future of the Pediatric Rehabilitation service

“The HMC Social Communication/Autism Team is an excellent team,” Karen says.  They have tremendous knowledge that can definitely be transferred internally and externally. The consolidation of their knowledge and services within the pediatric rehabilitation continuum of care in HMC is a real strength to the model. Karen also believes that the HMC Social Communication/Autism Team can be a role model to other teams in HMC because they have been passionate to change and push the boundaries. The team streamlined processes, resulting in more efficient patient care.

Next steps

For Karen, the next steps for the HMC Social Communication/Autism Team include continued integration within the team; where the team continues to work and learn together. Developing and strengthening partnerships with other HMC teams, the Early Intervention Team for example, will further improve and positively impact the continuum of care for patients through the system. Future opportunities to enhance best practices and highlight achievements will be explored to expand the team’s work in the research capacity.

Moving forward, Karen sees opportunities for the HMC Social Communication/Autism Team to develop more family communication tools relating to programs in the home, i.e. strategies at home for the families to teach and learn. Developing more information and communication for families and establishing parental support groups may assist with integrating the children and families to the systems outside the medical model – to the culture and society that they should be involved in.