§ 2500-J — Autism spectrum disorders; screening of children

§ 2500-j. Autism spectrum disorders; screening of children. 1. The\ncommissioner shall establish, for use by pediatric primary care\nproviders, best practice protocols for early screening of children for\nautism spectrum disorders, including but not limited to developmental\nscreening for children three years of age and under. Such protocols\nshall incorporate standards and guidelines established by the American\nAcademy of Pediatrics, shall be updated at least biennially, and shall\ninclude, but not be limited to:\n (a) the routine employment of objective autism spectrum disorder\nscreening tools at regular intervals during critical childhood\ndevelopmental stages;\n (b) a provider/parental dialogue, utilizing the modified checklist for\nautism in toddlers as a reference, intended to educate parents in regard\nto autism spectrum disorders; and\n (c) an appropriate referral mechanism for children who, based upon\nresults of the aforementioned screening process, require further\nevaluation.\n 2. The modified checklist for autism in toddlers referred to in\nsubdivision one of this section shall be accessible by the public on the\ndepartment's internet website.\n 3. The commissioner shall promulgate any rules and regulations\nnecessary to implement the provisions of this section.\n