and Secondary Education, Division of Special Education (DESE) to enhance the development of professional skills in
Missouri’s educators serving students with disabilities. Acknowledging a common vision, Missouri State University
(Missouri State) and DESE entered into a partnership of commitment to ongoing professional development of all
Missouri’s school personnel. Our mission is to increase local capacity to serve students in Missouri’s public schools
who experience Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and related disabilities.Project ACCESS provides support and technical
assistance to Missouri school districts serving students with autism.
Staffed with resource specialists in autism, Project ACCESS offers professional development opportunities and two
tiers of autism consultation to Missouri’s schools. These services are available on a statewide basis. Information
regarding all services may be obtained by contacting Project ACCESS at 866-481-3841 or projectaccess@missouristate.edu
(individual staff members’ contact information is available on our staff directory page). To maintain contact, you are invited
to join our social network groups.To learn more about us, you might be interested in checking out a few data links, or
downloading our promotional flash drive content (better yet, visit us at our next conference booth and we’ll be happy to
give you a flash drive). To learn more about autism, visit our educational definition of autism page.
Below is a synopsis of what we offer to school personnel.
- Trainings: Project ACCESS offers trainings to assist Missouri school district personnel enhance the learning experience
of students who experience Autism Spectrum Disorder and related disabilities. We have a wide variety of topics available,
as well as the ability to tailor a training to the specific needs of the audience. While these trainings are autism-specific,
the evidence-based strategies offered are effective for all students. In addition to our face-to-face trainings, we have
online offerings for some of our trainings. Learn more about Project ACCESS trainings and view our
Calendar of Training Events. - Resources for Educators and Parents: Project ACCESS offers a variety of written and electronic resources for educators
and parents. Resources are available via our website, Community of Practice, this blog, our Facebook page and our
Twitter feed (@MOProjectACCESS), as well as by contacting us directly to request information and assistance.
Resources include:
Online Community of Practice
Autism Fact Sheets and Information Sheets
Autism Book Recommendations
Autism Program Review Form
Training
Information about Evidence-Based Interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Family Corner - Autism Support Services: Assistance via telephone and email is always available from Project ACCESS at 866-481-3841
or projectaccess@missouristate.edu In addition, Project ACCESS can arrange visits from
Missouri Autism Consultants [MACs]for school districts needing on-site consultations. MACs are trained by Project ACCESS
in the philosophy of viewing the whole child within his or her environment, and to structure programs in a collaborative
manner to fit both the child and the school district. Project ACCESS is proud of this cadre of consultants, who are
educational professionals with extensive training and experience working with students with autism in the schools.
Learn more about MAC consultations.
Project ACCESS trains In-District Autism Consultants (IDACs) to assist Missouri public school educators in their district
with understanding how ASD differs from other disabilities and how to use strategies that are most effective in working
with students with ASD. These individuals are chosen by administration within the district to serve in a consulting
capacity to their colleagues at the discretion of their district and within the context of their individual district’s needs.
More information about IDACs is at the following link: IDAC
We also have our newest initiative, the Project ACCESS School Autism Specialist (PASAS) program. PASASs are educators
that work directly with students and are responsible for their programming. This is a new designation by Project ACCESS
and the first cohort of PASASs will begin training in the fall of 2018. More information about the PASAS program is
available on our PASAS Frequently Asked Questions page.
Contact us any time you have questions, are interested in any of the resources we provide or need any assistance at all ~
we are here to help you serve students who experience Autism Spectrum Disorder and related developmental disabilities.
projectaccess@missouristate.edu/866-481-3841/@MOProjectACCESS (Facebook/Twitter).
#autism #ASD #AutismResources #AutismSupportServices #AutismTraining