DD News
Vermont Awarded Grants for Autism & Developmental Disabilities
National Professional Development Center
Vermont is one of the three states selected to participate in the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders (NPDC on ASD) professional development project. This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
Over a two-year period, the NPDC will collaborate with state personnel to develop a system of professional development and technical assistance to promote the use of evidence-based practices for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. At the end of the grant period, Vermont will have a team of new trainers who will be able to provide ongoing professional development statewide. This will enhance training capacity in the state.
According to Claire Bruno, autism consultant at the Department of Education, this moves forward efforts to bring training in evidence-based practices for children and youth with ASD to all areas of the state.
The NPDC on ASD is a multi-university partnership between the University of North Carolina, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and University of California at Davis Medical School. The Vermont project partners are the Vermont Department of Education, The Agency of Human Services and University of Vermont, Center on Disability and Community Inclusion.
The mission of the center is to provide resources, professional development and technical assistance that will increase the number of highly qualified personnel serving children and youth with autism spectrum disorders. Personnel from the University of Wisconsin-Madison will partner with Vermont as our primary contact.
For more information contact Claire Bruno, Autism Consultant for the Vermont Department of Education, at (802) 828-5116 or claire.bruno@state.vt.us.
Vermont’s State Implementation Grant for Improving Services for Children and Youth with ASD/DD
Vermont’s application for a federal State Implementation Grant for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Related Developmental Disabilities was approved and funded. The recipient organization is the Department of Health, with co-leadership/management with the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living. The first year’s funding is $267,463, and the second and third years may be fully funded at $300,000 each.
Vermont is one of only four states awarded these grants, out of 22 applicants.
Implementation of the grant will be overseen by the Vermont Autism Plan Advisory Committee, which includes 50% parents/individuals with ASD. Activities included in the grant include developing a process to be used by primary care doctors to guide the flow from screening, to diagnosis to early intervention; health care checklists specific to ASD for physicians; process for enhanced collaboration between primary physicians and community teams; assessing current resources, services models and unmet needs and developing new flexible models and funding mechanisms; extension of the VCHIP screening project to ensure appropriate developmental and ASD screening in primary care practices; training and mentoring of parents and providers in evidence-based interventions for children under 6; autism awareness activities; development of a web-based information resource and live phone support; and preparing adult primary care practices to provide medical care to adults and development of a guide for transition for youth with ASD.
For more information, please contact us: Carol Hassler at VDH and Clare McFadden at DDAIL.
The Departments look forward to working collaboratively with individuals with ASD, families and community partners on these activities.
