April 7, 2015
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Developments is a newsletter for Autism CARES programs funded under MCHB. The content of this newsletter has been generated by program staff and trainees, and does not necessarily reflect the views and policies of HRSA-MCHB. No official support or endorsement by HRSA-MCHB is intended or should be inferred. This publication is funded in part by cooperative agreement #UA5MC11068.
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Autism Awareness Month provides a chance for us to acknowledge the collective accomplishments of MCHB's Autism CARES investments and to reflect on where we can continue to move forward to achieve our shared goals. As programs, we have a lot to celebrate! 
The Division of MCH Workforce Development is excited to announce the launch of the MCH Navigator's NEW online self-assessment tool! This tool helps identify your strengths and learning needs in the 12 MCH Leadership Competencies, matches your learning needs to appropriate trainings, and provides a customized learning plan to track your progress over time and guide you, your staff, and/or department in professional development activities. 
This bi-annual meeting is an opportunity for MCHB-funded CARES legislation grantees (representing research, training, and state implementation stakeholders) to share information about activities within their respective networks, discuss emerging trends, and facilitate meaningful collaboration. 
The annual meeting of the MCHB-funded Leadership Education in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics (DBP) Training Programs was hosted by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia DBP program on March 18-20, 2015. Approximately 35 faculty and 40 fellows from the 10 funded DBP training programs were in attendance at the meeting. 
On Wednesday, March 25, 2015 Virginia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) held its annual Research Poster Fair at the Kontos Medical Science Building at Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical Campus. Fourteen LEND trainees representing Occupational Therapy, Speech Language Pathology, Physical Therapy, Genetics, Nursing, Education, Social Work and Family disciplines presented posters based on original research or a literature review on a selected topic related to childhood disabilities. 
The Utah Regional LEND program is tackling the problem of low identification rates for autism in children under 3 years. Within our five-state LEND, one state, Utah, has been part of the CDC/ADDM autism prevalence studies for several years. Although Utah's prevalence rate is always one of the highest, only 33% of children with autism are identified in medical or educational records before age 3. To change this statistic, URLEND trainees worked across organizational and agency boundaries to create a statewide Network for Early Autism Response. 
The conference, which is co-sponsored by the Greenville Health System Children's Hospital and SC LEND again drew an interprofessional audience of over 150 from across South Carolina and neighboring states. The conference targets providers of services for children with ASD and related neurodevelopmental disabilities and features presentations and break-out sessions led by national keynote speakers, and LEND faculty from the three sites in South Carolina. 
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects as many as 1 in 68 children. Despite the fact that ASD is this common, there are no widely accepted way to measure the outcome of medical care or educational interventions for children and youth with ASD. In particular, patient reported outcomes are needed. The NIH has developed the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) to provide tools for assessments in children and adults with many medical concerns, but they have not been used for or validated in children and youth with ASD. 
Va-LEND trainee, Rebecca King, along with four fellow Social Work students at Virginia Commonwealth University played an instrumental role in the passage of SB 782, a bill that mandates the establishment of regulations that limit the use of restraint and seclusion in Virginia's public schools.
The CA-LEND program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles provided leadership opportunities for trainees through a grant funded by First 5 LA (First Connections), designed to increase access to developmental and autism screening and linkage for young children in underserved communities. 
The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, Maine's University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and also a NH LEND program partner; recently collaborated with the Maine Developmental Disabilities Council on a research report, Accessing Healthcare: The Experience of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Maine (2014). 
University of Iowa Children's Hospital Autism Center offers an "Understanding Autism" workshop series for professionals and families. Two upcoming workshops are focused on genetics and caregiver wellness. 
Please join the OHSU Institute on Development & Disability as we help celebrate Autism Awareness Month with a month-long Wednesday webinar series! This free online seminar and discussion brings together the top experts in Autism at OHSU, providing a quick overview of several autism topics throughout the month. Simply join the webinar at 12:30 on each Wednesday in April. No registration needed! A question and answer period will be held at the end of each presentation for those interested. We hope you can join us!
To deepen our understanding of girls with ASD, we examined the social behaviors of children with and without ASD at school. This study is a secondary analysis of observation data (Playground Observation of Peer Engagement (POPE)) that were collected on the playground during recess through the MCHB-funded Autism Intervention Research Network on Behavioral Health (AIR-B). 
The Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P) conducts research on evidence-based interventions to improve the physical health and well-being of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other developmental disabilities. 
One of the strategic research areas identified by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau is addressing health disparities and service access barriers among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While studies examining access to family centered and specialty care exist for this population, there is less literature specifically addressing barriers to accessing therapy services for children with ASD relative to children with other special health care needs (CSHCN). .jpg "Newly-published Breakthrough Study Offers Hope to Families of Children with Autism")
New research published in the peer-reviewed journal, Autism Research and Treatment, offers hope and assistance to parents of children with autism and early childhood special education programs. The large federal autism study, conducted by Teaching Research Institute, Western Oregon University, confirmed over ten previous studies reporting effectiveness of a breakthrough treatment for children with autism. Funding for the study was received from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau through Autism CARES.
University of Iowa LEND psychology faculty and trainees have an ongoing, highly active research program which has been translated into practice serving children with disabilities throughout Iowa. Many of their scientific findings have had a national impact as evidenced by the number of posters and presentations accepted at national conferences and the number of papers published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Problem-solving skills training is an intervention designed to teach coping skills that has shown to decrease negative affectivity (depressive symptoms, negative mood, and post-traumatic stress symptoms) in mothers of children with cancer. The objective of this study was to see whether mothers of children recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder would be receptive to receiving problem-solving skills training (feasibility trial). 
During the 2015 AMCHP Annual Conference, Massachusetts state team leads presented a skills-based training session on its Considering Culture in Autism Screening curriculum. This interactive, case-based training session focused on about culturally competent screening, evaluation, and referral to intervention services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)/developmental disabilities (DD).
AMCHP's mission is to support state maternal and child health programs by providing national leadership on issues affecting woman and children. In support of this mission, the State Public Health Autism Resource Center (SPHARC) has several new activities planned, along with presentations, webinars and technical assistance opportunities designed to aid and assist ASD/DD grantees.
Got Transition has updated an extensive set of resources related to health care transition, including a section on Developmental Disabilities and transition. Other transition resources available on the site relate to such topics as employment, education, independent living, mental health, foster care, guardianship and decision-making, self-care, medical home, and more.
Autism NOW created a toolkit and designed it for employers to hire, train, and retain employees with an ASD as well as other disabilities. It is written from the perspective of the individual on the autism spectrum about what employers need to know and things the employer can do to learn more about ASD. It includes tips, tricks, and personal stories from individuals on the spectrum about their challenges in the workplace and what they want employers to know.
To access presentations/handouts from the 2015 program, click here, using the event code "amchp". Any presentations received will be added into the session description.
Dr. Pauline Filipek, Act Early Ambassador for Texas, and the director of The Autism Center at the Children's Learning Institute at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), has written an article for the Sugar Land Sun newspaper on early identification for children with autism.
The Autism Society is providing you with this toolkit to complement your National Autism Awareness Month programming and hope you will share it with your partners, collaborators, supporters and constituents. The digital guide contains a wealth of promotional resources and collateral to enhance your National Autism Awareness Month campaign. Download your National Autism Awareness Month toolkit via DropBox. 
AUCD envisions a future in which all people - including those living with autism and related developmental disabilities - are fully included, participating members of their communities. We advocate for equitable access to supports and services that lead to self-determination, independence, productivity, and a healthy and satisfying quality of life.
Celebrate Autism Awareness Month with the Act Early Network and attend the Act Early Network Virtual Networking Event on Thursday, April 23, 3pm-4pm ET. By attending, you will gain knowledge on effective program methods and strategies that have improved the early identification of autism and other developmental disabilities.
On February 11, 2015, AUCD sponsored a webinar on CMS Guidance and Autism Spectrum Disorders. The webinar and materials are now archived on the AUCD website.
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