Indiana Institute FYI

Week of January 28, 2008

FYI Spotlight

· Ready S.E.T. Go! Sensorimotor Early Childhood -
xElementary Themes Workshop
· Social Skills Research Center for Youth with Autism
xSpectrum Disorders
· Library Corner

Upcoming

Ready S.E.T. Go! Sensorimotor Early Childhood - Elementary Themes Workshop: The Institute’s Indiana Resource Center for Autism will host a one-day workshop, March 10, 2008, at the Adam’s Mark Hotel, Indianapolis, with a focus on:

· Sensory Processing;
· Sensorimotor Themes;
· School Readiness Skills;
· Theme Examples;
· Working with Special Populations; and
· Take Home Lesson Plans.

The featured speaker is Jenny Clark Brack, a licensed Pediatric Occupational Therapist with over 18 years of experience working as a school-based occupational therapist, an independent contractor for early intervention services, a private practitioner, an author, and inventor. Brack won the Media in Excellence Video Award from the Autism Society of America in 2007.

Registration fee is $100.00 per person. Certificates of Attendance, CEUs, and CRUs will be available on-site for an administrative fee of $15.00. For information on Consumer Investment Funds for family members or individuals with disabilities in Indiana, contact the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities at (317) 232-7770. Also, family members of individuals, birth to 21, with disabilities in Indiana, can contact the Indiana Institute at 1-800-825-4733 (fif@indiana.edu) for Family Involvement Funds.

For content questions, contact Cathy Pratt at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail prattc@indiana.edu. To register, contact Kelly Doyle or Donna Beasley at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail keadoyle@indiana.edu or dbeasley@indiana.edu.

Social Skills Research Center to Open

Social Skills Research Center for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders: In a collaborative effort, the Institute’s Indiana Resource Center for Autism and the Indiana University School Psychology Program, are pleased to announce the opening of the Social Skills Research Center (SSRC). The SSRC is a therapeutic and applied research clinic specializing in social skill interventions for youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The SSRC will be housed at the Institute for Child Study which is located at the IU School of Education in Bloomington, Indiana.

The SSRC will be comprised of state-of-the-art therapy and evaluation rooms, equipped with audio-visual equipment, and two-way training mirrors. The SSRC will be directed by Scott Bellini, Ph.D., Assistant Director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism and faculty member in the IU School Psychology Program. He is a licensed psychologist in the state of Indiana and an endorsed Health Services Provider in Psychology.

The goal of the clinic is to establish the SSRC as a national leader for social skill interventions and applied research within the field of autism spectrum disorders. A primary objective of the SSRC is to develop social skill intervention strategies that are evidence-based and to evaluate the efficacy of social skill interventions currently available to practitioners. It is expected that the clinic will produce large volumes of outcome data which will be instrumental in the development of evidence- based practices in social skills training. Another primary objective of the SSRC will be to provide training to students, or interdisciplinary trainees in applied fields of study (teacher education, psychology, medicine, social work, speech therapy, etc.). Students will be trained to implement programming and conduct research in the area of social-emotional programming for individuals on the autism spectrum. The clinic will provide a structured practicum site for these interdisciplinary trainees, which will include intensive supervision and professional development opportunities. A final objective of the SSRC is to establish a model demonstration site by producing clinical research studies and in-vivo training opportunities that will be of interest to researchers, educators, and clinicians from across the state and nation.

The SSRC will offer nine-week social skill groups throughout the school year for children between the ages of three and 18. There will also be opportunities for families to participate in applied research projects that will be separate from the social skill groups. These are meant to be short-term interventions that target specific social behaviors. Finally, diagnostic evaluations will also be offered at the SSRC for children suspected of having an autism spectrum disorder. Eventually, we will be seeking school-partners to serve as model demonstration sites for school- based social skill programs, so please stay tuned for updates.

If you have any questions or feedback regarding the Social Skills Research Center, please contact Scott Bellini, at (812) 855-6508 or via e-mail to sbellini@indiana.edu.

Library Corner

New Items: The following new materials may be borrowed by Indiana residents from the Center for Disability Information and Referral (CeDIR) at the Institute. To check out materials, contact the library at 1-800-437-7924, send e-mail to cedir@indiana.edu, or visit us at 2853 East Tenth Street in Bloomington.

Bernard-Opitz, V. (2007). Children with autism spectrum disorders: A structured teaching and experience-based program for therapists, teachers, and parents. Austin, TX: PRO-ED.

Williams, K.E., & Foxx, R.M. (2007). Treating eating problems of children with autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities: Interventions for professionals and parents. Austin, TX: PRO-ED.

Lutkenhoff, M. (Ed.). (2008). Children with spina bifida: A parents’ guide. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine.

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