Virtual autism clinic launches in Missouri, helping to ease long wait times for evaluations

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - Amanda Roedel knows firsthand the challenges of getting an early diagnosis for autism in the St. Louis area. When her son Blake was a toddler she was quoted six months on a waitlist for an evaluation.

Since the pandemic, those wait times have only increased.

“Delayed time is delayed progress for your child,” said Rodel.

But a new service launching in Missouri hopes to help.

“It’s a national crisis,” explains Kayla Wagner, the CEO of As You Are.

As You Are is a virtual clinic, connecting children to physicians and they don’t have to leave the comfort of their home.

Alicia Fuller lives in Kentucky and struggled to find access to care in her small town. She was quoted year-long wait times to get an evaluation for her son Maverick. Without an evaluation, she couldn’t begin getting him the help he needed.

“As a mom, I was desperate,” Fuller said.

She discovered As You Are and says it was a game changer.

The virtual clinic launched in Missouri last month and hopes to expand to Illinois and other states in the near future.

According to the CDC, the rate of children diagnosed with autism has steadily increased. One in 36 children was diagnosed in 2020 compared to one in 150 back in 2000. The CDC says improved screenings and awareness could be part of the reason for the increase.

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