Each year, NFAR funds Pilot Projects and Community Program Grants to help address the immediate needs of children with autism in our community. These projects include:

Area of Need - Early Detection and Interventions

Research has been proven that the earlier a child receives a diagnosis of autism and intervention, the better the overall outcome for that child.

• For two years, NFAR has funded the Exceptional Family Resource Center (EFRC) "Physician's Outreach Program." In the first year alone, EFRC representatives met with over 267 pediatric health care providers, discussed the early warning signs of autism and provided them with the resource information necessary if autism is suspected. This project is ongoing.

• San Diego Autism Teacher's Grants were awarded to:
  • Rady Children's Hospital Toddler's School
  • Preschool Assessment Center, Chula Vista Elementary School District.
  • 25 Preschool classrooms for communication and social skills development

Area of Need - Treatment Programs

There are proven treatment programs and other treatments that show promise for children with autism. We need to learn more about these options, and to develop proven treatment programs that are accessible to all.

• STAR (Socialization Training and Reinforcement) Program, Inc. is a non profit corporation dedicated to supporting children diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder and their families. In 2006, NFAR funded the project "Breath, Stretch and Relax; An Autism Stress Reduction Project" which teaches children with high functioning autism how to relax their body and their mind to help them effectively deal with the stress of social demands. After a 12 week session, the 19 children (between the ages of 5 and 10) showed a vast improvement in the way they behaved when stress and anxiety points were triggered.

Area of Need - Educational Programs and Supports

School age children spend a large proportion of their day at school. It is important that this time is spent effectively, working through areas of difficulty while utilizing the student's areas of strengths. Through grant funding, NFAR is assisting educators by providing for the specialized needs of their students with autism.

• NEW 2007 - NFAR recently approved funding of a pilot study for the Poway Unified School District entitled "Educational Technology Enhancement for Children with Autism." This research pilot will explore the effectiveness of Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) using Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) for teaching children with autism. If proven successful, this technology could offer children with autism additional opportunities for ABA instruction. (ABA instruction is a proven methodology for teaching children with autism.) .

• Last spring, NFAR partnered with Dr. Laura Hall and her colleagues from San Diego State University to fund a pilot training program "The Generalization of Effective Prompting Techniques by Paraprofessionals Educating Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorders." This study was significant because paraprofessionals can make a huge difference in whether a child with autism is successful in a school setting. The findings of the study were quite revealing, providing insight into what types of trainings are proving effective. Study results were presented at both the 23^rd Annual Appplied Behavioral (ABA) Conference held in San Diego and in Sydney Australia. Results are expected to be published soon.

• University of California, San Diego Department of Psychology is developing a "Sustainable Training Module for Pivotal Training in the Classroom." The goal is to improve the overall quality of the services for children with autism by increasing the availability and quality of training for local teachers. This study is designed to increase the sustainability, availability and effectiveness of a research-supported behavioral intervention in San Diego County school districts. This project is on-going.

• Vista Hills - Stein Center Multi-Sensory Room - NFAR provided the funding to Stein Education Center for a Multi-Sensory room to benefit students with autism and similar disorders. Multi-sensory environments have been shown to reduce self stimulation and other behavioral issues, and improve interaction and attentiveness to the environment for children with sensory issues. The Stein Education Center provides services to more than 350 children and adults with special needs annually.

• San Diego Autism Teacher's Grants - To date, NFAR has provided funding to over 82 classrooms for educational programs, technology and equipment that enhances a child's with autism ability to learn in the educational environment Through grant funding, NFAR is assisting educators by providing for the specialized needs of their students with autism and to give students equal access across economic borders to software and technology that can substantially increase the learning potential of the special education environment.

• More programs in this area are being developed at this time. NFAR encourages organizations to summit grant applications for programs in this area of need in 2008.

Area of Need - After-School and Enrichment Programs

Children and teens with autism should have the opportunity to experience the joys of camp, sports, enrichment and other types of recreational programs. From specialized programs to integrated programs, NFAR is working with organizations to help meet the unique needs of those with autism as they seek to become active members of our society.

• In 2006, NFAR awarded Kids Included Together (KIT) the funds to develop a curriculum to train providers of out-of-school settings on how to include children with autism in their programs. KIT works with out-of-school providers such as the YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts, City Parks and Recreation activities, after-school programs, enrichment programs and early childhood programs The training module "Teaching and Modeling Respectful Accommodations for Children and Youth with Autism in Out-of-School Programs" continues to be the most asked for training program. Recently, this training was expanded nationally as well as in Canada.

• NEW 2007, NFAR awarded Kid Included Together (KIT) the funds to further train and support providers for out-of-school settings on how to include children with autism in their programs. This project will employ a blended learning approach designed to support inclusion for children with autism 1) a creation of two downloadable podcasts; 2) on-site consultations for programs in San Diego County and 3) development of a resource guide for providers. The project will enable KIT to offer staff information about autism and direct assistance in designing supports and accommodations for children with autism included in Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA's, City Parks and Recreation activities, after-school programs, enrichment programs and early childhood programs throughout San Diego.

• In 2005, NFAR provided funding to the San Diego Autism Society of America for expansion of their Adaptive Swim Program. An additional 240 1-on-1 adaptive swimming lessons for children with autism were provided. The adaptive swim program is vital for children with autism who are often fascinated and drawn to water sources such as fountains, pools, the ocean, etc. Drowning is the leading cause of death of children under the age of 14, including children with autism.

Area of Need - Teen/ Young Adult Programs

The middle/ high school years is a period of huge growth and development for most persons. Teens and young adults with autism need to continue to be engaged in programs and interventions that challenge and inspire them. Transition and career planning, etc. are areas of concern. To understand how we can better serve young adults with autism during this phase of transition, NFAR has funded several studies:

• NFAR is funding the research study "Preparing Families and Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders for Transition (from school to adult life.) This study is being conducted by a team at San Diego State University, Department of Special Education to obtain a greater understanding of the needs of families of children with autism as they prepare to transition from school to adult life. This study is on-going.

• In 2005, NFAR provided funding for the graduate research study addressing self employment for those with autism. In the study, "Exploring the Efficacy of Self Employment and Entrepreneurship for Individuals with Autism", 100 individuals with autism who were self employed were interviewed to determine what variables led to successful self employment opportunities.

• More programs in this area being discussed at this time. NFAR encourages organizations to summit grant applications for programs in this area of need in 2008.

Area of Need - Parent Education and Support

A diagnosis of autism does not only affect the child, it affects the whole family. Educating and assisting the family in getting the treatments, services and supports they need encourages a better quality of life for everyone in the family.

• In 2006, NFAR awarded a grant to the Autism Intervention Center at Rady Children's Hospital to create the Parent Education and Support for Families of Children with Autism program. This program, which has been at capacity since inception, provides parent education and support to families throughout San Diego with a recent diagnosis of autism. The program addresses understanding and coping with the diagnosis, challenges and opportunities with siblings, evaluation and alternative treatment options, behavioral principles, therapeutic approaches and community agencies. All sessions are available in English and in Spanish.

• NFAR is currently providing support of a graduate research study "Predictor and Moderator Variables of Martial Satisfaction in Parents Raising Children with Autism." This study aims to (1) better understand the effect that raising a child with autism has on the martial dyad, including gender specific reactions and (2) determine which factors moderate the relationship between stress and martial satisfaction for these parents.