Initiative reaches out to Latino families
As part of an initiative to reach the currently underserved Latino community, the Missouri Rapid Response (MORR) Project is funding a Spanish translation of the seminal brochure “Could My Child Have Autism?”. Originally published in English and also funded by the MORR project, the English version has been disseminated to hundreds of families and service providers throughout the state.
When the Spanish translation, “?Es possible que mi hijo tenga autismo?” is printed, it will target Missouri’s Spanish-speaking population, in order to acquaint them with autism, its symptoms and possible treatment.
The Health Resources and Services Administration is the sponsoring agency for the MORR Project and Dr. Janet Farmer serves as the Principal Investigator for the three-year Rapid Response Project.
To download a copy of the brochure visit the Thompson Center families page.
Thompson Center adds transition resources to web site
Submitted by Robin Martin Marsh, Ph.D./NCSP, Senior Continuing Education Coordinator, Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
ASD Youth Coalition Transition from adolescence to adulthood is a major component of the Missouri Rapid Response grant funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). An ASD Youth Coalition was formed to advise us on the types of products most needed to address transition issues. The Coalition is composed of volunteers from stakeholder agencies who provide transition services, such as Columbia Public Schools, Vocational Rehabilitation, the Bureau of Special Health Care Needs, Boone County Family Resources, Services for Independent Living, the UMKC Institute for Human Development, the Missouri Parents Act (MPACT), University of Missouri Extension, and the MU Thompson Center. Additionally, the team includes a young adult with ASD and a parent of a person with ASD who has been through the transition process.
The Youth Coalition members meet every other month to determine what products would be beneficial to support transition in youth with ASD and to look at progress towards the development of those products. In addition, the group members learn from each other about available activities related to transition and what transition services are offered by the representative agencies. One of the most important aspects of the Coalition is the ability to learn from each other and build a coordinated effort to address transition for persons with ASD in the State of Missouri.
While many products are in the development phase, one product that is already available on the Thompson Center website is a list of resources related to transition. The resources are available by clicking on “About Autism.” In the future, many more resources will be added to this site and it will be reorganized for easier navigation. Because the website is a work in progress, visitors are encouraged to return to the site frequently. New information and resources will be posted on a regular basis.
