Professional Development in Autism & Low Incidence
Project Description:
The Center on Disabilities and Human Development at the University of Idaho with support from the Idaho State Department of Education provides professional development to school-based personnel in autism and low incidence disabilities. The project is two fold with (1) autism services and (2) low incidence services.
Autism Services:
The PDALI project provides coaching and training services to support school-based teams providing services to students with autism and other related disorders. State coaches have been specifically trained to use the methodology outlined by the Idaho Autism team. The Idaho Autism team participated as one of four states in a specialized autism training forum in Denver Colorado in March of 2006. A pilot with two schools was implemented in fiscal year 2007 and modifications to the process were made based on the outcome of the pilot. In fiscal year 2014 the project is working with 38 schools across 24 districts.
The goals of the project are to: 1) Promote optimal development and learning of children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders; 2) Increase the number of highly qualified personnel serving children with Autism Spectrum Disorders; 3) Increase the capacity of schools and districts to implement evidence-based practices; and 4) Provide ongoing professional development to those teaching learners with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Coaching and training involves an: 1) Initial review of existing services and support; 2) Development of an action plan to align existing program with evidence-based practices upon initial assessment results; and 3) In-service training and support to staff to carry out action plan.
School-based teams learn about: 1) Goal setting, evidence-based instructional practices, and how to build supports across a variety of school environments for students on the Autism Spectrum; 2) Implementation of evidence-based strategies and how to evaluate program quality and effectiveness; 3) Reducing problem behaviors and increasing student achievement for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Low Incidence Disabilities Services:
The goal of the low incidence aspect of the PDALI project is to provide training to teachers and support personnel to increase their capacity to design and implement quality programs and instruction for students with significant disabilities. Training is provided through a series live and archived webinars and an annual summer workshop. The Center has collaborated with the State Department of Education to present the webinars and the summer training since 2005.
Webinar Series
Training is provided through a quarterly three part webinar live webinar series. The topics are designed to align with State Department priorities and required federal indicators. Webinar presenters are experts in their field and develop their presentations around evidence based practices that can be implemented within a classroom setting.
Summer Institute
The annual two day summer workshop is presented in June of each year. This training is one of the only face-to-face sessions for teachers, support personnel, administrators, and parents in the Idaho on instruction and programming related to students with low incidence disabilities.
Core Function(s):
Developing & Disseminating Information, Continuing Education/Community Training, Demonstration Services
Area of Emphasis
Quality Assurance, Education & Early Intervention, Quality of Life
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
