Autism Equal Access
Past Program: This program ran from January 2013 to January 2015.
The Autism Equal Access Project provided opportunities for multicultural families of children with ASD, who had not received information and treatment due to cultural or language barriers.
Who did this program help?
Impact of the Autism Equal Access Program
The Autism Equal Access Project was a 2-year long project funded by the WA-State Attorney General’s Office and addressed the needs of the many non-English speaking families-of-color who have children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The Autism Equal Access Project provided opportunities for multicultural families of children with ASD, who had not received information and treatment due to cultural or language barriers.
The Autism Equal Access Project worked to create “equal access” in 4 areas for families of diverse cultural backgrounds.
1: Access to Knowledge about Autism
- Organize and direct training for diverse parents of children with autism, educators, service providers and interpreters
- Ongoing parent support groups, specific to individual community needs
PARENT EDUCATION WORKSHOPS on Autism-related topics:
- Autism 101 – 10/5/2013
- IEP and Special Education Law – 5/3/2014
- Autism & Anxiety – 9/27/2014
- ABA Therapy Knowledge – 10/25/2014
- Use of ABA to Assess and Treat Disruptive Behaviors – 11/15/2014
TRAINING WORKSHOPS FOR PROFESSIONALS on Autism and disability awareness:
- Certified Medical Interpreters Training – 12/7/2013
- Social Service Provider Training – 9/17/2014
2: Access to Assistive Technology
- Provide iPads and iPad training workshops to qualifying families of children with Autism
In partnership with Federal Way Public schools, we identified 40 students qualified for iPads and iPad accessories, with communication apps that were specific to the IEP communication goals. Parents attended monthly iPad training classes from January to June 2014 to learn how to use iPads and the recommended communication apps. There will be ongoing parent group meetings from July to December 2014 for parents to continue learning how to use iPads for their child’s communication needs.
3: Access to Safe Environments
- Parent training workshop on creating safe and healthy environments for families of children with Autism
- Work with community members to help repair damaged property for families
We invited speaker George Braddock, the CEO of Creative Solutions (based in OR), to conduct a 6 hour parent workshop (3/29/2014) on how to create safe and healthy home environments for families of children with Autism.
4: Access to ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy treatment
- Work with Open Doors Family Support Specialists to assist Medicaid eligible families to access ABA therapy and learn more about implementing ABA therapy practices in the home.
Thank you to our program partners!
Autism Equal Access was supported by:
The Office of the Attorney General of Washington
Federal Way Public Schools
Seattle Children's
