The health system is partnering with Autism Speaks and Milestones Autism Resources on the initiative, which is backed by a $1 million grant from the Cleveland Foundation.
An estimated 50,000 teenagers with autism spectrum disorder exit high school annually in the U.S., losing their access to crucial support services.
“We refer to this as ‘stepping off the service cliff,'” Melissa Armstrong-Brine, PhD, a clinical psychologist who directs MetroHealth’s Autism Assessment Clinic, said in a July 13 news release. “Transition services and supports are critical for young people with ASD to be successful and participate to the fullest extent possible in the broader community.”
Through the initiative, MetroHealth and Autism Speaks will open a transition clinic and develop a model of coordinated medical, behavioral and social transition planning that can be scaled out nationwide. The health system is expected to reach 700 individuals during the three-year pilot period.
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