Overview
The Autism Friendly Health System Initiative (AFHSI) was inspired by the needs of patients, families, and staff. At Rady Children’s Hospital, the AFHSI has implemented a variety of interventions including:
- Customization of patient visits through the use of the Autism Friendly Questionnaire (AFQ).
- Training staff and clinicians on proactive and reactive strategies.
- Adapting the environment and using autism tool kits.
- The implementation of the AFHSI follows a program evaluation framework to assess the acceptability and adoptability of our interventions in real-time.
- We also rely on engagement and feedback from key stakeholders in our community.