Study Finds Large Disparities in Access to Autism Services by Race, Ethnicity, and Geography

Dr. Dennis Wall, Cognoa’s founder and Stanford Professor of Pediatrics and Biomedical Data Science, continues to advocate for equitable, early access to care for all children with neurodevelopment conditions and developmental delay, including autism. Dr. Wall was a senior researcher in a recent study in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) that examined disparities in autism resources available to different racial and ethnic groups across different geographic regions in the U.S. The study showed that there are large gaps in access to diagnostic and treatment services by children with autism and their families, with up to 66% fewer services available to Hispanic and Black children compared to White children. (See JAMA article at https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2800709). The study also identified geographic areas in the U.S. where families of non-White children have disproportionately lower access to services.   Autism Resources and Top 10 Underresourced Areas in the United States Source: JAMA In a recent article in U.S. News & World Report that summarized the study, Dr. Wall discussed these findings, saying “Access to care should not be determined by skin color, zip code, gender, or income level. Cognoa is committed to helping address these disparities, and we believe that must start with early, equitable diagnosis without borders.” With the development of CanvasDX, Cognoa continues to live out its imperative to provide early, accurate, and accessible diagnosis of autism. Read full article in U.S. News & World Report: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2800709