Illinois Autism Training and Technical Assistance Project

The Illinois Autism/PDD Training and Technical Assistance Project (IATTAP) is one of seven Illinois State Board of Education initiatives under the Illinois Statewide Technical Assistance Center (ISTAC) that provide training and technical assistance to schools in Illinois. Other ISTAC partners are Illinois PBIS Network, Project CHOICES, ISTAC-Parent and Transition Outreach Training for Adult Living (TOTAL), Illinois Service Resource Center (ISRC) and Project REACH. IATTAP focuses on educating and supporting children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their families.

IATTAP is operated under a grant to the School Association for Special Education in DuPage County (SASED) and its major goals are:

1. Build local capacity to establish and implement effective educational supports and services in the least restrictive environment for children with ASD.
2. Promote a proactive approach to working with individuals with ASD and their families.
3. Help children with ASD remain with their families in their Welcome communities and become productive.
4. Increase the percentage of students on the Autism Spectrum who are educated in the general education classroom.
5. Increase the effective and meaningful involvement of parents in their children’s education.

IATTAP Services and Programs include:

• DVD and On-Line Courses

IATTAP has an introductory DVD about autism that is available for free and on the IATTAP website. IATTAP and Illinois State University have partnered for five years in the development of on-line courses and are now offering a free on-line course on autism for continuing education credit as well as ISU undergraduate and graduate level credit courses. Additional DVD and on-line course development on autism spectrum disorders continues.

• Family Support

IATTAP’s Family Resource Specialist Network helps to connect parents who share the experience of having a child with autism and to distribute valuable resource information from family to family through phone calls, emails, family conferences and resource guides. In 2005, IATTAP began piloting the Focus Family Support for Autism Spectrum Disorders (FFSASD), a model of support and technical assistance designed after the West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall University’s highly effective Family Focus Positive Behavior Support (FFPBS). FFSASD combines key elements from Positive Behavior Supports with Person-Centered-Planning to achieve positive changes for families with children with autism spectrum disorders. This model includes Community Partners - experienced parents of children with ASD - and Educational Facilitators - education professionals - who work directly with families in their homes, schools, and communities for six-eighteen months. This intensive model of support assists families of children on the autism spectrum to build a dynamic team of support of family, school and community members and is available at no charge.

• District and School Training and Coaching

For district and school teams, IATTAP follows up the on-line course work with field-based guided practice in the “Illinois Experiential Practicum for Autism” Training during the summer, accompanied by networking and coaching activities to assist staff in implementing and problem-solving throughout the school year.

• Resources

IATTAP has established lending library and resource materials centers at community sites throughout Illinois. These libraries have over 100 of the latest resources on autism spectrum disorders including books, manuals, videos and DVDs available for loan to parents, professionals and community members. IATTAP’s website also includes much valuable information on ASD.

• Evaluation of Outcomes

IATTAP is focused on promoting data-based decision making for families, schools and districts. Our evaluation work is part of ISTAC’s statewide effort that emphasizes determining whether training and technical assistance results in implementation, sustainability and outcomes for the students and families.