Abstract
This outreach program involved training eight graduate and 19 undergraduate students to create evidence-based communication supports for families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within the context of a two-course sequence on ASD. During the training program, ten families in rural Appalachia benefited from our services. Student and family satisfaction data with the outreach program was highly positive. Undergraduate and graduate university students participating in the program met or partially met 97% of their goals set at the beginning of each semester. Undergraduate students’ self-ratings of their own knowledge about material covered in the course were significantly higher than their confidence in applying their knowledge about the materials. Thematic analyses of students’ comments about their experiences revealed that the hands-on experience and opportunities to create materials and collaborate with each other were among the aspects of the program they liked most. The value of outreach programs to foster training of undergraduate and graduate students through community connections will be discussed.
Highlights
Introduction to augmentative and alternative communicationCase study project Spring semester
We developed our outreach program to meet the needs of families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in an underserved area while simultaneously training future professionals to create individualized, evidence-based materials for children with ASD
M = mean; SD = standard deviation. This training and outreach program established for families who have children with ASD has significant educational, clinical, and philanthropic value
Summary
The program took place over two academic years and involved training one cohort of students each year Across both cohorts, participants included eight MA-SLP (all female) graduate students and 19 undergraduate students (18 female; 16 majors in CSD, two from Music Therapy and one from Psychology). Faculty and advisors in Education, Music Therapy, and Psychology forwarded the program announcement to students. During both years, graduate students were selected based on strong clinical interests and experience in the area of ASD as indicated in their application for graduate school. Graduate students served as mentors to the undergraduates for presentations, projects, and family outreach activities with support from the faculty and clinical supervisor affiliated with the project. Overview of ASD and DSM-V Criteria Research articles and supplementary readings semester
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