New Illinois law opens new pathways to getting autism diagnosis

In Illinois, there are two categories of experts that can diagnose autism: psychologists and developmental physicians. But because openings with these experts are few and far between, families can be put on a waitlist that could last anywhere from months to years.That is, until now. Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act early July and it allows speech-language pathologists trained in autism diagnosis evaluation to diagnose the condition in children under age three enrolled in the state’s Early Intervention program.The legislation was prompted by research out of Northwestern University called the Reduce the Wait study.In the Loop sits down with the lead researcher of the study and hears from two mothers of children with autism about navigating the process of getting a diagnosis and getting the support they need.GUESTS: Megan Roberts, professor, Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern UniversityKiana Spears, parent of a child who was diagnosed as part of the Reduce the Wait studyDebra Vines, CEO and founder, The Answer Inc.