Pac Rim 2016 addresses the question: How do we innovate to bring more people from the margins of society into the center where they can live to their full potential? Find answers by connecting with a diverse group of people working on the front lines. By meeting face-to-face in the digital age. By inspiring others in telling your story, sharing your research or best practices. By getting excited by the energy and ideas in the room with you.

Join colleagues for this special symposium focused on research and intervention strategies for encouraging healthy weight in children and youth with ASD/DD. This is a free symposium.

The 2016 Autism CARES Virtual Meeting was held virtually (i.e. through an online portal) on Thursday, July 21 as a half-day event exploring the topic of transition. During the meeting, MCHB-funded CARES legislation grantees (representing research, training, and state implementation stakeholders) shared information about activities within their respective networks, discussed emerging trends, and engaged in meaningful collaboration around transition research, policy and services.

There is a high rate of unemployment and underemployment among individuals on the autism spectrum. Paul Shattuck, founder of the National Autism Data Center, will describe the Center's activities with special emphasis on national indicators related to transition. Participants will learn about the range of information products available through Dr. Shattuck's center and plans for additional transition research projects. Shattuck's team reports that young adults on the autism spectrum often have worse employment outcomes in the first few years after high school than do peers who have other types of disabilities. Ms. Laura Ivanova Smith, UW LEND Advocate Faculty, will describe the support she received from her mother while transitioning out of high school and into college.

The Association for Autistic Community (AAC) is an Autistic-run community non-profit. Our annual conference is a celebration of Autistic culture and community. AAC is "autistic space" - a conference by and for Autistic people - features presentations on advocacy, culture, policy, technology and other issues impacting the Autistic community. We hope you'll join us and build Autistic space together.

As part of Network activities, the AIR-P/ATN holds a monthly webinar series titled "Advances in Autism Research & Care" (AARC) which alternates autism research and care themes, and is available to all AIR-P/ATN network members, CAAI-sponsored programs, the entire LEND and DBP Fellowship networks, various other autism and pediatric organizations, collaborators, primary care providers, as well as autism advocates. Research webinars feature current AIR-P research study investigators, while care focused themes cover hot topics in the field of autism, and promote idea generation for future research.

An expanding body of research into suicidality and autism documents that individuals with ASD are at a significantly increased risk of suicide. Furthermore, traditional screening tools and mental health interventions have limited use in working with individuals with ASD. This webinar began with an understanding of the issue from the perspective of the autistic self-advocacy community, exploring the challenges to screening and prevention within the mental health service system as it is today. We also reviewed the epidemiological background of suicide as a national and international public health crisis and what we know about how it impacts the ASD/ID population. We heard about a NIMH study underway aimed at developing a suicide risk screening tool for youth and adults with ASD/ID/DD. Finally, we reviewed specific interventions to address suicidality in autistic children and adults followed by strategies for promoting positive mental health for individuals with ASD who are at risk.

While end-of-life issues are increasingly gaining more attention, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) continue to receive significantly less consideration in research, education, and clinical practice compared with the general population. This is a growing concern especially since the sheer number of persons aging with IDD is expected to double between 2000 and 2030. Furthermore, as policies continue shifting to reflect a preference for home and community-based services as an alternative to institutionalization, adult day services (ADS) have the potential of becoming ideal settings for receipt of end-of-life care, especially for individuals with IDD. However, end-of-life care and advance planning most commonly occur in long-term care settings, for the general population, and have historically been less of a priority in ADS and residential services for people with IDD. This presentation discusses findings from a study around the attitudes of, and collaboration between, ADS and end-of-life providers for aging adults including persons with IDD. We will also explore how ADS may be a great pathway for delivering end-of-life care to the IDD population and provide guiding recommendations.

The AUCD 2016 Conference, "Navigating Change: Building our Future Together," highlights both the change that comes at the end of a Presidential term as well as our need to work together to create a future in which children and adults with disabilities are able to participate fully in all aspects of life as valued members of their communities. Join us to engage in powerful, important, and inspiring personal and professional discourse on December 4-7 in Washington, DC.

Featuring Timotheus Gordon, Jr., Research Assistant at University of Illinois at Chicago

One of the most difficult times for youth and young adults with ASD is the transition from school to adulthood. In fact, young adults with ASD typically experience low rates of employment, independent living, and connection to community. This session will review the research regarding employment outcomes for youth with ASD as well as review 3 important pathways to employment. These pathways are internships, supported employment and customized employment. Additionally, the presenters will provide specific examples regarding the supports youth and adults with ASD used to acquire and maintain employment in community-based integrated environments.

This talk will provide an overview of a cognitive behavioral treatment (Facing Your Fears) to reduce anxiety in children/adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). We will carefully review the child and parent components of the treatment so that by the end of the webinar, participants would be familiar with specific strategies to reduce anxiety symptoms in this population. We will also describe how the program is currently being adapted for adolescents with ASD/IDD.

This bi-annual meeting was an opportunity for MCHB-funded Autism CARES legislation grant recipients representing research, training, and state systems change stakeholders to share information about activities within their respective networks, discuss emerging trends, and facilitate meaningful collaboration.

Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) is a research-based, person-centered framework focused on decreasing problem behaviors and increasing quality of life in individuals across the lifespan. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is the three-tiered model for PBS implementation in school settings as a means to prevent and promote positive behaviors for ALL children and intervene with children with challenging behaviors.