Treated prevalence of Austism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), and Autism Spectrum Disorder with co-occurring DCD is significantly less than estimated prevalence in Tarrant County

Aim: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) commonly co-occur in pediatric patients. However, few studies have assessed the circumstances under which this co-diagnosis is assigned, in order to develop best-practice recommendations. Our multi-center retrospective chart review at Cook Children's Medical Center (CCMC) network, the Child Study Center (CSC), and the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) aims to identify common and differing elements along the diagnostic pathway for individuals with ASD, DCD, and ASD+DCD. Method: Using the electronic medical record of UNTHSC Health, we retrospectively evaluated charts from 2008-present for patients aged 0-21 at first entry. At UNTHSC, the number of patients since 2008 with ASD was 455, DCD was 677, and ASD+DCD was 21. These data were pooled with data previously collected from the other two sites. A maximum of 50 patients per site with ASD+DCD were age- and sex-matched to patients with ASD and patients with DCD. The final sample consisted of 121 non-duplicate ASD+DCD charts, 150 ASD charts, and 150 DCD charts. Results: In-depth analysis of charts is ongoing, and will aid in identifying whether patterns of patient- and provider-based variables differ across sites or diagnostic groups for the final sample Significance: The prevalence of DCD and ASD+DCD was strikingly low across all sites. Notable variability in EMR coding likely contributes to difficulty achieving diagnostic consistency and standardizing care. Undiagnosed or misdiagnosed children are susceptible to reduced access to resources and intervention.