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Related Programs

Public Awareness & Education

Annual Conference The Third Annual CARD Conference was held in Tampa, January, 20-21, 1996. More than 300 family members, professionals and therapists attended the conference that focused on "Tools to Promote Successful Experiences." Conference highlights included keynote presentations by Edward Carr on "Positive Behavioral Support for Problem Behavior," Lise Fox on "Supporting Families of Young Children with Problem Behavior," Kathleen Gee on "Inclusion: Consider the Possibilities," and Gary Mesibov on "General Issues Facing Adults and Adolescents with Autism." The conference was sponsored by all five CARD centers, the Autism Society of Florida, and Services for Students with Dual Sensory Impairments. The Fourth Annual CARD Conference,"Open Windows: A Horizon of Opportunities," will be held on January 18-19, 1997 in Tampa. Reaching Out Resource Library In cooperation with the Florida Mental Health Institute library, an autism reference library that includes various books and videos was created. All materials are available to parents, professional, students, and the general public. Developing Materials Various informational materials were developed by CARD-USF, including Fact Sheets for families and professionals focusing on issues and best practices related to individuals with autism and related disabilities. Return to Top

Related Programs CARD-USF is administered through Florida Mental Health Institute's Division of Applied Research and Education Support that also includes several projects that are closely related to CARD. Three projects are directly affiliated and include staff who contribute directly to CARD-USF functions.

Individualized Support Program (ISP) ISP is a federally funded, intensive early intervention program that provides comprehensive supports for very young children with autism and related disabilities and severe problem behavior. The fundamental objective of the project is to improve the current and future lives of the child and the child's family. This involves helping the child to develop communication, social and play skills, interests, and relationships to the fullest extent possible. It means providing the child with the resources that are most valuable in preventing the occurrence of serious problem behaviors. ISP also helps the child's family participate in the development of and implementation of plans for the child's development and support. Statewide Training in Positive Behavioral Support: Development of Curriculum Materials This project focuses on the production of training modules to be used in comprehensive training in positive behavior support. The materials will provide the foundation content upon which training for teachers, related educational personnel, therapists, and state agency personnel, and parents will be based. Research and Training Center on Positive Behavioral Support (RTC) RTC, as part of a national effort affiliated with five other universities, develops strategies for resolving serious problem behaviors and conducts training in positive behavioral support. At USF, research has been carried out in the areas of curriculum development, family, functional assessment, and comprehensive support programs. The resources of this project have enabled CARD to participate in intensive support efforts that can serve as models for training purposes.

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