For this week’s post, Tina Neal-Fox, Marketing and Data Collection Specialist for Project ACCESS shares information about the program, Project ACCESS, along with resources for parents and educators. Project ACCESS serves as our first community resource spotlight.
Project ACCESS – ACCESSible Autism Spectrum Disorder Resources, Support Services and Training
Did you know that since 1985, right here on the Missouri State University campus, we have housed the office of Project ACCESS, staffed with Autism Resource Specialists, which has served as Missouri’s state education and resource agency for autism? Project ACCESS was established by the Missouri Department of Elementary 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. The Project ACCESS mission is to increase local capacity to serve students in Missouri’s public schools who experience Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and related disabilities.
What can you access?
- Resources for educators and parents: Fact/Information Sheets, Family Corner, book recommendations, information about evidence-based interventions, Blog, Facebook and Twitter platforms, just to name a few!
- Support services: Consultation via email or phone and/or in person with a Missouri Autism Consultant, Autism Team Coaching, In-District Autism Consultants and a new initiative for School Autism Specialists.
- Training: Project ACCESS designs and presents low cost autism-specific professional development for Missouri educators, in both online and face-to-face formats, offering scholarships to these and other trainings, when available.
To learn more about Project ACCESS, you might be interested in checking out the website at projectaccess.missouristate.edu, or downloading this promotional flash drive content. To learn more about autism, visit this educational definition of autism page.