The Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Va., and Naval Medical Center San Diego are pilot sites for a new e-mail-based communication service for military families that have a member with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
TRICARE encourages beneficiaries in the pilot program areas who have children with autism spectrum disorders to subscribe to this e-mail service at http://www.tprmedia.com/origin/nmcp-asd.do for Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, and http://www.tprmedia.com/origin/nmcsd-asd.do for Naval Medical Center San Diego.
The service begins when a patient is diagnosed with ASD. For the first eight weeks after the diagnosis, the patient’s family receives customized weekly e-mails, followed by bi-weekly e-mails sent throughout the first year after diagnosis. The e-mails focus on coping, family life, research, resources, and others’ experiences with ASD—all to support the family and let them know they are not alone.