Overview of Services

Person-Centered Direct Services provide supports to individuals with ASD, families or caregivers of those individuals, and those who educate and support them. Supports are categorized into three tiers.

Tier I Services:
Tier I services include general supports that can be helpful to all individuals diagnosed with ASD. Those services generally involve information and educational support, and include:

• Online Resources:
1. Event Calendar allows you to see training and awareness events scheduled throughout the state.
2. YouTube Channel offers brief video based presentations on topics relevant to your needs.
3. Autism Resource Manual maintains a statewide listing of resources important to service-related needs.
4. The Lending Library provides registered clients free access to autism specific information and awareness materials.
5. Social Media Platforms: WV ATC maintains active Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts to help registered clients and others stay current with news, discussion topics, events, and activities important to the autism community.

• Identification Cards that display one’s name, address, contact numbers, date of birth, communication ability, and medical needs can be created and carried on one’s person. Additional space to alert others to “fears and dislikes,” along with “calming strategies,” known to best help are included. “I have autism and may need some supports,” is written on the front base of the card. The ID Card looks similar to a driver’s license in size and quality.

• All About Me documents are designed to provide detailed information about the individual with ASD in handout form. Details such as the individual’s name, nickname, birthdate, parents’ name and contact information are included, along with “activities I do and do not like to do.” Goals are listed, along with support strategies. This document provide valuable information to others (doctors, teachers, neighbors, etc.) about the individual, about Autism Spectrum Disorder, and about to best interact with the person.

Tier II Services:
Tier II services provide information about specific topics that help support some individuals diagnosed with ASD. This tier focuses more on building skills necessary to improve life quality, and include:

• Distance coaching:
  Two types of distance coaching exist:
1. Phone consultation is a short term effort to support registered clients through a specific issue. The WV ATC cannot provide advice to resolve a specific difficulty or challenging behavior over the telephone and without knowing a client well. We can, however, provide general information to support your abilities to improve behavior, communication, etc. For example, phone consultation may be used to help callers understand the process in looking for and assessing antecedes that occur prior to problem behavior.
2. Tele-coaching is a more formal, prepared, in-service focused on a specific topic. Some examples of tele-coaching topics are: Learning the Basics About IEPs, Addressing Sibling Issues, Life Planning and Guardianship, Effective Advocacy, etc.

• Social Skill Groups:
  The WV ATC will develop and facilitate groups that focus on building social skills for children, teens, and adults in your region.

• Make and Take Sessions:
  Meet with WV ATC staff and others in your community to make, take, and trade materials helpful in the home and classroom. It’s free, and it’s fun! Keep up to date with by watching our Facebook news and events.

• Workshops and Trainings:
  Regional trainings are conducted for parents, those with ASD, and others on a variety of topics, such as: Sensory Solutions, The Basics of Autism Everyone Should Know, The Basics of Behavioral Support, etc. Please visit our Home page or the WV ATC Facebook page.

Tier III Services:
Tier III services are focused on individual, specific need, and typically result in a formal behavior support plan or other document that can provide helpful assistance. This tier includes:

This type of direct service provides more intensive support and education to teams formed to support the individual with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Teams typically include family members, the individual with ASD, educational and/or behavioral health staff, and others involved in the individual’s life. A Positive Behavior Support (PBS) Trainer facilitates training, coaching, and the development of a PBS plan through collaboration. Individualized skill development programs are developed and implemented in collaboration with the team. Skill development programs are implemented across settings (home, community and school) with an emphasis on improving the individual’s and their family’s quality of life.

The College Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (a fee based program for selected clients)
The College Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder was established in 2002. The College Program provides individualized skill building and therapeutic supports to degree seeking students with Autism Spectrum Disorder through a mentored environment while navigating a college experience at Marshall University. Students participating in the program have met acceptance criteria for Marshall University and must be admitted to The College Program through a separate application process. The program uses a positive behavior support approach to assist participating students. Social, communication, academic, leisure and personal living skills are assessed through person-centered planning.
Personal goals are identified and strategies are developed based. Find out details such as application deadlines, fees, and specific supports here and by visiting the College Program web page here. Keep up with all the goings-on by liking their Facebook page, which can be found here.

Technical Assistance Programs

• School Consultation: (fee based)
  The WV ATC works with school professionals to assist in meeting the needs of students with ASD by:
  • Conducting Functional Behavioral Assessments
  • Developing individualized Behavior Support Plans
  • Assessing and making recommendations for effective classroom environmental design
  • Training and coaching faculty and staff

  Contact Dr. Jim Harris, WV ATC’s Associate Director of Training, to discuss school consultation options by email harris106@marshall.edu or phone 304-696-2332.

• School-Wide PBIS:
  The School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (SWPBIS) Project is implemented through a collaborative effort between the WV ATC and the West Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Special Education. The project provides training and technical assistance at multiple levels of the educational system in West Virginia in order to support schools as they work to provide safe and responsive learning environments for all students. Using a multi-tiered framework of evidenced-based interventions, the project seeks improve school climate and culture, decrease the use of anti-social discipline strategies, decrease the frequency of aggressive and bullying behaviors, and increase the frequency of pro-social behaviors in schools. For more information on the project please visit www.wvpbis.org.
• Early Childhood PBIS:
  The Early Childhood Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (ECPBIS) Project results from a collaborating between the WV ATC and the West Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Special Education. The project promotes and supports the social emotional development of all children in early childhood educational settings. Using a multi-tiered framework to organize the implementation of evidenced based interventions, the ECPBIS Project focuses on prevention based behavior supports through environmental arrangement, effective teaching, consistent program structure, and individualized interventions for children who engage in more intense forms of challenging behavior. For more information please visit www.wvecpbis.org.