2025 Annual Report

PATIENT CARE PATIENT CARE, QUALITY & SAFETY

SUPPORTING FAMILIES BEYOND THE DIAGNOS I S

Support does not end with diagnosis. Families leave the visit with clear documentation and next steps, and a follow-up appointment is scheduled within two to four weeks to maintain momentum and prevent families from feeling overwhelmed. Care plans are tailored to each family’s needs, with referrals connecting families to a range of services, including wraparound support through the Alabama Department of Mental Health and school-based assistance through the Regional Autism Network. Families receive help navigating paperwork, coordinating services, and understanding next steps, particularly when time, literacy, or resource barriers are present. “We want that longitudinal relationship, so families have a trusted, evidence-based resource not just at diagnosis but afterward as well,” said Relyea Ashley. Pediatricians remain a consistent, evidence-based resource for families as children grow, helping guide care across school transitions and counter misinformation families may encounter online.

“We want a longitudinal relationship, so families have a trusted, evidence based resource not just at diagnosis but afterward as well.”

HEATHER RELYEA ASHLEY, M.D.

LOOKING AHEAD WITH A NEURODIVERSITY-INFORMED LENS

This work is grounded in a neurodiversity-informed perspective that emphasizes difference rather than deficit. Relyea Ashley brings lived experience with autism into her work, reinforcing acceptance and understanding alongside evidence-based clinical care. Relyea Ashley has shared how her experience as a parent of an autistic child has shaped her perspective as a pediatrician. She emphasizes that many challenges arise not from autism itself, but from environments designed for only one way of thinking, processing, and interacting. “Autism is an operating system difference,” said Relyea Ashley. “Someone might be using macOS, and someone else might be using Windows. Neither is inferior.” That perspective also informs how the team addresses misconceptions about rising autism diagnoses. Increased identification reflects improved recognition and training, not an epidemic. Autism is present from birth, with characteristics becoming more noticeable as environmental demands grow. The success of this pediatrician-led approach has highlighted opportunities to share training resources and pathways with general pediatricians across Alabama. By expanding access while maintaining rigorous standards, the UAB Department of Pediatrics aims to help more families receive timely, equitable, and evidence-based care. ●

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2025 ACADEMIC ANNUAL REPORT