Trainees in LEND attend one rural outreach screening clinic during the program year. Trainees that live in communities where the clinic is offered attend their local clinic. Trainees in the Anchorage bowl have the opportunity to travel to a clinic.

The intention of the pediatric neurodevelopmental outreach and autism screening clinic is not meant to be part of any multi-disciplinary assessment to establish a developmental or educational diagnosis. Rather this initial consultation is meant to determine the need for additional evaluations or testing; to share information & impressions; and/or make recommendations for the child’s family and primary care provider (PCP).

With permission, Trainee opportunities for observation:

1. The clinic coordinator greets each family, gets paperwork and does height and weight measurement.
2. The State of Alaska contracts with 3 medical providers, a pediatric neurodevelopmental pediatrician and a nurse practitioner from the Children’s Hospital at Providence along with the Seattle-based neurodevelopmental pediatrician from Seattle Children’s. Each medical provider has a unique style and preference for student interaction. The clinic coordinator will direct the student on those provider preferences and opportunities for interaction.
3. Stone Soup Group typically meets with the family at the end of the medical interview. Students will receive direction from the parent navigator for that part of the process.
4. Each clinic site host is unique. Some students will find opportunities to interview staff of the host clinic about local resources, healthcare delivery, family culture, and customs unique to the region. Our hosts are accommodating, but these are typically busy clinics handling their own patient load during our visit.
5. During the clinic days, PND staff are asked to conduct educational presentations. LEND students are welcome to accompany the team and listen to the presentation. LEND students have been asked questions about their “studies” during these presentations.

Additional activities related to the clinic:

• Trainees write a brief summary about the community where they will observe the outreach screening clinic (e.g. the population size and distribution, services offered, agencies that are active in the community, and other factors that impact the residents there that experience disability or special needs).
• Trainees attend at least one family referral interview conducted by phone by the clinic coordinator as she prepares for a clinic.
• Trainees create an engaging presentation about the experience and share it during seminar.