The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

To address concerns and enhance services around early diagnosis, ABA, and home, school and medical community collaboration, Indiana has formed task forces using the framework of collective impact. Through this process we have brought collaborators around the table to coordinate services, facilitate earlier diagnosis and to promote advocacy efforts. Three issues have surfaced as important topics in the state: lowering the age of diagnosis, enhancing the collaboration between school, medical providers and families; and facilitating the delivery of ABA services, including promoting collaborating between schools and providers.  To address these issues, a core group of individuals in Indiana have worked together using a collective impact or shared leadership model.  As a result of this model, a number of outcomes have been achieved:

Act Early materials from the Centers for Disease Control have been distributed statewide, and a consensus brochure developed and broadly disseminated.

Articles that discuss the transition from ABA programs to schools, and that highlight features of ABA programs that parents should consider when choosing one have been written.

Schools and ABA providers have shared models for integrating these two systems together in a manner that benefits students.

Funding options for ABA and other services have continued to be refined and redefined collaboratively with critical partners at the table.

Opportunities have been provided for individuals from different perspectives to come together to reach consensus and to facilitate ongoing conversation.

Information has been shared with schools and medical providers to facilitate collaboration, including the Indiana Academy of Pediatrics. 

Continual work has occurred with insurance companies and other funding agencies around ABA services. 

 Indiana has a long history of success in passing autism legislation, including the first Medicaid waiver, the first insurance mandate, mandated first responder training, seclusion and restraint legislation.  These successes have occurred because the autism community has come together with a united front.  These additional initiatives are meant to build on this momentum.   Our hope is that this session can ignite ideas for other states, and also that attendees can share their approaches and experiences.

Learning Objectives: