Last year Autism Speaks awarded the Contra Costa Child Care Council Inclusion Project a small grant to identify and support young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) concerns.
Autism Speaks is an autism advocacy organization in the United States that sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities aimed at families.
Within the last twelve years the Inclusion Project has been providing early intervention services and promoting accessibility to inclusive child care settings in Contra Costa County. This project, funded by First 5, has been instrumental in identifying young children at risk of delays and supporting children with special needs and locating adequate resources and assisting families in navigating the special education system. The Inclusion Project ensures that young children of Contra Costa County have access to early support and gain life time skills.
Highlight of the service:
- Last year of the 103 children that received early intervention services from the Inclusion Project, 29 were diagnosed with delays by exit
- In addition to direct services, 30 early childhood educators that included center directors, teachers and family child care providers attended our workshops on Book Adaptation and Visual Schedules. Attendees learned about warning signs pertaining to ASD, applicable and functional strategies and evidence based practices
- Providers reported that these training sessions are essential to helping parents and child care providers communicate better with children, and, in turn, help children communicate better with others