USU Helping Children With Autism

Autism is the fastest growing disability in the United States, and public school systems are trying to catch up. One out of every 166 children is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined.

Early intervention is key to helping children with autism, and the ASSERT program at Utah State University serves as the training grounds for the educators who will make a difference in Utah's school districts. The program offers children a chance to receive help at a young age.

The Autism Support Services: Education, Research, and Training (ASSERT) program at USU is a state-of-the-art preschool program that uses research-based techniques to address the individual needs of autistic children. USU's pioneer site has opened the doors to a new world for children with autism and is a model training classroom for professionals in the Intermountain region.

Thomas Higbee, director of USU's Autism Support Services, spent more than 10 years researching and developing cutting-edge ideas that sparked the birth of the ASSERT program. Research has shown that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) do not learn readily in typical environments, so Higbee fashioned an atmosphere ideally constructed for ASD treatment.

ASSERT provides consultation services and curriculum to school districts throughout Utah and its surrounding regions. Higbee and his graduate students frequently visit sites in Weber and Washington county school districts to provide in-depth training and ensure that students are getting the best instruction possible.

"The hard work has really paid off, and we have seen dramatic positive changes in our students," said Higbee.

This individualized educational program has been improving the lives of children with ASD since 2003. What started as a 10-week summer course has become a highly-successful year-round preschool program that continues to revolutionize the way children with autism are educated.

Fawn Rigby's four-year-old son Zac is a student in the ASSERT program. This education has affected young Zac's life dramatically, his mother said, and she is enthusiastic about ASSERT.

"It's amazing," Rigby said. "ASSERT has given Zac the personal attention he needed. After just a few months, the progress I've seen in him is remarkable."

Higbee is excited with the outcome of the program and the positive changes in the students.

"The life-changing improvements we have expected from our students are happening," Higbee said.

The impact on the students and significant changes can be credited to the intense training and professional caliber of the instructors. Graduate and undergraduate students at USU can apply to work in the program and earn either university credit or compensation while learning how to effectively teach students with ASD.

Higbee said the ASSERT success comes from the rigorous training and satellite program. USU's ASSERT classroom serves as a training site for current and future special education teachers and professionals in related fields such as psychology and speech pathology.

"A big part of our students' success is due to our collaboration with ASSERT," said one aide at a Washington County Preschool. "The staff training and continual on-site visits have been vital in keeping our staff qualified to serve our students."

Through ASSERT training, professionals are able to learn behavioral intervention techniques and demonstrate knowledge of behavior principles and how to apply them. Educators in Weber County are also showing the same significant positive changes.

"I have seen a tremendous amount of growth in each child, and I attribute it to the intensive individual programs that are implemented daily," a teacher from Weber School District said.

ASSERT also provides training to school district personnel on effective educational and behavioral strategies for students with autism. ASSERT continues to help students after preschool and throughout their experience in the public education system.