Newsletter
Volume 28 | 2005 | Number 2
An Introduction to the National Autism Center
As the number of children diagnosed with autism has increased, the search for successful treatments has intensified. Families, practitioners, and other decision-makers are in urgent need of reliable tools to help them distinguish between experimental or anecdotal treatment approaches and those approaches that have been proven effective and are backed by scientific research.
The National Autism Center was established in 2005 in response to this need for clear direction and guidance. Central to its mission is a single theme that resonates with the aims and goals of applied behavior analysts: to guide families and practitioners toward evidence-based approaches for the education and behavioral intervention of individuals with autism. The Center identifies effective, evidence-based treatment approaches and conducts applied research, turning promising research findings into training and service models for actual practice. Through partnerships with affiliated organizations and programs, the Center can quickly and efficiently disseminate information about how to implement effective treatments.
The National Standards Project
The first major initiative of the National Autism Center is the National Standards Project. Based on the methods and protocols used to develop practice guidelines in evidence-based medicine, the Center has convened a panel of experts in autism, special education programming, and behavioral intervention to review procedural and programmatic research in autism in order to establish and ratify a set of national standards of practice. The panel will identify the characteristics of effective practice, rate the strength of the scientific evidence supporting those practices, consolidate its findings in a technical manual, and widely disseminate these standards.
For the families of children with autism, the standards will provide clarity and direction as they advocate for effective services. For behavior analysts working in the field of autism, this effort will result in a single, authoritative source for referencing procedural and programmatic recommendations. For funders and policy-makers, the standards will present evidence about which treatments should be supported and funded because of their effectiveness in helping children with autism.
National Autism Center Services
The National Autism Center will serve as an efficient clearinghouse for new information and as a vital resource for those seeking to bring research into practice. The Center will provide training and consultation services to parents, teachers, and practitioners; model best practices in service delivery for nationwide implementation; support basic and applied research; and work to shape public policy concerning autism and its treatment through the development of national standards of practice.
The National Autism Center Website
Additional initiatives to support the Center’s mission are underway and will emerge over the next year. A Web site is currently in design for the wide distribution of clear and compelling information on autism, including practice guidelines, articles, and reprints of influential studies. Content on the National Autism Center site will be limited to information with reference to evidence-based literature. By providing reliable information that is based on research, the Web site will be a valuable resource to behavioral practitioners, clinicians, and educators seeking to guide families toward services with proven effectiveness.
Distance Learning
The Center’s research indicates that many families are not provided with timely information about evidence-based approaches to autism. To meet this growing need, the Center will make available a series of on-line educational modules, designed to reach families immediately upon diagnosis and to provide the sensitive, accurate, and detailed information about evidence-based practices and procedures that families need to make early treatment decisions.
Early Assessment
The Center will also offer comprehensive assessment and monitoring services. Using established assessment tools implemented by highly trained and supervised clinicians, the Center will provide consistent periodic measurement of a child’s development and progress. This important service will empower families and practitioners all over the country to objectively evaluate services being delivered.
Additional Services
- Model classrooms and residences where families and practitioners can directly observe evidence-based programming in action.
- On-site workshops, seminars, and training at the Center’s state-of-the-art facility in Massachusetts.
- Support for basic and applied research, including collaborative projects with other national centers, universities, and researchers.
Support for the National Autism Center
The initial development of the National Autism Center as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization has been sponsored by May Institute, an organization with a fifty-year history of providing services in the field of autism, behavioral healthcare, and brain injury. The National Autism Center is entirely focused on autism and extends services and resources to a broad national audience through its affiliations and partnerships.
The Center relies upon—and is enriched by—collaborations at every level. Its goal is to work closely with experts in the field of autism from across the nation as well as schools, communities, practitioners, parents, and families. To learn more about becoming involved with the Center, visit www.nationalautismcenter.org, send an e-mail to info@nationalautismcenter.org, or call 877-313-3833.