• Neelkamal Soares, Kristi VanDerKolk, Md Sakibur Hasan, Sandra K Burge, and Lisa Graves.
• Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI.
• Fam Med. 2024 Feb 1; 56 (2): 9410194-101.

Background And ObjectivesThe family medicine (FM) approach to health care across the life span is well-suited to providing care for persons living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Little is known about ASD curricula in FM residency training and the characteristics of FM residency programs that prepare their residents to care for persons with this disorder.MethodsOur study questions were part of a larger omnibus survey by the Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance (CERA) with data collection from November 16 to December 18, 2022, from FM residency program directors (PDs). ASD curricula were investigated using 10 questions, with descriptive analyses and nonparametric comparisons between program variables and ASD curriculum.ResultsThe response rate was 42.18%, with FM PDs reporting that their programs were preparing residents in the care of youth (71.53%) and adults (68.33%) with ASD, but to a lesser extent (58.89%) in facilitating transitions of care. Programs with faculty champions, access to published curricula, sufficient patients with ASD, and engagement of interprofessional faculty reported a higher proportion of resident preparedness. PDs of community-based programs were most confident in their ability to teach ASD care and transitions of care.ConclusionsMost FM PDs modestly agreed that they are preparing residents to provide care to patients with ASD and their families. PDs of programs with greater access to resources (ie, published curriculum, faculty champions, sufficient patients with ASD, interprofessional faculty experts) believed that their residents were more prepared. Community-based FM educators may help lead the way in providing models for care and education in this regard.

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