Monday, April 21, 2008
The program will allow people to learn electronically at their convenience.
STAFF REPORT
YOUNGSTOWN — The Paula and Anthony Rich Center for the Study and Treatment of Autism has been awarded a $421,505 U.S. Department of Education grant to develop distance learning technology and programs.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, was scheduled to present the award to the center in Fedor Hall on the Youngstown State University campus at 9:30 a.m. today.
The project is scheduled to begin in June and extend to September 2009.
The Rich Center is one of five institutions in Ohio to receive a 2008 congressionally directed grant. There were 333 such grants awarded nationally.
”The Rich Center for Autism is very grateful to U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan for his belief and support of our programs,” said Georgia Backus, center director. “There is a critical need for increasing and improving services for individuals with autism and their families. This grant will establish the Rich Center for Autism as a benchmark facility nationally for teaching, serving, supporting and researching the syndrome of autism.”
The center will use the grant to develop a distance-learning course sequence incorporating Web-based learning modules involving children with autism.
The project will be accessible to medical professionals, special and general education teachers, school psychologists, speech professionals, physical and occupational therapists, paraprofessionals, teacher assistants/aides, parents, students and staff.
The program will allow participants to learn electronically at times and places convenient to them. Module sequences will include video lectures, guest lecturers, video conferences, criterion-based quizzes, PDF documents, video modeling and online mentoring. There also will be a classroom component involving children diagnosed on the autism spectrum.
Participants who complete the module sequences will be able to work more effectively with children diagnosed with autism and help fill the need both in Northeast Ohio and nationally for trained professionals and parents.
The Rich Center for Autism was established in 1995 as a result of the efforts and interest in autism of the Rich (Ricchiuti), Kosar and Rubino families. The center serves as a lasting tribute to the memory of Paula and Anthony Rich, who died in a 1994 plane crash. The center is an externally funded unit of Youngstown State University.