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The Washington
State Department of Health's Children with Special Health Care Needs
Program (CSHCN) in conjunction with the
Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related
Disabilities (LEND) Program has formed the Combating
Autism Advisory Council to to guide the work of federal
grants
received by each program from the National Department of Health and Human
Services.
As
an advisory body, the Council includes previous
Autism Task
Force (ATF) members, autism experts, leaders, and individuals
with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their families. Meeting
on a regular basis, the Council aims to: improve
autism awareness; support
research on evidence-based treatment and care; impact
existing benefit and care systems for children and youth
with special health care needs; and work
toward assuring that children and youth with autism receive
early and appropriate
identification, diagnosis, and intervention.
The Council has formed
subcommittees which take up various tracks
of work as they
relate to the grants and will:
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Council members broke into groups to brainstorm ideas for Autism Awareness Month at the
February 2009 meeting. From left front: Cindy
Carroll, Children's Village; Dawn Sidell, Northwest
Autism Center; Susan Ray, Department of Health;
and Sheila Ammons, Office of Superintendent of
Public Instruction. |
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Provide oversight to the
grant projects.
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Maintain the momentum of
the work of the Task Force.
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Ensure sustainability for
the
project work.
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Improve methods of
information sharing.
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Build partnerships.
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Raise and spread autism
awareness statewide.
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Inform and update the
Needs Assessment data search.
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Participate in
evaluation efforts.
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Identify and recruit
youth for the Council and panel discussions at two state training
Summits to be held in 2010.
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Work to change
systems through modification or amendment.
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Distribute materials
and information for autism awareness related to the
Autism
Guidebook, the national Center for Disease Control (CDC)
campaign materials
Learn the Signs. Act Early, and other community and
statewide resources.
Click here to learn more about the
Combating Autism Advisory Council
(PDF, 104KB) |
