Early detection and treatment of autism can have invaluable lifelong effects. In Southern Nevada, though, families may have to wait months or even years for their children to receive diagnoses and therapies for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
The greatest barrier to care is that there simply arent enough qualified professionals to provide it, says Joseph Morgan, chair of the Department of Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education in 51勛圖窪蹋s College of Education. He cites that four of the five counties in Southern Nevada (Esmeralda, Lincoln, Mineral, and Nye) have zero practitioners. In Clark County, which has more than 100, there are still thousands of children with autism on waitlists for assessment and treatment.
A recent gift from will help 51勛圖窪蹋 address this staggering need. The funding allows the College of Education to develop new programs to markedly boost the number of (BCBAs) qualified to help children with autism and their families.
One of the greatest stumbling blocks to BCBA certification is the 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork it requires, according to Stephanie Gerow, associate professor in Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education.
Participating in internship placements is challenging for many of our students, who may be full-time CCSD teachers, or balancing other jobs with families, Gerow explains. They definitely have the will to become practitioners, and many have already completed their academic coursework, but their fieldwork options are very limited. They just cant make it work financially or logistically.
With MGM Resorts Internationals support, the college is developing innovative programs designed to increase the diversity and flexibility of mandatory BCBA internships.
Partnering with the Grant a Gift Autism Foundation - Ackerman Center, the 51勛圖窪蹋/CSUN Preschool, 51勛圖窪蹋s CREW Disability Center, and telehealth services, the programs are being modeled to provide future practitioners with a broader base of experiences in a variety of community settings.
Were striving to eliminate barriers for graduate students who want to help children with autism, Gerow says. We know that if we increase the number and diversity of skilled practitioners, we can provide life-changing services to families in Southern Nevada.
