Behavioral interventions have been critical for improving the lives of individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Notable achievements include the improved numbers of children with optimal outcomes, and the larger number of children accessing the regular curriculum. Despite these gains, standard behavioral methods have had the least success in social communication outcomes. We continue to find nearly half of all children entering school without fluent, socially related communication skills. This talk will focus on the core social communication impairment in children with ASD, evaluations of this core domain and recently developed, effective interventions.

This webinar will provide an overview of the customized employment process including its utility in facilitating competitive, integrated employment outcomes for people with complex disabilities such as autism. Success stories and information about integration of customized employment strategies into vocational rehabilitation systems will be presented.

Infants and young children develop across intersecting domains, and effective assessments and interventions recognize and embrace these complexities. This webinar will focus on the intersection between infant and early childhood mental health and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in young children, with a focus on clinical practice. We will explore a model for interdisciplinary assessment and diagnosis of ASD in young children within an infant mental health framework.

Health Communications Experts from the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) joined us on the line for an overview of CDC's FREE, new Milestone Tracker app. During this webinar participants will learn more about the app's unique features, receive tips on how to use the app to boost family engagement around developmental monitoring and screening, and get ideas for how to help promote the app in their communities. CDC developed the Milestone Tracker app to offer a fun and easy way to engage parents and other care providers in the important activity of monitoring children's early development.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is under-diagnosed and under-treated in young children, particularly in disadvantaged populations. Children from minority and low-income populations receive referral, diagnosis and treatment later and less often, and report having less information about how to obtain care, more problems obtaining care, and fewer support services to connect them to care. This webinar will provide an overview of the Screening and Linkage to Services for Autism (SaLSA) study, which aims to evaluate an autism patient navigator program for low income families with young children who screen positive for ASD. Preliminary results of the study, including individual and system barriers to obtaining screening, referral, early intervention evaluation and services will be described.

AMCHP's State Public Health Autism Resource Center, in partnership with the Interdisciplinary Technical Assistance Center, is proud to host a virtual coffee talk on a hot topic related to Autism in honor of Autism Awareness Month. This coffee talk is focused on the AASET project and will feature Dr. Stephen Shore, the project co-lead. Tune in for an overview of AASET and key strategies for meaningful inclusion of people on the Autism Spectrum in multiple settings, as well as an open discussion among all attendees around this topic of interest.

Daisy Christensen, Epidemiologist at NCBDDD at CDC, will present on the recent "Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years - Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2014" data release. The latest findings from the ADDM Network provide evidence that the prevalence of ASD is higher than previously reported estimates and continues to vary among certain racial/ethnic groups and communities. With prevalence of ASD ranging from 13.1 to 29.3 per 1,000 children aged 8 years in different communities throughout the United States, the need for behavioral, educational, residential, and occupational services remains high, as does the need for increased research on both genetic and nongenetic risk factors for ASD. During the latter half of the webinar, Rebecca Wolf, Team Lead, "Learn the Signs. Act Early." at CDC, and Brian Barger, Director of Research and Evaluation at GSU's UCEDD, will present on the study and findings of, "Better Together: Developmental Screening and Monitoring Best Identify Children who need Early Intervention".

In this presentation, the nature and extent of anxiety related challenges that impact individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) will be briefly reviewed. How anxiety can be a major influence on the manifestation of externalizing behaviors will also be discussed. The relationship between atypical sensory profiles and anxiety, with a particular focus on over-arousal states, will be explored. Ways in which some simple and easy to use sensory modulation tactics and tools may be employed to help individuals with ASD and other IDD who present with significant anxiety and challenging behaviors will be shared.

The Organization for Autism Research (OAR) will be hosting a free webinar on the topic of sexuality on Monday, October 15, at 2:00 p.m. ET featuring Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D., OAR Scientific Council chairman and executive director of the EPIC School (Paramus, NJ), and Amy Gravino, M.A., president of A.S.C.O.T. Consulting. They will provide an overview of the many challenges associated with sexuality and sexuality education for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and offer recommendations as to the role individuals with autism, their families, and the professionals who support them need to play in this complex and important area of adult life.

Please join us to hear about national work and discuss issues pertinent to the topic of supporting autistic individuals as they transition to adulthood. Dr. Eric Moody from Wyoming Institute for Disabilities will moderate a three expert panel presentation and facilitate questions and comments from webinar participants.

Please join us to hear about national work and discuss issues pertinent to the topic of early identification of autism spectrum disorder. Dr. Alacia Stainbrook from Vanderbilt Kennedy Center will moderate a three expert panel presentation and facilitate questions and comments from webinar participants.

Please join us to hear about national work and discuss issues pertinent to diversity issues in autism spectrum disorder. Brian Be, an artist, self-advocate, peer mentor and LEND fellow with The University of Colorado will moderate a three expert panel presentation and facilitate questions and comments from webinar participants.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC) is pleased to invite you to attend our annual special event to recognize National Autism Awareness Month, A Woman's Voice: Understanding Autistic Needs.

The UNC Autism Fathers Conference will be a one-day event for fathers with children of any age with autism spectrum disorder. This conference is an outgrowth of one father's journey - award-winning sports broadcaster Dwayne Ballen - and our efforts to expand some of his insights and experiences to a wider audience of fathers.

This webinar will describe community engagement science (CES), and why CES can be valuable to you and your work with people with ASD and beyond. Your and our applications of CES will be discussed. This is a participatory-webinar; bring ideas, questions and share your story. Let's co-create safe, brave space to spark meaningful engagement. Thus grows curiosity, skills & conversations beyond today, into our target population, task or project - and engaging community!