This project will train 48 graduate students to provide culturally responsive early intervention and early childhood special education services to families and young children with autism or low-incidence disabilities, from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, in urban and high-need local education agencies. METHOD: Activities of this project include: (a) training graduate students with a comprehensive course sequence in which multicultural issues are infused; (b) providing professional coaching in addition to peer- and professional-mentoring; (c) evaluating the implementation of all project objectives and the impact on participants, families, children and communities; (d) disseminating project findings at teacher preparation conferences and professional journals; and (e) institutionalizing critical components within the college's ongoing strategies of recruitment, student support, and retention of highly qualified early childhood special education teachers with demonstrated knowledge, skills, and dispositions to provide culturally aligned and responsive early intervention services and behavioral supports to children with autism and other low incidence disabilities, their families, and their communities.
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)
Autism Research Database (AFD)
