Autism—A Family’s Journey and the Lights Along the Way

Note: April is National Autism Awareness Month. Carolyn Hayer is the Director of Parent and Professional Development at the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN) in New Jersey, a federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Autism. There was a time when I couldn’t even say the word out loud. It was too painful, too devastating to

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Project HEART:
Heightened Excellence in Autism Research and Training

Note: April is National Autism Awareness Month. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopment disorder characterized by social communication delays and rigid and repetitive behavior, affects an estimated 1 in 59 children in the United States. The majority of these children receive intervention in inclusive public school settings where school systems are stressed by the dramatic

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Evidence-based Practice and Autism

Note: April is National Autism Awareness Month. Katie is an 18-month-old who does not respond when her mother calls her name, likes to watch spinning objects, and does not use words or gestures to communicate. Jose is a 17-year-old student who gets stellar grades in all his courses, started the cyber security club in his

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Project ASD: Special Educator Preparation in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Note: April is National Autism Awareness Month. Supporting Children and Youth with Autism April is Autism Awareness Month, and a perfect time to highlight the OSEP-funded Project Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Since 2004, this innovative personnel preparation project has been addressing the critical need for special educators prepared to

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Eleazar Vasquez III, Director and Associate Professor for the Toni Jennings Exceptional Education Institute
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Director and Associate Professor for the Toni Jennings Exceptional Education Institute
Cynthia Pearl
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Faculty Administrator in the Exceptional Education Program
Matthew T. Marino, Professor in the Exceptional Education Program
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Professor in the Exceptional Education Program

New IRIS Modules: Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (Part 2): Evidence-Based Practices This new IRIS Center Module, second in a two-part series, highlights strategies that have been shown to be effective in teaching appropriate behaviors and skills and decreasing inappropriate behaviors with children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It next explores several strategies that are particularly effective with

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Voices from the Field: Interview with Toni Whitaker

Supporting Children and Families Toni Whitaker, MD, is a Professor of Pediatrics and the Division Chief of Developmental Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. She directs the UTHSC Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau

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Fostering Disability Pride in Special Education

By Sarah DeAngelo, Office of Special Education Programs July is Disability Pride Month, and in celebration, the Office of Special Education Programs will highlight work being done in the field of special education that celebrates disability pride and promotes positive disability identity for students. Additionally, this July marks the 33rd anniversary of the signing of

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