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Teachers: Participate in new study. See below for more information!

The Autism Spectrum Institute: Impacting teachers, families, and the community (pdf)

Sharing A Vision 2011

One in every 150 children born in the United States will be diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Preliminary studies are reporting an increase in the current prevelance rates, suggesting 1 in every 91 children has an ASD. Early intervention can yield substantial benefits to children and their families.

The Autism Spectrum Institute provides supportive education programs and trains pre-service and teacher educators as well as parents and families of children and youth with autism spectrum disorders. The Institute provides a multidisciplinary network of consultants that can assist in identifying, selecting, and implementing effective programs, a lending library, and information to families and professionals through workshops and inservice trainings. It will also serve as a coordinating site for classroom-, home-, and clinic-based research with an emphasis on the empirical validation of intervention strategies.

Participate in a New Study:

Trends in Teacher Practices and Preparedness to Work with Complex Learners

The purpose of this study is to gain insight into teacher practices and preparedness in relation to nationally-identified evidence-based practices. If you currently a teacher in the state of Illinois, teaching children who are deaf/hard of hearing or have autism spectrum disorders we would like to ask you to complete a short survey. The completion of the survey may take 15-20 minutes. Please be assured that your participation in this study is absolutely voluntary. There will be no penalties of any kind and your choice to participate will not impact your position. The researchers do not forsee any significant risks to any individuals who will participate in the study. All data will be anonymous.

If you have any questions about this study, please feel free to contact Christy Borders at (309) 438-5829 or Stacey Bock at (309) 438-7884. If you have any questions about your rights as a participant in the study, please contact the Chairperson of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the Research Ethics & Compliance Office at (309) 438-2529.

Research at Illinois State University that involves human participants is carried out under the oversight of the Institutional Review Board. Questions or problems regarding these activities should be addressed to IRB Chairperson, Research Ethics & Compliance Office, Normal, IL 61791-3330 or phone (309) 438-2529.

If you agree to participate in the study, please link to http://www.specialeducation.ilstu.edu/trends/ and complete the online survey.