national professional development center on asd.pdf

Autism Services Across America

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

by Peter Doehring, Ph.D.

Contents

  1. About the Author
  2. Contributors
  3. Foreword - Fred R. Volkmar
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. 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
      1. Autism Spectrum Disorder Services, Training, and Policy Initiatives at The West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall University
      2. The Pennsylvania Bureau of Autism Services and the Department of Education
      3. Delaware Autism Program: Statewide Educational Services in the Public Schools
      4. Indiana Resource Center for Autism: Promoting Local Capacity Statewide Through Research, Education, and Policy
      5. Regional Autism Intervention Program and Related Research Activities at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Ontario
    • III Exemplary National Initiatives
      1. 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
      2. 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
      1. What We Have Learned: How to Create Integrated Networks that Improve Access, Increase Capacity, Develop Expertise, and Address Meaningful Outcomes
      2. Where We Can Start: Immediate Opportunities for Improving the Lives of People with Autism Spectrum Disorder

About the Author

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 has served as Statewide Director for the Delaware Autism Program, overseeing its growth and establishing programs for training and behavior support.

As Director of Regional Programs at the Center for Autism Research, he initiated various hospital- and community-based training programs. He currently provides training and strategic support through his consultation service, ASD Roadmap. Throughout his career, he has actively championed the role of research in improving practice.

Contributors

National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders

The NPDC was developed to assist professionals in applying best practices for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their classrooms. The NPDC had to systematize and integrate evidence-based practices (EBPs) found in the research literature to assist educators in identifying quality classroom environments.

The center has been identifying instructional or intervention practices effective with ASD children and developing the Autism Program Environment Rating Scale (APERS) to evaluate quality. Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) identified include:

NPDC researchers produced practice briefs to make evidence-based practices usable for teachers and ensure sustainable application to improve service provision for children with ASD.