Fwd: Please share...

Dear friend,

Help me spread the word about this new made-in-Vermont initiative and share the newsletter with all who might be interested: family, friends, colleagues, employees! To be added to the subscriber list make sure to click on the link at the end of the newsletter below.

Share your feedback and any training, autism-friendly events, local resources or research opportunities that you would like to see added to the next issues.

Take care,

Liliane

Welcome back to the May issue of the Vermont Autism Collaborative! What will you find in this issue? New and ongoing research opportunities. Professional development offerings. Local events and activities for kids and families. New information on local resources. Reflection for this month Kele Boudreau, our parent partner, reminds us this month how collaboration with autistic people/ people with autism (depending on each self-advocate's preference) and their family is important in research. She shares this quote from Shannon Des Roches Rosa of the Thinking Autism Guide:  "Autism research tends to focus more on causation, normalization therapies, and cures than on helping existing autistic community members. From both practical and human rights perspectives, this needs to change. Too many core matters affecting autistic people's health and quality of life are still under-researched, and, as a result, proper supports and understanding are too often lacking." This is a good reminder to the research communities. Let's keep the essence of this message at the forefront of our efforts. In the News The Center for Disability and Community Inclusion at UVM published a partner profile highlighting Liliane Savard's effort to create the Vermont Autism Collaborative. Read more here.   Research Opportunities Motor Learning Intervention A research study of the effectiveness of motor learning strategies on improving accuracy of throwing at a target for children with autism. Children are eligible if they are 7 to 13 years old with a diagnosis of autism, are able to following simple directions with visual supports, and do not have other neurologic or orthopedic conditions. Participation will contribute to the development of optimal motor teaching strategies for children with autism. For more information or to participate in this study, contact Liliane Savard at (802) 522-3615 or lsavard@uvm.edu. Intervention Currently recruiting for a caregiver-implemented intervention focused on building social cognitive skills (theory of mind) using story-book reading. We are looking for families who have verbal children on the autism spectrum between the ages of 5 and 9 years. The study runs for a total of 12 weeks including assessment and intervention and families are provided a series of children's books to keep at the end of the study. If you know of a family that may be interested in participating, please direct inquires to Dr. Patricia Prelock (patricia.prelock@med.uvm.edu or Hope Morris (802-656-0908; hope.morris@med.uvm.edu) at UVM. Thank you! Language Research Researchers at UVM are studying how language and cognition may differ between adults with and without ASD. Results may be used to help design and develop education and training programs for individuals with ASD. If you are interested in participating or would like to learn more, please contact Emily Coderre, the Principal Investigator, at Emily.Coderre@med.uvm.edu or (802) 656-0202. Theory of Mind Inventory Looking for participants for an online research study! If you are 18 years or older, please consider completing this survey to help us develop a tool to measure theory of mind in adults. We are looking for autistic and nonautistic adults. The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. https://survey.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e5kQhLB8ZqD0NTLfbclid=IwAR3U34ukRSoeufHqoElQJn4qLMclf1wkdycjyQnT6U2B8SpM52dBdK4g5N0   Speech Study Researchers at UVM are studying some new tests to diagnose speech problems better. We are looking for children who are 3-7 years old with or without speech problems of any kind. Children with moderate to severe speech disorders will get a brief report about their results. If you are interested in participating or would like to learn more, please contact Shelley Velleman, the Principal Investigator, at (802)656-3868 or Shelley.Velleman@med.uvm.edu. Professional Development Opportunities   PLAY Project Intensive Workshop Strives to create a world where all children with autism receive early intervention services and parents choose the best treatment options for their child. This professional development opportunity will provide you with an overview of the PLAY Project methods and principles along with case studies to gain immediate skills in helping children with autism. https://www.playproject.org/event/10657/ Social Cognition I This graduate-level course is designed to provide participants with a conceptual understanding of the theoretical frameworks underlying social cognition assessment and intervention for individuals presenting with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and related socio-cognitive deficits. This course is an introduction to functional and everyday application of interventions, strategies and supports for improving social understanding and implementing social cognition groups. This course draws heavily on the historical development of social cognitive theory, Theory of Mind, the biological underpinnings of socio-cognitive deficits and current research in best practices for supporting and coaching students struggling with socio-cognitive challenges. https://sterncenter.org/courses-and-workshops/social-cognition-i-1163/ VT LEND The Vermont Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities prepares leaders across the health and education professions to serve children with special health needs and their families, including individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. http://www.med.uvm.edu/vtlend/home A Team Approach to Communication in Autism Spectrum Disorder Specialists in sensory-motor functioning, childhood motor speech disorders, and augmentative communication will use videos and group activities to demonstrate an interprofessional team approach to maximizing functional communication in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/4102.ASD_.Promotional.Brochure.pdf   Local Events & Activities   Partners in Adventure: 2019 Summer Camp Sessions Serving young people with disabilities and their peers, ages 7 and up. Partners in Adventureis offering four 2-week sessions of adaptive activities and adventures. For questions please email Sue Minter, sminter@partnersinadventure.org or call at (802) 310-08098. www.partnersinadventure.org Camp Compass & Team Building Summer Institute Four half-day, activity-based experience to promote social learning, for children ages 6-12. It brings together explicit approaches to social learning based on the Michelle Garcia Winner Social Thinking® and ILAUGH model. Your child will experience concrete, visually-based strategies to help promote social success. Learning is facilitated through hands-on, theme-based, dynamic experiences and activities. The coach to student ratio is generally 1:2 and students are grouped according to age and social communication skill level. https://sterncenter.org/programs-services/services-for-pk-grade-12/summer-learning-opportunities/  Camp Kaleidoscope: A Family Camp for families with children on the autism spectrum. June 29 - July 2 in Starksboro Vermont. What do catching frogs, campfires, and wishing on stars have to do with autism? Traditionally not much. However, at Camp Kaleidoscope amazing and unexpected things have happened. Camp Kaleidoscope is a summer camp style retreat for families experiencing the autism spectrum.  http://cgcvt.org/programs-family-camp/camp-kaleidoscope Local Resources The Center for Disability and Community Inclusion (CDCI) at UVM hosts the Training and Resources for Interdisiciplinary Professionals Serving Children and Youth (TRIPSCY) Project. Their listserv is a great way for professionals to connect, disseminate information and ask questions related to providing services to children with autism and other developmental disabilities. To be added to the listserv, contact Lisa Hurst-Bouffard at Lisa.Hurst-Bouffard@uvm.edu. or visit the website (click on "Contact Us").   Since November of 2015, a group of community and state stakeholders, called the Autism Workgroup, started coming together to ask the following: How do we use our collective resources to move autism services forward for children and their families in Vermont? This group is building on the work that was done by the previous Autism Plan Advisory Committee and the Vermont State Autism Plan. Every other month a diverse group of family members, state staff, and community partners come together to talk about gaps, issues, and to highlight examples of exemplary work. This is an open group and if you are interested in joining or learning more please contact, Cheryle.Wilcox@vermont.gov, Interagency Planning Director, Department of Mental Health.  About the Collaborative: This Collaborative was put together by UVM scientists and health care providers who have decided to unite their efforts. We share the same values for family centered care, quality of life, community inclusion and interdisciplinary practice and research. Mission: We are dedicated to improving quality of life for people with autism. We strive to collaborate across disciplines and involve all stakeholders, especially those with autism, their families, and friends. Subscribe Here!