Project Description:
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other developmental disabilities (DD) continue to increase in the United States. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect 1 in 54 children (U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020) and in the state of Maryland, this number is estimated to be 1 in 52 children based upon 2016 data derived from health and special education records of eight year olds living in Baltimore County per the Maryland Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitory (MD-ADDM) Program. According to the 2017 Maryland Special Education/Early Intervention Services Census data, the number of students with ASD in the state of Maryland is 11,940 or 11.15%. Out of 3,407 students with nonpublic school placement, 1,110 have an ASD diagnosis; however, they do not represent the largest subgroup. Kennedy Krieger Institutes Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) provides technical assistance to local Infants and Toddlers Programs (LITPs) as well as local school systems (LSSs). The project is designed to accelerate learning and improve individual child outcomes through virtual, and/or in-person observation, consultation, and training for those directly involved in teaching and supporting the development and educational needs of children with autism to ensure continuity of learning across a continuum of virtual and face-to-face service delivery models, including the use of virtual platforms to engage students and families.
Technical assistance (TA) provided by CARD will be derived from evidenced-based practices and designed to promote (a) inclusive classrooms, (b) access to the general education curriculum, (c) positive learning environments, (d) student and family engagement, and (e) meaningful instruction designed to accelerate learning to narrow the school readiness and achievement gaps between children and youth with disabilities and their non-disabled peers to ensure that youth with disabilities are college, career, and community ready when they exit high school. Programmatic changes will be developed in collaboration with local Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams based on the needs of the student(s) and current level of staff expertise. TA will increase the knowledge and skillsets of educators, related service providers and parents in the implementation of evidence-based instructional practices, increase the knowledge of principals guiding educators working with individuals with ASD, increase the ability of general education teachers to implement federally required accommodations and modifications to meet the needs of students with ASD in Maryland, and build the collaborative partnership between schools and parents as educators and related service providers learn strategies for coaching parents in successful implementation of evidence-based strategies in hybrid and remote learning settings.
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote, Urban, Other
