Tools and Resources for Pediatricians

The AAP offers resources, tools, and trainings to assist pediatric clinicians – including primary care pediatricians and subspecialists - in the care for autistic children and youth and their families. Resources include free PediaLink educational modules, autism resource toolkit, quality improvement EQIPP course, resources from the Screening Technical Assistance and Resource Center (STAR), and comprehensive and supporting literature and research focused on autism.

PediaLink Course: Autism Identification and Collaborative Care
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Developed with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this updated PediaLink course will increase knowledge among pediatric clinicians on evidence-based practices for screening, evaluation, referral and management of autistic children and youth and their families. Course faculty include general pediatricians, subspecialists, and individuals with lived expertise including a families/caregiver and a self-advocate. This course consists of six modules that can be taken in any order. The modules do not have to be completed in sequential order, however, all six must be completed and the post assessment passed in order to obtain CME and MOC credits.

Modules are outlined below:

• Neurodiversity, Social, and Medical Models
• Characteristics, Surveillance, Screening
• Definition and Diagnosis
• Co-occurring Conditions
• Caring for Patients
• Partnering with Patients and Families

Developmental Surveillance and Screening Patient Care
Given the prevalence of developmental delays and disabilities, all pediatric primary care clinicians should be prepared to screen, identify, and care for children and youth with developmental delays and disabilities and their families.

Caring for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Resource Toolkit for Clinicians, 3rd Edition
Completely updated and revised, this toolkit provides practical guidance and fillable forms to facilitate optimal care for autistic children and youth in the medical home. The toolkit was edited by members of the AAP Council on Children with Disabilities Autism Subcommittee.

Screening Technical Assistance & Resource Center
The goal of the Screening in Practices Initiative is to improve the health, wellness, and development of children through practice and system-based interventions to increase rates of early childhood screening, referral and follow up. The center includes information about screening, referral, and follow up for developmental disabilities such as autism.

Fact checked: Vaccines: Safe and Effective, No Link to Autism
Some individuals wrongly assert there is a link between vaccines and autism. Before the claim was discredited, researchers took it seriously, investigated it thoroughly, and found no link. This research, in many countries, involving thousands of individuals, has spanned multiple decades. Any effort to misrepresent sound, strong science poses a threat to the health of children and does a disservice to our autistic community. 

Fact checked: Acetaminophen is Safe for Children When Taken as Directed, No Link to Autism
Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol and sold under the brand name Tylenol and other brand names, is an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine used to reduce fevers and relieve pain. Decades of research have found that acetaminophen is safe for children when administered as recommended. Misleading claims that the medicine is not safe and is linked to increased rates of autism send a confusing, dangerous message to parents and expectant parents and does a disservice to autistic individuals.