Raising Awareness and Enhancing Access to Autism Diagnosis and Care

Client
First Children Services

Industries
Healthcare | Not-for-Profit and Association

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Overview

Within the first seven months, the media relations campaign resulted in:

Print & Online Placements

Radio & TV Placements

Media Mentions

“Your child has autism.”

One in 54 parents in the United States receive that diagnosis for their child according to a 2020 report by the CDC, increasing the disorder’s prevalence by 10%.

Early detection and intervention are critical in helping children on the spectrum maximize their full potential. However, accessing diagnostic services can often be a lengthy process with long wait lists for appointments further delaying vital treatment services.

As a leading provider of behavioral health and special education services, First Children Services (FCS) is dedicated to providing a full continuum of diagnostic, assessment and treatment services. This enables FCS to deliver increased access to care and earlier detection and intervention while providing vital support systems for the whole family through its STRIVE Autism Care Continuum.

To increase awareness of the comprehensive services they provide to children and families through the STRIVE Autism Care Continuum, First Children Services engaged R&J to implement a communications and messaging strategy to further strengthen its market leadership position in key geographic service areas.

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Challenge

Through our comprehensive brand discovery process, we uncovered several challenges facing First Children Services:

The organization was going through a period of significant growth as it expanded into new markets to meet surging demand for its vital diagnostic capabilities and full continuum of care. As a result, their existing messaging no longer aligned with their brand identity or their strategic vision and growth goals.
Several strategic new hires facilitated program and service enhancements that resulted in the formulation of its STRIVE Autism Care Continuum. This needed to be properly positioned and communicated to key target audiences.
The pandemic exacerbated the need for comprehensive, integrated services for kids with ASD and support services for families in a completely new environment. This led to the launch of several virtual and eventually in-person programs which needed to be communicated to those that could benefit from the services while also being positioned as part of the enhanced STRIVE Autism Care Continuum.

Action

R&J developed a communications strategy to address the challenges and leverage the opportunities uncovered during the brand discovery process to increase brand awareness and strengthen First Children Services’ market authority. Elements of the plan included:

Development of a strong messaging platform that defined the organization and its key differentiators creating a cohesive and concise identity for the brand and its STRIVE Autism Care Continuum.
Conducting a thought leadership audit of key executives to gain insight on each of their unique areas of expertise.
Creating an earned media strategy that leveraged the messaging and insights gained from the thought leadership audit and discovery process to gain media placements in targeted growth areas to increase awareness and utilization of services while further establishing the organization’s thought leadership and market authority. Media relations tactics included trend pitching, media alerts, expert commentary and bylined articles.

Conclusion

This strategic PR and media relations program has successfully raised the visibility of the First Children Services leadership team as well as the unique, innovative services they offer for kids with ASD and their and families through their STRIVE Autism Care Continuum.