Imperial Co, CA: Mobile autism diagnosing to deal with backlog

April 7, 2025, Calexico Chronicle : Grant Looks to Make Autism Diagnoses Mobile, Cut Into Backlog 

https://calexicochronicle.com/2025/04/07/grant-looks-to-make-autism-diagnoses-mobile-cut-into-backlog/  

Autism Support of Imperial County, San Diego Regional Center and Academia Team Up to Address Up to Year-long Wait in Evaluations

EL CENTRO — Throughout the month of April and beyond, the legacy of George and Audrey McFaddin will loom large around Imperial County as the namesakes of a brand new mobile autism diagnosis unit. 

With April being World Autism Acceptance Month, expect to see “George” and “Audrey” — the late husband and wife who were tireless advocates for bringing awareness and acceptance to autism spectrum disorder — around the Valley parked at various autism events.

 “George” is a full-size Ford pickup pulling “Audrey,” essentially a clinician’s office on wheels operated through a grant received by Autism Support of Imperial County.

April is pretty much for show, as Autism Support of Imperial County will give tours and lead people through the mobile unit. Come May, however, there will be four psychologists and 16 master’s-level professionals trained to conduct the comprehensive autism diagnosis observation schedule, or ADOS evaluation, an exam that can take up to four hours to complete. 

With more than 40,000 people identified with intellectual disabilities between San Diego and Imperial counties, the backlog for diagnosis through San Diego Regional Center is massive. A $317,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Disability Services and San Diego Regional Center is intended to let Autism Support of Imperial County cut into what can be a six-month to one-year waiting list for evaluation. . . .

The birth of “George” and “Audrey” came about two years ago, when ASIC was approached by Dr. Ana Duenas of San Diego State University. Initially a project to target minority children on the spectrum, the grant expanded its scope and reach to assist all families affected by San Diego Regional’s backlog, Gonzalez said. . . .