Autism Services Across America

Road Maps for Improving State and National Education, Research, and Training Programs

by Peter Doehring, Ph.D.

Contents

• About the Author
• Contributors
• Foreword Fred R. Volkmar
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction

I Understanding the Scope

1. About Autism Spectrum Disorder
2. Services for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Can This Include?
3. An Overview of the Training, Research, and Policy Supporting Systems of Services for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder
4. How It Works: The Infrastructure of Agencies and Organizations That Support Services, Training, Research, and Policy

II Exemplary Regional, Provincial, and Statewide Programs

5. Autism Spectrum Disorder Services, Training, and Policy Initiatives at The West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall University
6. The Pennsylvania Bureau of Autism Services and the Department of Education: Providing Educational and Community Services Across the Life Span
7. Delaware Autism Program: Statewide Educational Services in the Public Schools
8. Indiana Resource Center for Autism: Promoting Local Capacity Statewide Through Research, Education, and Policy
9. Regional Autism Intervention Program and Related Research Activities at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Ontario
10. The University of Utah and the Utah Department of Health: Collaborating to Implement Community-Based Systems of Care for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
11. Autism and Tertiary Behavior Support Through the Kansas State Department of Education: Developing Collaborative Teams for Identification and Consultation

III Exemplary National Initiatives

12. Learn the Signs. Act Early.: The Public Health Approach to the Early Identification of Children at Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Developmental Disabilities
13. National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Emerging National Educational Strategy

IV Facing Autism Nationally: How to Improve Services Through Training, Research, and Policy

14. What We Have Learned: How to Create Integrated Networks that Improve Access, Increase Capacity, Develop Expertise, and Address Meaningful Outcomes
15. Where We Can Start: Immediate Opportunities for Improving the Lives of People with Autism Spectrum Disorder

About the Author

After completing his doctoral training as a clinical and research psychologist in Canada, Peter Doehring, Ph.D., began his career developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) screening and early intervention programs within a regional psychiatric hospital in Montreal. He then served as Statewide Director for the Delaware Autism Program (DAP), where he led DAP through a period of growth that doubled the number of students served. He has initiated various hospital- and community-based training programs and led the development of multiple treatment programs for children and adolescents with ASD.

Contributors

• Barbara Becker-Cottrill, Ed.D., BCBA - Executive Director, The West Virginia Autism Training Center, Marshall University
• Matthew E. Brock, M.A. - National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Paul S. Carbone, M.D. - Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Utah
• Ann W. Cox, Ph.D. - Director, National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Georgina Peacock, M.D., MPH - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders

The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders (NPDC) was conceived to help motivated and committed professionals in public schools apply best practices for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The NPDC addresses concerns about identifying best practices and creating effective training models to support local school districts.

Identifying and Creating Needed Resources

The first work of the NPDC was to identify instructional and intervention practices demonstrated as effective with children with ASD by conducting systematic literature reviews. This led to the classification of 24 practices that meet the requirements of evidence-based practice (EBP). Procedures for evaluation of instructional quality, such as the Autism Program Environment Rating Scale (APERS), were developed to measure program features, including social climate and family involvement.

Conclusion

The NPDC works to create integrated, sustainable training and research networks that help improve access to services and enhance capacity for supporting children with ASD through evidence-based practices.