SNTI 2020 Virtual Poster Session: CA START San Andreas

California START San Andreas- Analyses of Initial Referrals
Authors: Kristin Gratz, MS, LPC; Pratimajit Kaur, BA

California START San Andreas has been providing START related services as of October 2019. The analyses of initial referrals provided insight into data and data reporting trends. This helped shape the interventions provided from a tertiary care perspective and identify further education and training needs for both staff and the community. With the use of Center for START Services database (SIR), intake and assessment data were reviewed and analyzed. The data highlights age demographics, reason for referral, co-occurring disorders, and medical diagnoses of 90 individuals enrolled in the CA START San Andreas program.

The primary reason of referral for both children and adults was largely aggression, which is similar to national data. The report of self- injurious behavior is higher than average in children. Suicidal ideation and self-injurious behavior are very high in both children and adults compared to the national average. In both children and adults, the report of anxiety, depression, and trauma is very low. When looking at the high percentage of reported diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), aggression symptoms, and self-injurious behavior in both adults and children, it is likely that there is unreported or undiagnosed anxiety, mood, and/or trauma related disorders that likely contribute to the presentation of aggression and self-injurious behavior.

Reported medical diagnoses are also lower than the national average. Specifically, low percentages of reported GI, sleep, neurologic, and immunology disorders were reported. This does not align with the known data, in which individuals diagnosed with IDD/ASD experience one or more of these biomedical concerns. Overall, the analyses of initial referrals provided insight regarding the team’s need to gather more information for both psychiatric and medical diagnosis, follow-up with systems of support, and collaborate with medical directors to provide further education and training.