In 2012, an interdisciplinary team in the Department of Pediatrics developed an innovative tiered system of developmental screening and diagnostic evaluations within primary care settings to receive referrals of young children ages 14-48 months who have been identified to have increased likelihood of autism. The Early Autism Evaluation (EAE) Hub system currently has 17 hubs deployed across multiple health systems around the state from Gary and South Bend to New Albany and Evansville. The EAE hub system has served over 5,000 children to date.
During the 2023 calendar year, 1,026 children with an average age of under 32 months were served across the EAE Hubs. Fifty-seven percent of evaluated children received a diagnosis of autism. In children not diagnosed with autism, other diagnoses included speech delay, developmental delay, and other conditions. The hub system’s average wait time for evaluation of under four months is dramatically lower than typically reported waits, thereby reducing the age of diagnosis and referral to intervention services.
Early Autism Evaluation System Outcomes for 2023
1,026
children were seen at 17 sites
57%
were diagnosed with autism
32 months
average age of diagnosis
117 days
average wait time from referral to visit
83%
receive definitive diagnosis at EAE Hub
465
primary care clinicians referred children from 63 counties
The goal of this initiative continues to be to improve localized access to early diagnostic evaluations for young children who are found to be at increased likelihood of autism and/or developmental delay based on developmental screening and/or parental caregiver or clinician concerns. Regardless of their diagnoses, eligible children are referred to receive subsequent evidence-based interventions at the earliest age possible.
Early Evaluation Hubs
The EAE Hub system has trained and coached over 25 primary care practices and 85 clinicians and their teams since its launch in 2012, building advanced skills in screening, diagnosis, and management of young children with autism for over 60 primary care clinicians. Currently we have 18 teams across Indiana who perform evaluations and participate in the monthly learning collaborative group activities, which include content on challenging case presentations, updated autism diagnosis and care management practice standards, billing and coding guidance, and information on statewide autism resources.
Trained clinicians throughout the state receive referrals from local and regional primary care offices to provide structured diagnostic evaluations and deliver detailed clinical reports which qualify children for needed next step interventions. In cases where the child’s diagnosis is not definitively determined during the EAE Hub evaluation (under 20% of cases), families are assisted in a referral for further subspecialty evaluation, including through Riley Hospital for Children’s Developmental Medicine and/or Child Psychiatry services.
Early Autism Evaluation Hub Locations
This map demonstrates the approximate geographic coverage of hub sites, in receiving referrals from surrounding counties.
The list of current sites and contact information can be found below.
Community Health Network
1629 Medical Arts Blvd., #200
Anderson, IN 46011
765-298-5439
*Community Health Network referrals only
IU Health Riley Physicians
4935 W. Arlington Rd.
Bloomington, IN 47404
812-353-3785
The Bowen Center
2100 Goshen Road
Fort Wayne, IN 46808
260-471-3500
Marram Health Center
3229 Broadway, #115
Gary, IN 46409
219-806-3000
Maple City Health Care Center
808 N 3rd St
Goshen, IN 46528
(574) 534-0088
Community Physician Network Family
Medicine And Pediatric Care
3000 S. State Rd. 135, Ste. 310
Greenwood, IN, 46143
317-497-2400
* Community Health Network referrals only
Riley Pediatric Care Center
1002 Wishard Blvd, Suite 2000
Indianapolis, IN 46202
317-944-4846
Eskenazi Health Center Pecar
6940 Michigan Rd.
Indianapolis IN 46268
317-266-2901
*Eskenazi referrals only
Riley Pediatric Primary Care
1002 Wishard Blvd, Suite 2001
Indianapolis, IN 46202
317-944-2801
*IU Health referrals only
Jasper Primary Care Physicians
1950 St Charles Street, Suite 4
Jasper, IN 47546
(812) 482-9555
IU Health Arnett
2600 Greenbush
Lafayette, IN 47904
765-448-8000 (ask for Peds triage)
* IU Heath Arnett referrals only
Riley Physicians Pediatrics
820 Samuel Moore Pkway, Suite C
Mooresville, IN 46158
ALL IN Pediatrics
2305 Green Valley Rd.
New Albany, IN 47150
812-949-0405
*ALL IN Pediatrics referrals only
Growing Kids Pediatrics
3321 Ballard Ln.
New Albany, IN 47150
812-944-4575
Deaconess Riley Children’s
Specialty Center
4209 Gateway Blvd., MOB 2
Suite 1100
Newburgh, IN 47630
812-858-3131
MHP Pediatrics
2451 Intelliplex Drive, Suite 240
Shelbyville, IN 46176
(317) 398-7337
Primary Care Partners of South Bend
300 South St. Louis, Suite 204
South Bend, IN 46617
574-251-1200
Lutheran Health Physicians
Pediatric Healthcare
902 Provident Drive, Ste A
Warsaw, IN 46580
574-269-8338
Clinical Pathway
The following is an algorithm representing the evaluation procedure used during an EAE hub clinical evaluation. It incorporates a review of developmental screening results, a diagnostic interview including assessment of DSM-5 criteria for autism and a medical and developmental history, the administration of a structured observational assessment for autism (i.e., Screening Tool for Autism in Toddlers and Young Children; STAT), and physical examination, followed by integration of the data to formulate and present a clinical diagnosis to the family, and then the creation and dissemination of a clinical report which includes recommended next steps for care management.
