A promising partnership was launched when the College of Education and Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine teamed up to host the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule- Second Edition (ADOS-2) training on June 8^th-12^th at the UH Hilton.  Sarah Mire, assistant professor in School Psychology and Robin Kochel, director of research for the Autism Center at Texas Children’s Hospital were the principal faculty in establishing this partnership.

“Hosting this training in collaboration with the Texas Children’s Hospital Autism Center was a great opportunity for us to bolster our inter-professional relationships with Med Center colleagues, as well as, reach out into the community to provide an outstanding training opportunity,” stated Mire.

ADOS-2 is a gold standard tool used to accurately assess and diagnose autism spectrum disorders across age, developmental level and language skills. This week long intensive training consists of two parts, clinical and research, spanning over five modules where trainees engage in various activities that elicit behaviors directly related to a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

“The purpose of the training was to educate professionals on proper use of the updated ADOS-2 that when properly administered, boasts excellent specificity for identifying those most likely to be on the autism spectrum,” said Kochel. “By offering this training workshop in such an intensive format, we increase the proficiency and confidence of attending professionals in their clinical application to benefit patients and families in the autism community.”

In attendance were many special services professionals from the College of Education, Texas Children’s Hospital/ Baylor College of Medicine, Aldine ISD, Texas Tech University, Harris County and Seton Health Organization.

“I am so thankful to have the opportunity to attend this training,” stated Chrystal Jansz, director of early intervention services, training, & research at Texas Tech University’s Burkhart Center for Autism Education & Research. “Trainings of this nature are extremely beneficial in such a rural area and this will certainly grow the capacity of our center to further serve our community.”

The training was given by Steven Kanne, executive director of the University of Missouri’s Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, and highly accomplished autism researcher. The Thompson Center offers a range of health, educational and behavioral services to individuals with autism and other developmental issues.

“This type of training, given by such a highly regarded trainer, can positively support families impacted by autism spectrum disorder on two different levels,” said Mire. “The individual level, such as their own child’s accurate diagnosis and also at the wider community level.”