Clinical Assessment, Screening, Treatment, and Leadership in Evidence-based (CASTLE) practices for Children with Autism
Project Description:
Clinical Assessment, Screening, Treatment and Leadership in Evidence-based Practices (CASTLE) for Children with Autism will prepare future school psychologists and speech language pathologists to provide leadership and services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Project CASTLE is an intensive 2-year training program for Masters students in school psychology and speech-language pathology that emphasizes evidence-based practices and interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance inclusive educational experiences for elementary aged students with ASD. This project is focused on serving students with high-intensity needs in the area of ASD to include students with significant impairment related to their ASD and who require intensive individualized interventions to address their high-intensity needs. The project is administered through the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a strong collaboration with the Waisman Center UCEDD and LEND Program.
Project CASTLE is focused on improving the quality, skills and supply of personnel who serve children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by training masters-level pre-service speech-language pathology and school psychology graduate students to demonstrate the competencies needed to provide (a) differentiated instruction, and (b) intensive individualized intervention(s) in an interdisciplinary team-based approach to address the individualized needs of children with ASD. Given the increasing prevalence of children with ASD, determining best practices related to the education and treatment of this population has become increasingly important over the past few decades. This increased prevalence has resulted in a significant increase in the number of school psychologists and speech-language pathologists who need to be equipped to identify and treat students with ASD. Further, because optimal treatment for students with ASD involves early and sustained interventions, school psychologists (SPs) and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) at the masters level are needed to be trained for leadership positions in elementary schools to monitor and manage the necessary competencies to work with children across the age span with ASD. The current demand for school psychology and speech-language pathology professionals far outweighs the number of professionals currently in the field or personnel who are in the process of graduate training (McIntosh, 2004). This project addresses a critical need to prepare masters level school psychology and speech language pathology personnel to provide leadership and comprehensive services for children with ASD and severe disabilities. The specific aims for Project CASTLE are to recruit and train 201 high-quality graduate student scholars to (a) screen and assess/identify ASD in elementary school aged children, (b) implement evidence-based interventions for children with ASD, and (c) use evidence-based consultation strategies to enhance learning, academic skills, and social interaction within elementary school based settings and to promote intervention maintenance in other settings (e.g., home). The experience of directly having students train together as part of a comprehensive approach to identification and intervention will provide services to high-intensity needs school-aged children with ASD. In addition, participation in the LEND training program through the Waisman Center, will expose scholars to additional professions not directly included within their training cohorts, expanding their exposure to interdisciplinary collaboration.
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Specific Groups
