For some time, individuals at ETSU have been concerned about the growing number of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in East Tennessee. Through collaboration, the East Tennessee Autism Training Project (ETATP) has been funded by the state of Tennessee and a Teacher Quality Improvement Grant. It is a model delivery system for interdisciplinary programming and training for persons working with children (preschool through fourth grade) who are diagnosed or at-risk for being identified as having ASD.

    This project involves a multidisciplinary training component that includes follow-up and technical assistance. Special education teachers, speech pathologists, and other service providers in public schools will gain up-to-date knowledge about how to design individualized programs for children with ASD. In addition, each trained participant will receive three (3) semester hours of graduate credit from ETSU.

    Formalized training will take place July 7 – 26, 2003. The training will involve looking at ASD in terms of behavior, communication, socialization, and family issues. Experts in the area of behavior disorders, communication, and social skills will provide the training. The highlight of the training will be a two-day workshop by Dr. Kay Toomey, an internationally acclaimed expert in feeding issues related to Autism. In addition, a CD training module has been developed to provide introductory information before the training.

    An issue in preparing individuals from various disciplines is the amount of valuable time spent determining the knowledge level of participants. Completing the interactive CD training module beforehand allows individuals to arrive with the base knowledge necessary for the intensive workshop.

    Washington County, Sullivan County, and Elizabethton City school districts are in support of the project and have helped with the initial planning stages. Teachers and service providers from these districts will have first priority in attending the training. There should be a total of 25 openings for the workshop.

    The project Director is Dr. Clarissa Willis - Dr. James Fox serves as the behavior specialist. Dr. Nancy Scherer and Theresa Boggs from the Department of Communicative Disorders and Dr. Rebecca Burleson, from Special Education, were instrumental in the planning and implementation of this project.