The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

The Family Focus Support for Autism Spectrum Disorders (FFSASD) process developed at the West Virginia Autism Training Center is a comprehensive intervention model combining Positive Behavior Support and Person-Centered Planning for families of children with ASD. The Illinois Autism Training and Technical Assistance Project (IATTAP) participated in training with the West Virginia Autism Training Center and then replicated the model with modification in Illinois. This session will describe the FFSASD process and outcomes identified across home, school and community environments. This presentation will begin with an overview of a comprehensive service delivery model of intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. The process developed at the West Virginia Autism Training Center was funded in part, by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and named “The Family Focus Positive Support (FFPBS) Process .”  The critical components of the process are 1)family and person-centered planning, 2)support teams comprised of  family, school personnel/employers and others involved in the focus person’s life, 3)training for support teams through educational workshops related to best practices in autism intervention, and 4) the development and implementation of a comprehensive and  individual behavior support plan for each focus person with an ASD. An additional component is the inclusion of a community partner who is a parent of a child on the autism spectrum and who lends a variety of parent to parent support. The presenter will describe each step in the process and present strategies that assist the implementers in maintaining momentum and documenting progress.    

The Illinois Autism Training and Technical Assistance Project (IATTAP) participated in workshop training with the West Virginia Autism Training Center in 2004.  The process was then successfully replicated with some modification in Illinois beginning in 2005. IATTAP has worked with over 50 teams and will provide outcome data for a group of more than 30 focus students collected using an on-line system of 8 tools developed specifically for this process and used both dynamically during the intervention to guide data-based decision-making and post-intervention to provide information and analysis regarding student and family outcomes.  Outcome data will include Student Placement Risk, Academic and Behavioral Classroom Functioning, Family Stressors and Quality of Life and Family Satisfaction.

The FFSASD process is an intervention model that can be adopted and adapted by schools and agencies that serve individuals with ASD. There is a great need for a multi-level service delivery approach to match the multiple levels of needs of families and school personnel when trying to develop and implement effective plans for individuals with ASD. There is also a great need for multi-level support for individuals with ASD. FFSASD addresses both these needs, crosses environments of home, school and community and results in a dynamic team that supports the family over time. The presenter will stress the importance of a positive behavior support approach and data-based decision-making, supporting both team members and family and expanding interventions to focus on critical quality of life issues for the individual with autism.

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