Autism Training and Research Center

Established in 2005, the Autism Training and Research Center's mission is to improve the lives of individuals with autism spectrum disorders by:

  • Providing training and consulting on evidence-based practices to educators, families, and community service providers of individuals with autism spectrum disorders
  • Conducting research in areas that are important to educators, families, and community service providers of individuals with autism spectrum disorders

Helen Young
Project Director
youngh@pdx.edu

Ruth Falco
Project Director
falcor@pdx.edu

Training and consultation

Research has identified important practices for improving the educational progress of children and youth with autism spectrum disorders. These practices include:

  • Building strong partnerships among parents, educators, and community service providers (e.g., case workers and health care providers)
  • Ongoing training, coaching, and support for parents, educators, and community service providers
  • Teaching parents, educators, and service providers to use evidence-based interventions
  • Using a variety of evidence-based curricula and practices to meet the individual needs of each child
  • Designing the school and home environment to support the learning of children with autism
  • Implementing peer and sibling interaction strategies

The ATRC staff can provide training on any of the above practices for school and community programs. ATRC staff can also work with school and community programs to prepare program personnel to train and coach others, so capacity can be built within each program.

If you would like more information regarding training and consulting through the Autism Training and Research Center, please email autism@pdx.edu

ATRC Research

Faculty from the College of Education's Special Education department at Portland State University are involved in numerous studies with children and youth with autism, their families, and educators. Through our research, we are committed to improving the outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Much of our research has focused on the use of evidence-based practices and the effects of parent and educator training.

The ATRC values partnerships with other institutions, professional groups, community organizations, educators, and families. We collaborate with our community partners to determine their needs, and we actively work to build relationships with school districts and other universities that could result in joint research projects. If you are interested in collaborating or partnering with the ATRC, please contact autism@pdx.edu.

Other Resources