On the Road or on the Web: A Pilot Study of a Mobile Clinic and Telehealth for Autism Assessment in Rural Communities

Rural communities experience barriers that delay autism diagnosis and services, including few providers with autism expertise, unaffordability, geographic isolation, and limited parent/caregiver (hereinafter "caregiver") education. To address these barriers, the current pilot study assessed the feasibility of delivering autism assessment through a mobile clinic (n = 15) or via telehealth (n = 15) and tested the impact of autism psychoeducation on caregiver autism knowledge and empowerment. Participants included 30 children (aged 1-14 years) and their caregivers. Caregivers of children who received an autism diagnosis (n = 28) were then randomized to either attend psychoeducation sessions or receive comparable printed educational materials. Both mobile and teleassessments exhibited strong feasibility and caregiver satisfaction. Caregiver empowerment (η² = .228, p = .002) and autism knowledge (η² = .171, p = .015) improved after receiving assessment and psychoeducation services, regardless of delivery modality. These results provide support for accessible modalities of delivering autism diagnostic assessments through mobile health and telehealth formats to increase the accessibility of timely diagnoses in rural areas and highlight the importance of caregiver education in feeling empowered to advocate for their autistic child.