Experts: Partnerships needed to address broadening autism challenges
CALIFORNIA — With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that 1 in every 110 American children has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the impact of ASDs is creating increasing challenges, not only for the person with autism, but for families, schools and the community.
To increase awareness about ASDs — a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges — and to provide information and resources to parents, educators and providers, Intermediate Unit 1 and California University of Pennsylvania Special Education and Master of Social Work Program recently co-sponsored the Fifth Annual Autism Conference, “Parents, Educators, Providers (P.E.P) The Partnership Continues.”
“Our goal is to provide an opportunity for parents, teachers and providers to get together and meet the needs of people,” said Dr. Kate Mitchem, a professor in Cal U’s Department of Early, Middle and Special Education.
About 260 people attended the conference held at Cal U’s Convocation Center.
“Five years ago when we started, the area was underserved. I’m not sure that’s the case any longer,” Mitchem added.
Mitchem became aware of the lack of resources available in the region when a student in the graduate program told her of the difficulty she was having in finding help for her daughter, who had been diagnosed with autism.
“The student connected me with the autism specialists at IU1. We met to discuss needs in general and I wrote a grant to help sponsor the first conference and develop the coursework in Autism Spectrum Disorders. The IU worked with me on the courses and the conference from the beginning,” Mitchem said.
Mitchem developed the “Certificate of Advanced Study in Autism” program at the university.
“We completed that program and the first conference kicked the program off,” said Mitchem.
The conference has become an annual event.
This year’s conference keynote speakers were Drs. Robert and Lynn Koegel, co-founders of the the Koegel Autism Center at the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The Koegels were an clear choice for Mitchem.
“One of the reasons the conference is called P.E.P. is that it is for everyone — parents, educators and providers. We felt like the Koegels would be one of those presenters who would appeal to every stakeholder,” said Mitchem.
“We have always wanted someone with research-based practices but also with a practical aspect,” she continued.
The Koegels, nationally recognized for their work with autistic children, developed Pivotal Response Training (PRT), a research-based intervention.
The basic assumptions of PRT are treatment in the natural environment, family involvement and treatment of pivotal areas.
Rather than target individual behaviors one at a time, PRT targets pivotal areas of a child’s development, such as motivation, responsivity to multiple cues, self-management and social initiations.
“Targeting pivotal areas can result in wide-ranging change of behavior. If you can get a child to initiate, you get high levels of change,” Koegel said.
“PRT occurs in a natural setting, it’s something you can do while playing with your child, not sitting across from someone at a table,” said Mitchem.
As for practical, it didn’t hurt that Dr. Lynn Koegel appeared as a special consultant to nanny Jo Frost on an episode of the ABC television show “The Super Nanny,” providing guidance to a family with an autistic son.
The Koegels, who received the first Children’s Television Workshop Sesame Street Award for “Brightening the Lives of Children” and the first Autism Speaks Award for Science and Research, happily accepted the invitation to serve as keynote speakers.
“We want to give a message of hope,” said Dr. Robert Koegel. “Autism can be a severe disorder and people can give up hope. But new research shows that kids can make tremendous gains,” Koegel added.”
Afternoon breakout sessions led by agency service providers and others covered a wide range of topics including the ABC’s of challenging behaviors; helping older children and adolescents with autism develop lasting relationships; motivational skill building; picture tools; practical applications for the iPad and iPod; inclusive practices; PRT -Socialization; and navigating the transition to college.
Belinda and Robert Attwood of McMurray attended the conference in hope of finding information regarding their son’s educational future following high school.
“We have a son with Asperger’s (syndrome),” Attwood said. “He’s in 10th grade at PA Cyber Charter School and he’s a straight-A student. We’re interested in his transition to college, what types of experiences would be available to him, what kind of opportunities there are.”
Of the annual autism conference, Mitchem said, “It’s a conference of the community, really.”
The diversity of parents, educators and providers attending the conference confirm that.