PROJECTS

The Autism Center for Education collaborates with related research-based professional development and technical assistance projects that share our mission and passion to improve services and support for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Virginia Public Schools. The results of our collaborations through the projects below add to the already rich scope of work that ACE provides to families, educators, and communities across the state.

Communities of Leaders in Autism (CoLA)

Regions will receive technical assistance through the development and facilitation of Communities of Leaders in Autism (CoLAs). The CoLA brings together state leaders in autism, including VCU-ACE staff, T/TAC staff, VDOE staff, and School division personnel. CoLAs provide participants with the opportunity to share information and experiences. This allows members to learn from each other and develop personally and professionally.

Regional Training and Technical Assistance

The Regional Training and Technical Assistance project began in central Virginia and has now expanded to three other regions across the state. Member school divisions receive Customized Behavior Application Training for School Practitioners, targeted professional development opportunities based on the division's needs, and access to on-the-job coaching and consultation support to build the capacity of a variety of public school professionals who support students with intensive support needs.

Early Childhood Initiative

The VCU-ACE Early Childhood website provides a wealth of resources for those raising, caring for, or educating young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These resources can help families and providers understand ASD, identify useful strategies to support a child's development and know when and how to use these strategies at home, in the community, and in the early childhood classroom.

Project PASS: Preparing for Academic and Social Success

Project PASS is a multi-component professional development model specifically geared toward preschool classrooms. It includes completing online content on evidence-based practices, live professional development, and embedded coaching.

Center on Transition Innovations

The Center on Transition Innovations (CTI) at Virginia Commonwealth University is Virginia's leader in providing resources and innovative models to support students with disabilities in their transition to adulthood. CTIs mission is to help students with disabilities reach their goals for life after high school, including competitive employment, postsecondary education and training, and increased access to the community.

Virginia's Collaborative Model for Pre-ETS

Virginia's Collaborative Model for Pre-Employment Transition Services is a multi-year project focusing on strategically enhancing pre-ETS through a professional development and support model. The project's website is a hub for resources necessary to enrich pre-ETS initiatives in the state with tools for collaborating, communicating, and coordinating services with student teams to improve postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities.

Project SEARCH

In collaboration with the business community, Project SEARCH provides a one-year work training experience for young adults aged 18-21 with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Project SEARCH serves students at 17 community business sites across Virginia, where they complete three unpaid, individualized internships. Students learn the job and social skills they need to become successfully employed. In Virginia, the project has an eighty-five percent success rate in helping students find meaningful jobs after graduation.