Texas parents and caregivers can now get free training through UT Austin to enhance language and communication skills of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Made possible through a grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the training lets parents and caregivers participate in-person or through online trainings from the UT Speech and Hearing Center. The trainings teach intervention strategies to decrease behavioral issues and increase communication and language skills in children with ASD.
Called Project SKILLS — Skills and Knowledge of Intervention for Language Learning Success — the trainings consist of eight sessions that are free to parents and caregivers of children ages 12 months to 10 years old. Additionally, the program will provide iPads and internet access to parents and caregivers who do not have devices or access to the internet.
Now in its second year, Project SKILLS has provided training to more than 100 families during the 2016-17 academic year.
“We really want to reach more individuals needing services — including individuals in rural areas across Texas — who wouldn’t otherwise be able to access these therapies,” says Madhu Sundarrajan, co-director of SKILLS and assistant professor in the Moody College of Communication’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Children with autism can have difficulty acquiring communication skills, which can impair social, communicative and academic success and lead to behavioral problems. For more information, contact utprojectskills@gmail.com or call 512-471-2014.
