Purpose of the IRCA

Realizing the increasing incidence of autism spectrum disorders, the Indiana Resource Center for Autism staff are actively engaged in work that leads to improved outcomes for individuals on the spectrum and their families. Specifically, our work is focused on goals around early detection and diagnosis, effective early childhood and school-age programs that utilize evidence-based practices, transition across grade levels and across stages of life, post-secondary opportunities, community employment and living options, family support, and other activities that lead to an improved quality of life. IRCA staff works in collaboration with other agencies and organizations to assist in achieving these outcomes by providing information and training on a variety of topics, strategies and methods.

Specifically, the Indiana Resource Center for Autism staff engage in the following activities:

• Conduct outreach training (e.g., conferences, regional and statewide workshops, university courses, practicum opportunities, parent support groups, coaching, webinars) regarding positive behavior supports and evidence-based practices for teaching and supporting individuals with autism spectrum disorders across community, home, work and school settings;

• Engage in individual consultations with the goal of facilitating an understanding of issues, promoting collaboration among team members, and recommending programming, services and resources;

• Train, model, coach and provide ongoing support to school teams to enhance programs and build local capacity to better educate individuals across the autism spectrum;

• Conduct research that provides information to enhance quality programming for persons on the autism spectrum and that informs policy decisions;

• Maintain relevant data-bases and utilize them for documentation, research, and evaluation purposes;

• Serve as a state clearinghouse for information about autism spectrum disorders by responding to individual requests for information, maintaining a library collection of relevant printed materials and DVDs/videos for public distribution, and monitoring current information on external resources, trends, policies, services, current treatments, workshops; and so forth;

• Maintain information on services in Indiana that can benefit families and individuals;

• Facilitate communication among various groups of professionals and family support groups through listservs and ongoing support;

• Produce and disseminate information for professionals and families on autism spectrum disorders through an electronic newsletter,  brochures, print, videotapes, and via the web, Facebook and Twitter; and

•  Evaluate materials and training to determine impact and need for change.

For more information, contact us at:

Indiana Resource Center for Autism
Indiana Institute on Disability and Community
Indiana University
2853 East Tenth Street
Bloomington, IN 47408-2696

Center Director: Dr. Cathy Pratt, BCBA
E-mail: prattc@indiana.edu
Phone: (812) 855-6508
Fax: (812) 855-9630
TTY: (812) 855-9396

Website: www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca

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