LIMHW Family Resource Navigation

Service Overview

A comprehensive evaluation often provides families with greater clarity about their child’s needs and a detailed set of recommendations. However, understanding how to implement those recommendations—and navigating the various systems, agencies, eligibility requirements, and providers involved—can be challenging.

LIMHW Family Resource Navigation is designed as a practical, non-clinical support service for families who have completed an evaluation with our practice. The goal is to help families move from recommendations to action by identifying appropriate resources, understanding potential next steps, and developing a manageable plan for accessing recommended supports.

This service does not replace clinical treatment, formal case management, legal advocacy, or services provided by government or community agencies. Rather, it provides individualized guidance and resource navigation based upon the recommendations identified through the evaluation.

Post-Evaluation Resource Navigation Consultation

Families completing a comprehensive evaluation with LIMHW receive a 30-minute Family Resource Navigation consultation as part of the evaluation process.

During this consultation, families may:

• Review and prioritize recommendations from the evaluation
• Identify the most important immediate next steps
• Discuss potential community and therapeutic resources
• Receive general information about programs and systems that may be relevant, including OPWDD
• Identify questions to ask schools, providers, agencies, or other professionals
• Develop a manageable plan for moving forward

Families who need additional assistance may elect to participate in the ongoing Family Resource Navigation package.

Family Resource Navigation Package – $495

The optional Family Resource Navigation package provides additional individualized assistance implementing recommendations following the evaluation.

Depending upon the family’s needs, support may include:

• Individualized resource identification
• Assistance locating appropriate providers and programs
• General guidance regarding OPWDD services and the application/navigation process
• Assistance understanding service options and eligibility pathways
• Organization and prioritization of recommendations
• Follow-up consultation regarding progress and next steps
• Identification of community-based programs and supports
• Research regarding resources specific to the family’s needs
• Assistance preparing questions for agencies, schools, providers, or other professionals
• Problem-solving when families encounter barriers to accessing recommended services

Why Family Resource Navigation?

Receiving a comprehensive evaluation can provide families with important answers and recommendations—but figuring out what to do next can feel overwhelming. Families may need to navigate multiple systems, eligibility requirements, providers, school supports, and community-based services to put those recommendations into action.

Research supports the value of family navigation as a bridge between recommendations and accessing services. A 2025 scoping review of 27 studies examining autism family-navigation programs found that these programs commonly incorporated service coordination, education, advocacy, family support, and practical assistance. Navigation programs were associated with improved and/or faster access to diagnostic and intervention services, as well as positive caregiver and family outcomes.¹

Research examining navigation specifically following an autism diagnosis has similarly demonstrated the potential value of helping families implement recommendations. One study found that families receiving immediate access to an autism patient navigator were more successful in scheduling or completing recommended medical, educational, therapeutic, and family-resource appointments. Approximately 36% of families in the study reported encountering barriers to accessing recommended services or resources.²

A more recent review of family-navigation research also identified positive findings related to family knowledge, family activation and well-being, and service access and utilization. Importantly, the available research does not establish that navigation itself improves children’s developmental or behavioral outcomes. Instead, the evidence supports navigation as a strategy for helping families understand, access, and engage with recommended services.³

Together, this research supports an important principle underlying LIMHW’s Family Resource Navigation program: providing recommendations is only one part of supporting families. Families may also benefit from practical assistance translating those recommendations into achievable next steps.

From Recommendations to Action

A comprehensive evaluation can provide important answers—but families are often left wondering, “What do we do next?”

Research has identified significant barriers families may encounter when attempting to access recommended autism and developmental services. Family-navigation approaches are designed to help bridge the gap between receiving recommendations and successfully connecting with appropriate resources.

Following an evaluation at LIMHW, families receive a brief Family Resource Navigation consultation to help prioritize recommendations and identify next steps. Families who would benefit from additional assistance may elect to receive ongoing navigation support, including individualized resource identification, general guidance regarding programs such as OPWDD, assistance locating appropriate providers and community resources, and support organizing and implementing evaluation recommendations.

Our goal is simple: to help families turn a comprehensive set of recommendations into a manageable plan for moving forward.

Why offer navigation after an evaluation?

Research suggests that families may encounter substantial barriers when attempting to access recommended autism and developmental services. Family-navigation programs have been used to help families understand recommendations, coordinate services, identify resources, overcome practical barriers, and connect with appropriate supports.¹ ²

Rather than simply sending families home with a list of recommendations, LIMHW Family Resource Navigation provides an opportunity to help families determine what comes next.

Research References

1. Li et al. (2025). Family Navigation Programs for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review.Pediatrics, 155(4), e2024067947.

This scoping review examined 27 studies of family-navigation programs for children with autism. Common navigation components included family assessment, service coordination, psychosocial support, health education, advocacy, and logistical assistance. The review found evidence that navigation can facilitate movement from screening through diagnosis and connection with intervention services.

2. Roth et al. (2016). Impact of Autism Navigator on Access to Services. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics.

This study examined navigator support provided to families following an autism diagnosis. Families receiving immediate navigator assistance demonstrated greater success scheduling or completing recommended medical, educational, therapeutic, and family-resource appointments. The study also documented barriers families experienced when attempting to access recommended services.

3. Lin et al. (2025/2026). Family Navigation for Children with Autism: A Scoping Review of Quantitative and Qualitative Evidence. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

This review examined quantitative and qualitative evidence regarding family-navigation interventions. Findings supported potential benefits related to family knowledge, activation and well-being, and access to and utilization of services. The authors also identified limitations in the evidence regarding downstream child developmental and behavioral outcomes.

Comprehensive evaluations identify what a child and family may need. Family Resource Navigation helps families determine how to begin accessing it.