Education
Young Adult and Adult Services
Equipment and Supportive Technology
Recreation/Community Activities
Identified area of need - Education
The Sage Colleges – Troy, N.Y.
Thomas Zane
$22,990
http://www.sage.edu
Development of Webinars to Train Core Competencies for Parents and Paraprofessionals Working with Students with Autism
As autism diagnoses increase, the number of trained personnel to effectively work with these individuals has not kept pace. The aim of this grant is to create 90 hours of instruction on specific techniques and skills shown to be successful when remediating skills in this population, and to convert this training to on-demand, asynchronous webinars to be hosted on the web. The target audience will be parents and paraprofessionals who are typically assigned to work with students with ASD in public schools. The webinars will be available continuously through The Sage Colleges website. The development of these training modules will focus on techniques shown to be effective and are expected to facilitate the development of more competent staff who will then teach more effectively, resulting in improved independence of persons with ASD.
Significance for people with autism: This project will speak to the educational needs of those working directly with children with autism spectrum disorders. This grant will provide both education and training that will allow parents, paraprofessionals and professionals to interact more effectively with their children and students.
Nashoba Learning Group – Bedford, Mass.
Elizabeth Martineau, Ed.S., BCBA
$22,965
http://www.nashobalearninggroup.org
New Staff Training for Expansion of Student Body
There is a significant shortage of professionals trained to work effectively with students with autism, particularly with older students. To address this problem, Nashoba Learning Group will train 13 professionals to teach and interact effectively with students on the autism spectrum and will build the field by increasing the number of professionals with the training to teach adolescent age learners with autism. These new staff members will be hired within the next 12 months with each new staff member arriving two weeks in advance of a new student and participating in intensive training in order to qualify to work with secondary school aged students with autism.
Significance for people with autism: As a result of this project 12 students from a waiting list will receive the intervention they need in order to reach their potential and become contributing members of the community as adults. Long term, the success of this New Staff Training Program will be reflected in the progress made by the students.
University of Central Florida - Center for Autism and Related Disabilities – Orlando, Fla.
Teresa Daly
$19,955
http://www.ucf-card.org
REACH: Real Experience in Autism Classroom Helps
This project is aimed at enhancing community capacity for providing high quality educational programs for students with ASD by increasing the supply of teachers, psychologists, and speech language pathologists who are well-prepared for facing the challenges presented by students with autism. This will be accomplished through collaborative relationships between the University of Central Florida's Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (UCF-CARD), university instructors, undergraduate students, and local elementary and secondary schools with highly skilled, experienced autism teachers who are using best practice strategies for educating students with autism. The project will also enhance the quality of education received by students with ASD across five school districts by providing experienced teachers extra time to provide intensive individual instruction to their students with autism.
Significance for people with autism: The primary beneficiaries of this project are 50-100 undergraduate students planning to work in the areas of education or early intervention, 10-20 autism teachers employed in local school districts, and 50-150 children with ASD.
University of South Dakota – Sioux Falls, S.D.
Brittany Schmidt
$16,437
http://www.usd.edu/cd/autism
Autism Spectrum Disorders Team Training Expansion
To more efficiently and professionally meet the needs of individuals with autism and their families, the Center for Disabilities, Sanford School of Medicine at The University of South Dakota, as part of the Autism Spectrum Disorders Program, has developed a Team Training model to address the continued training needs within South Dakota. The model used by the Center allows families to receive the same training as their child's service providers, which has resulted in greater communication between agencies/schools and caregivers. Since generalization of learned skills is a very difficult component of the education of those with autism, this consistent and team-based approach has addressed that concern as well. In addition, involvement of trained family members in advocating for appropriate services and assisting with provision of services is expected to develop into a more systemic, consistent service plan which will result in fewer crises related incidents. Support to encourage duplication of the training will include the training materials and access to the trainers from throughout South Dakota. The purpose of this project is to first provide state-of-the-art information about ASDs to the focus student's service providers and family member(s) so that they may positively impact the developmental progress for the identified need areas of these students. Secondly, the team will be provided the necessary materials and supports to be able to duplicate this training to other teams in their district or region.
Significance for people with autism: The grant proposes to expand the Team Training model to the surrounding states of Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska. In addition, the model will be enhanced to incorporate supports for the teams from these states so they are able to duplicate the training in their regions.
Northwest Autism Center – Spokane, Wash.
Dawn Sidell
$20,000
http://nwautism.org
Autism Professional Development for Educators
In Spokane County and the larger region of eastern Washington there are no regularly occurring autism-related training opportunities for the many educators and therapists who work with children with autism. In response, the Northwest Autism Center (NAC) will provide an expanded intensive training course of education and training for teachers and therapists combined with on-site and distance consultative services to follow-up on the implementation of the lessons learned. Twenty-five to thirty educators and supportive service providers will receive training on methodologies for serving children ages 3-6 with autism in the first year. Education curriculum will include, but not be limited to, basic ASD training, awareness of the practice of deliberate inclusion, improved provider competency, needs of families, legal issues, and other aspects of caring for an individual with ASD. Program participants will receive one year of follow-up and consultation to ensure they are able to successfully implement in their own classrooms the approaches learned during the training.
Significance for people with autism: This project will have an immediate positive impact on the instruction received by students with autism spectrum disorder over the 2008-2009 school year, whose schools were able to participate. In the first year of the project, NAC expects to serve 30 educators who work with children affected by autism.
North Colonie Central School District – Cohoes, N.Y.
Rena Riccardi Hurley, M.S., RD, CDE
$17,100
http://www.northcolonie.org
PROMPT Therapy Training for the Treatment of Verbal Apraxia
PROMPT (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Targets) Therapy has been found to be effective in treating verbal apraxia, yet this therapy in not currently available to children with autism/verbal apraxia in The Capital District. The school district, in collaboration with the PROMPT Institute, will offer a three-day training course for 24 Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) to be provided with level 1 PROMPT training. Preference will be given to SLPs who are based in the New York State/Capital District Region and have the ability to impact a maximum number of students. North Colonie Central School District will provide space and equipment for the training. The progress of this initiative will be monitored by each SLP enrolled in the training program: they will be required to measure the sound/language production of at least ten students prior to initiating PROMPT Therapy and again after providing six months of PROMPT Therapy.
Significance for people with autism: This program will provide training to Speech Language Pathologists to effectively treat children with autism who also have verbal apraxia.
Melmark New England – Andover, Mass.
Peter Troy
$24,700
http://www.melmarkne.org
Family Focused Intervention, Training and Support
Autism Speaks would like to acknowledge the generous support of Harrison Shulman for the grant “Family Focused Intervention, Training and Support,” which was awarded to Melmark New England. Harrison chose to donate almost $14,000 of his Bar Mitzvah money to help to fund this program and we are very appreciative of the commitment that Harrison has displayed towards helping families affected by autism.
Melmark seeks funding to create a larger network of services that may educate and train families and service providers to avoid crisis situations that may result in removing children from their home community. With funding, Melmark's established Family Training Series will be able to accommodate more families at alternative times in order to ameliorate stress in many households. This training will compliment school instruction and all participants will complete program evaluation forms at the end of each session. The initiative will allow for a parent training model that embraces family-focused intervention. The step-by-step workbook, “Helping Your Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder,” will be used as a springboard to facilitate the group training program. There will be ten bi-monthly sessions lasting two hours each. The goals of the program include parental stress reduction, decreased feelings of isolation, increased feelings of parental competence, access to supports, increased communication among family members, inclusion of family members with autism, and increased independence of children with autism.
Significance for people with autism: Parents and families of children with autism will be better trained and equipped to deal with various situations. In addition, community teachers attending single sessions will be able to access levels of expertise not typically available in public schools.
University of Southern Mississippi – Hattiesburg, Miss.
Margaret Buttross-Brinegar, M.S.
$20,000
http://www.usm.edu/childrenscenter
Behavioral Trainings for Families and Educators in Southeastern Mississippi
The state of Mississippi currently has limited behavioral services (e.g., applied behavior analysis) which are offered to families and educators. Through the support of this grant, families and educators in this area will receive much needed behavioral support and training that are both conveniently located and affordable. The project will focus on two main goals. First, the project will provide direct, weekly behavioral training and support from a trained behavior specialist for approximately 10 hours per week for a 39-week period to families and speech-language staff of a non-profit, early intervention center for communication and developmental disabilities. The trainings will focus on empirically validated interventions and strategies for working with children diagnosed on the spectrum. The second portion of the project will focus on providing quarterly educator workshops to local school districts over a 12-month period to increase the skills and knowledge of behavioral interventions and support for working with children with ASD. Training topics will be chosen with input from local parents and school personnel, but will likely include topics such as communication methods, behavior management skills, reinforcement, discrete trial training, social skills training, and self-care skills.
Significance for people with autism: Behavioral training with educators and parents will lead to a reduction in reported and/or observed child problem behaviors. The program also increases the number of trained professionals.
DePaul University – Chicago, Ill.
Nelly Aguilar
$19,965.00
http://www.law.depaul.edu
Special Education Law Training for Professionals and Families
Many families and professionals often have difficulty interpreting and using Special Education Law. In response to this problem, DePaul's Special Education Advocacy Clinic plans to offer continuing legal education courses to practicing attorneys who wish to enhance their knowledge. Additionally, the clinic seeks to train education professionals and parents of children with autism who are unfamiliar with special education law, enabling them to better serve the needs of autistic children. In keeping with DePaul's mission of providing assistance to underserved communities, the Special Education Advocacy Clinic will meet the following target goals within the next year: first, the clinic will enable at least 16 law students to study special education law as applied to actual families, by facilitating collaboration between school districts and parents and by providing direct legal representation and effective advocacy at Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings. Second, the clinic will train at least 100 family members of children with autism statewide, emphasizing outreach to underserved communities. Third, the clinic will provide free direct legal services to at least 20 affected families per year. Fourth, the clinic will offer special education law workshops for at least 50 future teachers, social workers, therapists, and school administrators enrolled in DePaul University's undergraduate and graduate programs. Finally, the clinic will train 20 attorneys in special education law for continuing legal education (CLE) credit.
Significance for people with autism: At least 170 family members, professionals, and law students in Illinois will learn how to advocate for the educational rights of children with autism and at least 20 families will receive direct legal services. This is a program that has the ability to be replicated at other law schools throughout the country.
Identified Area of Need – Equipment/Supportive Technology
PACER Center – Minneapolis, Minn.
Paula Goldberg
$20,000
http://www.pacer.org
Visual Strategies Workshop Series
Research supports the use of visual strategies which is an effective method of 1) improving communication and 2) reducing challenging behaviors. However, families and educators still struggle with understanding how to use and create visual supports. In response to this problem, the PACER Center will offer a free Visual Strategies workshop series for parents and professionals who work with students with ASD. This free series of five workshops will be open to all Minnesota residents including those in rural Minnesota. Each participant will receive 15 hours of training on topics such as: Foundations for Using Visual Strategies, Introduction to Board Making Tools, Using Symbol Supported Text, Creating Social Scripts, and Implementing Visual Strategies. In addition to providing 15 hours of training, four open computer lab sessions will be provided to give participants the opportunity to create, customize and have hands-on time with programs demonstrated during the workshop series. The open lab sessions will give parents time to work with the programs discussed, in a supported environment, free of charge, thus off-setting the growing costs of technology.
Significance for people with autism: This program will educate and equip participants to effectively use visual strategies, and improve the technology for individuals with autism. There is the ability to replicate this program in other markets.
Identified area of need – Recreation
Camp Rising Sun – Albuquerque, N.M.
Laura White, B.S. Physical Therapy
$25,000
http://www.camprisingsunnm.org
A Summer Camp Promoting Inclusion among Children with ASD and Their Typically Developing Peers
Camp Rising Sun's primary goal is to provide additional opportunities for children with ASD to learn and practice social and communication skills in an inclusive camping environment. Campers will emerge more confident socially, parents will receive much-needed respite, and university students will receive valuable “hands on” training. Prior to Camp Rising Sun's 2006 inaugural year, the nearest camp for New Mexico's children with ASD was 818 miles away in San Antonio, Texas. In addition to providing children with ASD a positive camping experience, the camp will give them the opportunity to do so along side their typically developing peers. For older campers with autism there is a CIT (counselors in training) program, which is an inclusion model. Camp Rising Sun is partnering with Dennis Chavez Elementary School to train and educate peer models regarding autism, inclusion, and how to appreciate campers for who they are and the talents they possess. Utilizing Camp Rising Sun as an opportunity for advanced field work provides University of New Mexico students working in the fields of occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and psychological services as well as The Autism Programs at the Center for Development and Disability with comprehensive “hands on” experience working with children with autism.
Significance for people with autism: Funding will enable Camp Rising Sun to expand its one week camp to two one week sessions. New Mexico's children with ASD will get to experience camp in an inclusion setting. The collaboration with The University of New Mexico, The Autism Programs at the Center for Development and Disability and the Dennis Chavez Elementary School will lead to greater growth, education, and involvement of the community.
Autism Foundation of the Carolinas – Charlotte, N.C.
Lori Schleicher
$25,000
http://autismcarolinas.org
After School Program for Children with Autism
The need for an after school program for children with autism in Mecklenburg County is great. There are no specialized programs for children with mild to moderate autism spectrum disorder. The Autism Foundation of the Carolinas, in collaboration with the YMCA of Greater Charlotte and the Autism Society of North Carolina, will offer an inclusion based after school program for children with ASD beginning fall 2008. The focus of the program will be to enhance independent functional living skills and self management skills by presenting opportunities for socialization, communication and self directed choice within each activity during the day. Program activities include: recreational play and/or relaxation with independent or inclusion options, and structured enrichment such as music/movement, art, social stories/life scenarios and homework assistance. A pilot program will be offered to a limited number of participants so program efficacy can be ensured before rolling it out countywide.
Significance for people with autism: The program will serve children kindergarten through 5th grade that are mild to moderate on the autism spectrum from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday during the school year. The children will be provided a balance of recreation, relaxation, education and socialization with opportunities for inclusion in a safe, nurturing environment. There is a tremendous opportunity for replication within North Carolina and nationwide, to partner with YMCA chapters throughout the country using this model.
Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital for Rehabilitation – Cleveland, Ohio
Julie Knapp, PhD
$25,000
http://cms.clevelandclinic.org/childrenshospital
Social Skills Program for High Functioning Children with ASD
The Cleveland Clinic will use evidenced based social skills training, an inclusive summer camp for generalization, and parent therapeutic support to provide social skills programming for high functioning children with autism. Specifically, the grant will go towards expanding services during an already existing inclusive summer camp. In the summer months, typical summer camps will be utilized to foster generalization of skills from a clinic setting to a more natural setting. Here, children with ASD will be accompanied by a behavior therapist or “coach” for help in generalizing skills learned through structured social skills training into the inclusive camp setting. The “coach” will attend with the children to help facilitate social interaction and generalization of skills, and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst will observe the child's social behaviors in their school setting during lunch and recess prior to the start of the group. In addition, parents will be trained in utilized techniques that will result in consistent supports across several different environments.
Significance for people with autism: This program has the potential to demonstrate the remediation of social skill deficits following a specific curriculum and generalization of social skills in children with ASD in an inclusive setting. It is a program that has strong potential for replication.
Upstate Cerebral Palsy - The Kelberman Center – Utica, N.Y.
Beth Myers
$14,980
http://www.kelbermancenter.org/
Awesome Summer Days Camp: Social Skills Training & Peer Coaching Embedded in a Recreational Summer Camp Experience
Awesome Summer Days Camp is the expansion of a successful pilot program and will take place at The Chadwicks Education Center that is owned and operated by United Cerebral Palsy. The program will work with each family to: (1) evaluate the child's current level of social functioning; (2) identify social skills that need to be learned or practiced; (3) modify and implement curriculum as needed to meet the child's needs; (4) practice skills during inclusion activities with Big Brothers/Big Sisters campers; and (5) test progress at the close of camp. Each week, Monday and Tuesday will combine social skills lessons with horseback riding, dance, art, photography and yoga. Each Wednesday the campers will join campers attending the Big Brothers/Big Sisters camp for a variety of field trips. Thursday will also be a day for inclusion activities spent with kids from Big Brothers/Big Sisters; campers will enjoy fishing and engaging in a variety of outdoor teambuilding exercises. The Center, in addition to using trained specialists, will be able to tap into the university community for program interns, many of whom will be inspired to pursue careers related to autism.
Significance for people with autism: The Awesome Summer Days Camp runs for five weeks and is open to children between the ages of six and fourteen who are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. With funding, the camp will be able to financially support the attendance of additional campers. The collaboration with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the opportunities for interaction with typically developing peers provides additional awareness for those with autism. Again, there is the ability to replicate this program.
SPLORE – Salt Lake City, Utah
John Librett, Ph.D., M.P.H.
$24,885
http://www.splore.org
Rock On!
SPLORE's Rock On program will provide indoor rock climbing to improve outcomes for children with ASDs in a safe and supervised environment. Participation in active recreation promotes inclusion, optimizes physical functioning, and enhances well-being for children with ASDs. Additionally, participation promotes the development of friendships, independence, and creativity. Indoor rock climbing is an individual activity that can occur in a safe and supervised group setting. The Rock On! program works with community partners to identify underserved children and youth with ASDs.
Significance for people with autism: SPLORE addresses the physical activity, recreation, and social needs of children with ASDs - ages 5-15. As a result of funding, Rock On! will work with 120 children during an 8-week program in the Salt Lake City area.
The Kennedy Center – Trumbull, Conn.
Stacy Hultgren, B.A. Psychology
$19,084
http://www.thekennedycenterinc.org
Stepping Out
The Kennedy Center will begin a pilot program for children ages 12-15 that offers social skills training including peer modeling and inclusion opportunities. The program will include weekly social skills training with concurrent parent training. In addition there will be tailored seminars on the importance of social skills training in schools. One of the targeted school districts for this project will be an inner city school in the Bridgeport, Connecticut area. As a result of the targeted age of the participants, they will have worked on skills before transition plans are established. The program will teach skills in priority areas critical to self-esteem and independent living options such as job-related components and accessing employment.
Significance for people with autism: It addresses critical unmet needs for children with ASD in a multi-pronged approach by supporting the children themselves, and through partnerships and training with parents, extended families/caregivers, peer models and school districts. The benefits of the pilot project will extend well beyond the targeted children and impact circles of support critical to parents, professionals and paraprofessionals in the school districts and the community-at-large.
TERI, Inc. (Training, Education & Research Institute) – Oceanside, Calif.
Krysti DeZonia, M.Ed.
$23,364
http://www.teriinc.org
The Learning Academy - Fit for Life
Many children with ASD have difficulty exercising and are therefore overweight and at risk for serious medical conditions such as Type II diabetes. In response to this, TERI will run the Fit for Life fitness programs for children with ASD that will be individually targeted to the breadth of ability each student is capable of achieving. Two specific groups of individuals will participate in the program: (1) 65 children with moderate to severe autism and (2) 35 children with mild to moderate autism. All students will come from TERI's non-public school programs. The Fit for Life program will be run by a Corporate Fitness Director as well as a Recreational Director and will take place at a 5,000 square foot fitness facility. Physical activities such as Climbing Mount Everest Challenge and Walk Across America in addition to obstacle courses on the Fitness Walking Trial will be utilized to engage the students. The goal of the program will be that 100 students will exhibit incremental gains in gait stability, endurance, and weight/body fat loss, while developing life-long exercise skills.
Significance for people with autism: Weight management and a lifetime habit of exercise will be the results of this program. An added benefit beyond the increased level of fitness and mastery of exercise skills is the ability of the participants to enjoy more exercise related activities with their families and members of the community.
Western Reserve Speech and Language Partners – Beachwood, Ohio
Nicole Gerami, SLP
$22,660
http://wrslp.com
Friendship in Teams (FIT)
This is a new program that combines social skills intervention with adaptive physical fitness instruction. This project will specifically address the need for recreation/community activities for children on the autism spectrum. FIT is designed to foster in each student confidence in his or her ability to join and interact effectively in groups of typically developing peers. Students ages 4-18 are divided into three groups: Ages 4-7 – focuses on social skills and activities that children can use on the playground and at recess; Ages 8 – 11 focuses on social skills and physical activities that teach and practice skills typically needed in a physical education environment; and Ages 12 – 18 focuses on socials skills and physical activities, as well as age appropriate games involving technology and less traditional sport activities.
Significance for people with autism: This grant will provide funding to expand the program (shorten the waiting list by at least 75%), and to reach low-income youth who are currently unable to afford services. This program has the ability to be replicated by other organizations.
Identified Area of Need – Adults/Young Adults
Judevine Center for Autism – St. Louis, Mo.
Michelle Fiedler
$25,000
http://www.judevine.org
Increasing the Capacity to Provide Supported Employment for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Rural Missouri
There are currently no providers in rural Southeast Missouri who have the expertise and understanding of autism to provide autism-specific employment support, and there is a waitlist of underserved adults. To address this need, the Judevine Center for Autism – Southeast Missouri will collaborate with a local supported employment provider - Alternative Opportunities, Inc. (AO), to provide supported employment services that specifically address and meet the needs of those with ASD. The result will be to provide services to wait-listed and underserved individuals with autism spectrum disorders in rural Southeast Missouri while increasing the capacity of a traditional supported employment provider and local employers to provide effective, autism-specific supports that enable these individuals to secure and maintain gainful employment. The Center will hire a Supported Employment Specialist to spearhead this project, working to identify individuals with autism who will benefit from service, training AO staff and employers on autism and autism-specific employment issues, and assisting people with ASD through the four phases of gainful employment: job assessment, job development, job coaching, and job follow-along.
Significance for people with autism: This service will accomplish the following goals: (1) more than 20 young adults with autism will receive the service; (2) autism training workshops will serve an estimated 100 people work with or provide service to individuals with autism; and (3) the gainful employment of at least six individuals with an autism spectrum disorder after completing all four phases of supported employment.
TEACCH – Chapel Hill, N.C.
Gary Mesibov, Ph.D.
$23,250
http://www.teacch.com
Employment Transition Training
People with autism tend to have significant problems in the workplace. After facing unemployment or underemployment for long periods of time, they are more often fired from jobs and find that opportunities to advance in the workplace are very scarce. All of these things lead to lower self esteem and increased social isolation. TEACCH has been asked by special education teachers in Guilford County high schools to mentor them in a project designed to increase their success rate in transition planning and job placement for graduating seniors with ASDs. This project will train teachers and other professionals both in how to use the TEACCH Transition and Assessment Profile (TTAP), an evaluation and transition planning tool, and in how to turn the knowledge gained by using that instrument into real world, long term jobs for students with ASDs throughout Guilford County.
Significance for people with autism: This program provides continuing education to educators and trainers that will help them to interact more effectively with their students with autism in order to determine what kinds of occupations are best suited to each individual, and turn that understanding into paying jobs. The result of this effort will be to produce a long term increase in the capacity of these service providers to meet the needs of rising young adults with autism. There is the ability to replicate this program in other areas of the country.
Towson University Center for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder – Towson, Md.
Lisa Crabtree, M.S. Special Education
$24,911
http://www.towson.edu
Adventure Pursuits for Adults with Autism
Individuals with ASD entering adulthood and leaving behind the support of school-based services are poorly served in terms of community-based activity and recreation. To address this need, Towson's Adventure Pursuits for Adults with Autism program will develop team-building, creative problem solving, social communication and safe decision-making skills among young adults with autism. A focus on making safe decisions related to peer pressure, friendships, sexual relationships, and other areas identified by participants will be incorporated into the program. Participants, in conjunction with the peer mentors, will be asked to self rank targeted skills and progress toward individual goals each session by completion of a chart outlining identified objectives. By teaching the skills in ‘real life' situations such as the Challenge Course, with ‘real life' peer mentors who aren't merely role-playing, adults with ASD are able to receive the instant feedback and genuine social cues that will help solidify the concepts they are learning. Furthermore, because the learning happens in a recreational environment, participants are more likely to remain motivated and engaged.
Significance for people with autism: Twenty-four young adults (16 – 30 years of age) with ASD from the Towson University community and the surrounding Baltimore metropolitan area will be invited to participate in this program. Additionally, graduate students intending careers in disciplines such as speech language therapy, occupational therapy, education, family studies, and psychology will receive supported, experiential learning through their participation as peer mentors.
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