School Consultation Project

The School Consultation Project provides training, resources, and consultation to school faculty, staff, administration, and parents to build capacity within the school regarding best practices in educating students with autism spectrum disorders.

As the number of students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders entering and continuing to be educated in the public school system continues to grow, and as school budgets are facing significant cuts, the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities is proud to continue to offer its School Consultation Project. This program gives teams the tools they need to provide students with ASD an effective educational environment. It is offered at no cost to participating school districts through a grant from the New York State Education Department (districts need to provide release time and coverage for participating teachers and other education staff ).

The School Consultation Project is a series of training developed by educational consultants to provide instruction and resources in evidence-based practices designed to meet the needs of students with autism spectrum disorders. The program assists schools in developing building-wide autism resource teams and offers instruction on how to work as a team to support students with these unique challenges. A student-centered format is used to assist students with autism spectrum disorders from individual school districts, in order to design meaningful strategies and interventions to build the capacity of the teams that will be supporting all students with autism spectrum disorders.

The program uses a research-based model called Positive Behavior Support. Research suggests that students supported by this model are better able to manage their behavior in multiple environments. This, in turn, leads to greater opportunities for inclusion with typical peers, positive academic outcomes, and an increase in quality of life. Activities may include further assessment, and development of supports and programming to better meet the needs of the identified students with autism spectrum disorders. Teams that have participated in this program in the past report that not only are they able to better support the identified students, but also are able to apply the knowledge and skills they have developed to other students with autism spectrum disorders in their programs.

For more about this program, please contact our Training Program Coordinator, Erica Davis at:

518-442-5414 or [email protected]

 

2024/2025 School Year: