Indiana Needs Assessment
Listening across Indiana
Indiana's statewide autism needs assessment brings together information from autistic people, families, professionals, organizations, agencies, and communities to better understand what is working, where gaps remain, and which priorities deserve continued attention.
Why the Assessment Is Conducted
Turn statewide experience into useful information
Under Indiana Code § 12-11-8-3, the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, working with appropriate state agencies, conducts a statewide needs assessment every three years to examine the status of services for individuals with autism and their families and the need for additional or alternative services. IRCA submits the results electronically to the Indiana General Assembly before December 1 in each assessment year.
The assessment also creates a structured way to examine experiences across regions, ages, settings, communication needs, levels of support, and service systems. Findings can inform planning, policy conversations, funding priorities, research questions, training, resources, and coordination. Reports explain what information was gathered, who participated, what limitations remain, and how findings are being used.
How the Centers and Partners Contribute
Distinct roles connected through a shared statewide process
| Partner | Role |
|---|---|
| IRCA | Serves as the statutory lead and contributes statewide autism expertise, relationships, resource knowledge, and connection with autistic people, families, schools, professionals, organizations, and communities. |
| CBSI | May contribute needs-assessment design, data collection and analysis, facilitation, evaluation, implementation thinking, and translation of findings into usable next steps. |
| HANDS | May contribute research-to-practice experience, community and professional networks, training and implementation knowledge, and the Autism Engagement Network as a bridge for engagement when appropriate. |
| Other Partners | Other IIDC centers, state agencies, community organizations, researchers, and cross-sector partners may contribute expertise, data, outreach, interpretation, or action related to specific priorities. |
What the Assessment May Examine
See what's covered
- Information, navigation, and understanding of available supports.
- Education, behavioral health, healthcare, employment, transition, housing, safety, recreation, family support, and community participation.
- Workforce availability, preparation, supervision, coordination, and retention.
- Experiences across age groups, regions, identities, communication needs, and levels of support.
- Service gaps, barriers, promising practices, local strengths, and emerging priorities.
- Differences between what is available, what people can reach and use, and what produces meaningful benefit.
From Listening to Action
A six-part statewide learning pathway
| Step | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Listen | Gather perspectives through surveys, conversations, engagement activities, existing data, and partner input. |
| Understand | Examine patterns, differences, strengths, gaps, missing perspectives, and limitations in the available information. |
| Share | Provide plain-language findings, data summaries, and more detailed reports for communities, agencies, and decision-makers. |
| Inform | Bring findings into legislative-session and other policy, planning, funding, research, and program conversations. |
| Connect | Use identified priorities to guide resources, partnerships, training, research, and implementation support across IRCA, CBSI, HANDS, IIDC, and external systems. |
| Follow Up | Communicate what happens after findings are shared and identify areas that require continued listening, action, or study. |
Connection to the Autism Engagement Network
Keep statewide learning connected to community experience
The Autism Engagement Network can help connect the needs assessment with autistic people, families, practitioners, researchers, agencies, and community partners. Its role may include helping shape engagement, sharing participation opportunities, discussing findings, identifying missing perspectives, and connecting priorities with organizations positioned to respond.
Explore the Autism Engagement NetworkReports and Updates
See what Indiana is learning
Find the current assessment cycle and status, participation opportunities, plain-language updates, reports, legislative-session materials, data summaries, and explanations of how findings are being used. Earlier reports remain available in an archive so changes, persistent needs, and differences across assessment periods can be understood over time.
Each report listing identifies the publication date, period covered, source, format, accessibility information, and a plain-language summary. Participation buttons and deadlines appear only when a confirmed opportunity is active.
Looking for Indiana Autism Information or Individual Guidance?
For statewide autism information, family and community resources, school support, and guidance on services in Indiana, visit the Indiana Resource Center for Autism. This CBSI page provides statewide needs-assessment participation information, findings, reports, and follow-up.