News

American Legion Child Welfare Foundation Funds National Distribution

Randolph, Mass. – A newly updated version of the National Autism Center’s popular autism manual for educators – Evidence-based Practice and Autism in the Schools, 2^nd Edition – is now available free of charge from the Center’s website at nationalautismcenter.org.

Since the manual was first published in 2010, tens of thousands of copies have been downloaded or purchased by teachers and front-line interventionists from across the country and throughout the world. Responses to a national survey indicate that the first edition of the manual made a significant impact on improving educators’ knowledge about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and providing effective interventions for students on the spectrum.

The updated manual features results of the National Standards Project*, Phase 2, including information about the 14 Established Interventions for children and adolescents that have the most research support, produce beneficial outcomes, and are known to be effective.

In addition to providing information about recently published research findings, the manual includes case studies, practical tools, and reading recommendations to help special education teachers, administrators, and families.

[Download free pdf of the manual here.]

Generous funding of $50,000 provided by the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation enabled the National Autism Center to distribute the manual free of charge to thousands of special education programs in schools nationwide that have experienced staffing or funding cutbacks or are lacking in resources.

“Given the challenges of providing appropriate services to a diverse and increasingly numerous student population with ASD in this country, the need for evidence-based practice in our schools has never been so urgent,” said Lauren C. Solotar, Ph.D., ABPP, President and CEO of May Institute, which houses the National Autism Center. “We must provide our educators with the tools and resources they need to give children and adolescents the greatest chance for success.”

*The National Standards Project

The National Autism Center’s National Standards Project is the only systematic review of ASD interventions for individuals across the lifespan based on all available, published studies. Through a rigorous process utilizing tools and strategies designed and vetted by a team of national experts, the Project’s goal was to analyze the research that was conducted and the impact on participants, and to determine the strength and scientific rigor of that research. The National Standards Project, Phase 2, was released in April of 2015.

About the National Autism Center

The National Autism Center at May Institute is a dedicated to serving individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by providing reliable information, promoting best practices, and offering comprehensive resources for families, practitioners, and communities. For more information about the National Autism Center at May Institute, please visit nationalautismcenter.org.

Randolph, Mass. – Researchers at the National Autism Center at May Institute today released the results of the largest systematic review to date of interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Their findings identify 14 “Established Interventions” for children and adolescents that have the most research support, produce beneficial outcomes, and are known to be effective, and one Established Intervention for adults on the autism spectrum.

“The National Standards Project is an ongoing effort designed to give educators, families, practitioners, and organizations the information and resources they need to make informed choices about effective interventions that will offer individuals with ASD the greatest hope for their futures,” said Hanna C. Rue, Ph.D., BCBA-D. Dr. Rue serves as Executive Director of the National Autism Center, May Institute’s Center for the Promotion of Evidence-based Practice.

Leading the way in the field of adult intervention, this latest iteration of the National Standards Project also included an analysis of intervention outcome studies for adults (ages 22 and older) that have never been systematically evaluated before now.

The one intervention determined to be effective for adults, and nearly all of those classified as effective for children and adolescents, are behaviorally based, meaning they are grounded in the methodologies of applied behavior analysis, behavioral psychology, and positive behavior support.
In spite of the burgeoning population of adults with ASD, there is little empirical research to guide intervention for this population. The overwhelming majority of research studies to date focus on interventions for children and adolescents.

“Because of the dearth of research on adult interventions, only 27 studies focused on adults with ASD met our inclusion criteria,” said Dr. Rue. “Although we are pleased to be able to identify one Established Intervention, these results draw attention to the dire need for further research in this area.

“Children with autism grow up to be adults with autism; they will require effective interventions throughout their lifetimes to ensure they reach and maintain their maximum potential,” Dr. Rue added.

The National Standards Project is the only systematic review of ASD interventions for individuals across the lifespan based on behavioral and educational studies. Through a rigorous process utilizing tools and strategies designed and vetted by a team of national experts, the Project’s goal was to analyze the research that was conducted and the impact on participants, and to determine the strength and scientific rigor of that research. The results will help to inform decisions about interventions, or treatments, for ASD.

The report released today, Findings and Conclusions: National Standards Project, Phase 2, updated the Center’s first summary of the ASD intervention literature for children and youth under age 22. Phase 1 of the project was published in 2009. The combined the results of Phases 1 and 2 have produced the largest compilation of studies ever reviewed.

Nationally recognized experts in autism, as well as other leaders representing diverse fields of study, were involved in both phases of the National Standards Project and guided the process of evaluation. Dozens of article reviewers analyzed 1,165 studies related to interventions for ASD throughout both phases of the project. The interventions were subsequently categorized as 1) Established, and producing beneficial outcomes known to be effective; 2) Emerging, with some evidence of effectiveness, but still requiring more research, and 3) Unestablished, and having little or no evidence of effectiveness.

This new report identifies three interventions for individuals under age 22 that were identified as Emerging in 2009 and have now garnered enough scientific evidence of effectiveness to be moved into the Established category.

During the past five years, the National Autism Center has disseminated the results of the first phase of the National Standards Project to hundreds of thousands of individuals throughout the country and around the world through the publication of the National Standards Report.

The new report is available for free download on nationalautismcenter.org.

About the National Autism Center
The National Autism Center is May Institute’s Center for the Promotion of Evidence-based Practice. It is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by providing reliable information, promoting best practices, and offering comprehensive resources for families, practitioners, and communities. For more information about the National Autism Center, please visit nationalautismcenter.org.

About May Institute
May Institute is an award-winning nonprofit organization with 60 years of experience in serving children and adults with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities, brain injury, mental illness, and behavioral health needs. The organization provides educational, rehabilitative, and behavioral healthcare services to individuals, as well as training and consultation services to professionals, organizations, and public school systems. At more than 160 service locations across the country, highly trained staff work to create new and more effective ways to meet the special needs of individuals and families across the lifespan. Learn more at www.mayinstitute.org.

For many of us, the holiday season is a wonderful time of the year – a time to get together with friends and family, enjoy favorite foods, decorate our homes, and exchange gifts. But it can also be a stressful season when you have too much to do and too little time – especially for families who have a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or another developmental disability.

If you have friends or family members who are raising a child with special needs, there are things you can do to help.

Hanna C. Rue, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is Executive Director of the National Autism Center at May Institute, located in Randolph, Mass. Dr. Rue offers some suggestions on how you might be able to make the holidays a little easier for these families:

1) Volunteer to babysit while parents shop or attend holiday functions.

2) Offer to take the sister or brother of a child with special needs to a holiday event that s/he might otherwise miss because his or her sibling cannot attend.

3) Give parents the gift of time by presenting them with “coupons” they can use throughout the year for services such as babysitting or house-cleaning.

4) Ask the parents what kinds of gifts their son or daughter might like to receive. They will know which toys or books would be developmentally appropriate and most enjoyable for their child.

5) If you are hosting a party or a dinner and including a child with ASD, try to keep the gathering small, as large crowds can be overwhelming.

6) Do a “safety check” of your home to make sure that breakable ornaments, lit candles, and other hazards are out of the child’s reach. You may also want to put jingle bells on your doors to act as alerts to adults if the child tries to exit unattended.

7) When hosting, set up a “break room” in an extra bedroom or another quiet place in the house that the child can retreat to if s/he needs time away from all the noise and activity.

8) When planning a festive menu, check with the child’s parents to find out what foods he or she may prefer, or invite the parents to bring the child’s favorite food with them.

9) You can also help by volunteering at schools or organizations that serve children with ASD and other special needs.

10) And please consider donating to organizations that conduct research on treatments for autism or organizations that implement evidence-based treatments!