“What happens when people who have trouble fitting into a traditional workplace get one designed just for them?” This question is posed in an online New York Times article about two companies that are designed to accommodate individuals with ASD: Auticon and MindSpark.  At these companies, individuals with ASD “define the predominant culture,” rather trying to fit into a norm that is challenging for them to navigate. To read more about these businesses, their goals, and their employees, click here!

This week our lab welcomed Erica Caesar, our Program Officer for the Pathways grant! Erica met with project staff, toured our space, viewed assessment videos, and discussed our progress.  It was wonderful to meet her, and we appreciate the time she spent with us!

Sarah Edmunds, one of Wendy’s graduate students, has accepted a postdoctoral fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital! Sarah is currently on internship at Duke University. During her postdoc, she will be providing clinical services within the Division of Developmental Medicine and conducting research with Dr. Susan Faja (also a UW alum!) in the Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, housed within Harvard Medical School. Sarah looks forward to expanding her program of longitudinal research to include transdiagnostic conceptualizations of developmental differences in ASD, as well as identifying feasible electrophysiological indicators of response to intervention.

Ben’s Fund is now accepting applications for grant awards to pay for summer programs for children and young adults with autism. Ben’s Fund works in partnership with Families for Effective Autism Treatment (FEAT) to provide support to children and young adults with autism through financial assistance and guidance. Applications for summer programs are due by May 1, 2019, and grant awardees will receive up to $1,000 per qualifying child or young adult per award year. To download the application and review FAQs, click here!

On February 28^th at 6pm, Open Doors for Multicultural Families will be hosting an ‘IEP Overview and Development’ Parent Workshop at the Federal Way Public Schools Support Services Building. This workshop will cover a wide array of topics, including: who is eligible for special education, what is included in an IEP, who performs IEP evaluations, and how schools use IEPs. The event includes FREE on-site childcare, refreshments, and translation assistance. Registration is required! To learn more and to register for the workshop, click here.

Lizzy Karp, one of Wendy’s grad students, was offered a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Autism at Stanford University for next year, which she has accepted! During her fellowship year, Lizzy will be involved in conducting diagnostic assessments and providing evidence-based interventions such as Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) and the PEERS program for individuals with ASD and their families. She will also continue to develop her program of research examining the experiences of caregivers who participate in interventions with their children. Lizzy is currently completing her predoctoral internship in the TEACCH Autism Program at University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

We are excited to report that Sarah Edmunds, Wendy’s grad student who is currently doing her clinical internship at Duke University, will be giving a job talk today for a faculty position at University of Miami! Knock em’ dead, Sarah!

This year, two non-profit organizations, The Art of Autism and Mainly Mozart, are teaming up to sponsor an art competition for individuals age 14 and older who identify as neurodiverse. Cash prizes range from $25-$150. The goal of the competition is to celebrate the inner-genius within all individuals and to promote the opening activities of the Mainly Mozart festival, which begins on May 30^th in San Diego. Work of any medium may be submitted, and music-themed pieces will receive priority judging. For more information on submission, click here!

Happy birthday to our kind, caring, and curious friend on Sesame Street, Julia! We hope you have a great day! #HappyBirthdayJulia #SeeAmazing

Last week, Kisna Prado joined the READi Lab to work on the Screen-Refer-Treat (SRT) and Pathways studies. A Southern California native, she graduated from UC Davis in June 2017 with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and a minor in Chicano/a Studies. Previously, she conducted community-based research and assisted in providing free primary care, dental, and mental health services to the Hispanic, rural, farm-working community of Knights Landing, CA. Kisna has a passion for community engagement work and research that focuses on utilizing preventative or early intervention measures to improve mental health and overall health outcomes. We are so excited to welcome her to our team!

Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture is offering a new program that allows families affected by autism spectrum disorder to access the museum for free before it opens to the public! The first ASD Morning will be on Sunday, January 27th, from 8:00 to 10:00 AM with art activities beginning at 8:30 AM. During this time, sound and lighting will be lowered in some exhibits and music/videos will be eliminated from others to create a more accommodating sensory experience. To learn about the open galleries and RSVP for tickets, click here!

A graduate student from New York University is conducting a survey-based research project about the U.S. airport experiences of individuals with ASD.  The survey can be completed by individuals with ASD, a family member, or another caregiver. The purpose of this research project is to identify needed programs and adaptations that will increase opportunities for individuals with ASD and their families to travel the world. The survey takes 15-30 minutes to complete, and will be open until February 28, 2019. If you have information to share, click here!

We are delighted to welcome Madison Onsager to the READi Lab for the month of January. Madison is a sophomore at Williams College who is completing her “Winter Study” project in our lab. She is excited about learning how to improve the accessibility of screening and intervention services for ASD, and will be working primarily on the ImPACT and Pathways studies.  Madison plans to graduate in May 2021 with a double major in Psychology and Political Science.

Earlier this week, READi Lab alums Roya Baharloo and Nat Bumrungtrakul met up in Bangkok, Thailand! Roya, who is currently working on her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at UC Berkeley, is vacationing in Thailand, where Nat currently lives while applying to Masters programs. We love hearing from lab alumni around the world!

While the holiday season can bring joy for many, it can also bring challenges for individuals with autism who experience sensory sensitivities and/or difficulty with changes in routines.The Autism Society has shared some great tips for helping individuals with autism have a happy holiday season. Some tips include decorating gradually rather than all at once, preparing social stories for events, and practicing gift-giving and gift-opening scenarios.  To read all twelve tips, click here!   

Ina never-ending effort to sharpen our knowledge and skills, last week Lisa and Wendy attended the 11^th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health. Session content included Going to Scale in Low Resource Settings, Behavioral Economics, and Understanding and Assessing Adaptations. Yes, the restaurants and sights were excellent – but so was the conference (even though we have no photos to post)!  

Kalin Bennett, an 18 year old from Little Rock, Arkansas, is making history as the first person with autism to be signed to a Division 1 university basketball team. While having autism is a part of who Kalin is, he appreciates the fact that Kent State University signed him not to just make history, but because of his natural gift and outstanding ability to play basketball. Kalin looks forward to not only pursuing his dream as a basketball player, but also to use his story to motivate others. “I want to use this platform to inspire other kids with autism and non-autism. I want to let them know, ‘Hey, if I can do this, you can do it, too.’ A lot of times they feel alone and by themselves, and I felt that same way growing up.” Kalin’s success did not come without challenges, and his tenacity and passion for pursuing his dream shines through both on and off the court. To read more about this inspiring success story, click here!

The recently-released report from the National Survey of Children’s Health estimates an autism prevalence rate of 1 in 40 children in the U.S. This survey, which was conducted in 2016, asked parents of 3-17 year olds if their doctor or any other health care provider has ever diagnosed their child with autism, and if so, if their child currently has the condition.

This prevalence rate is higher than that released in the April CDC report, which estimated a prevalence rate of 1 in 59 children. Differences in the way the data were collected may account for this discrepancy in prevalence estimates; the CDC report was based on review of medical and educational records of 8-year-olds in specific regions of the U.S.

Results from the National Survey of Children’s Health also highlight the challenges that parents, families, and people in the autism community face in obtaining treatment and intervention services, noting that access to care is more challenging for families affected by autism compared to other developmental disabilities.

Sesame Street’s first Muppet with autism, Julia, was spotted during this year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade wearing noise-cancelling headphones to help control sensory overload! People in the autism community were elated and touched to see this representation, as reflected in viral tweets on social media. One parent wrote, “My autistic daughter saw Julia on the Sesame Street float and said, ‘There’s Julia wearing her headphones because she’s autistic.’ Seeing others like her represented in society is so important for my girl, it makes her feel included and loved.” To read the full The Mighty article, click here: https://themighty.com/2018/11/macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-autism-julia-sesame-street-noise-canceling-headphones/

Since 2015, Sesame Street has made it a priority to promote understanding of autism as they launched their online initiative “Sesame Street and Autism: Seeing Amazing in All Children” featuring Julia in a storybook called “We’re Amazing, 1, 2, 3.”  Check out Sesame Street’s online Julia-related materials here: http://autism.sesamestreet.org/

Just a reminder that representation matters and even small gestures, such as putting on headphones, can make a huge impact.