Effective School-Based Programs for Children with Autism
Ilene Schwartz, Ph.D., BCBA, University of
Washington
Public education is the one great entitlement that is designed
to help every citizen in the United States achieve their potential.
For students with disabilities, including students with ASD, the
right to a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) is further
guaranteed by federal law. There remains, however, much debate over
what constitutes FAPE for students with ASD and even if these
services can be provided in the context of public schools. The
purpose of this presentation is to review the research on what
constitutes a high quality preschool and elementary school program
for students with ASD and describe how educators/teachers and
parents can work together to ensure that all students with ASD
receive the high quality education to which they are entitled.
Dr. Ilene S. Schwartz is a Professor and Chair of the Area of
Special Education in the College of Education at the University of
Washington. She earned her Ph.D. in child and developmental
psychology at the University of Kansas. Dr. Schwartz has an
extensive background working with young children with special
needs, specifically with young children with autism and other
severe disabilities. Currently, Dr. Schwartz is the faculty advisor
of the integrated preschool and kindergarten programs at the
Experimental Education Unit at UW. Dr. Schwartz maintains an active
line of research and personnel preparation activities. She is the
Principal Investigator of a model demonstration project to develop
school-based services for young children with autism, a research
project to assess the differential effectiveness of preschool
programs for young children with autism, and of a personnel
preparation to prepare early childhood teachers who work with
children with severe disabilities in inclusive settings. Dr.
Schwartz has published numerous chapters and articles about early
childhood special education and social validity. She is on the
Editorial Review Boards of the Journal of Early
Intervention and Topics in Early Childhood Special
Education. Dr. Schwartz is very involved early intervention
issues at the local, state, and national level.
BACB/APA CE credits offered for this
event