The Autism Center

Clinical Services

The Autism Center uses best practice guidelines for screening, diagnosis and comprehensive developmental assessment for children suspected of having an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We also provide diagnostic clarification for children previously diagnosed whose families are seeking guidance regarding their child’s diagnosis and care plan.

Children who receive a comprehensive assessment at our center and require additional medical/allied health evaluations in specialized areas (e.g., gastroenterology, Nutrition, etc.) have access to these Pediatric Sub-Specialties within the University as part of their overall evaluation. An interdisciplinary team case discussion takes place to review all clinical findings and provide evidence-based recommendations for medical, behavioral and educational interventions. 

Social Work Services are offered to address the needs of children diagnosed with an ASD and their families.  An initial biopsychosocial assessment reviews six areas of family functioning: living conditions, financial conditions, support to caregivers, caregiver/child interactions, and developmental stimulation and caregiver interactions.  This assessment assists us in generating individualized goals that are designed to enhance areas of family strength and underline areas that need support. 
Support services offered include:

• Family support groups (focused on understanding, accepting, and living with the diagnosis).
• Educational workshops (topics include “Overview of Autism Spectrum Disorders and ABA” and “Managing Challenging Behavior”).
• Education and support for siblings of children with an ASD.

Social workers also assist families in coordinating the myriad of services that may be required in providing the necessary supports for each family and child.   Systems advocacy and coaching in techniques of self-advocacy are also a part of the service delivery system.

The ABA Parent Training Program provides hands-on training, to teach parents to implement Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) with their children.  ABA has been shown to be successful for treatment of autism spectrum disorders -- and is effective for teaching new skills (including social interactions, language, and play skills) and reducing challenging behaviors.  ABA works by breaking things that children need to learn down into small steps--and teaching one step at a time, using lots of practice and positive reinforcement.
Participation in the program includes:

• An assessment attended by parent(s) and child to identify relevant goals to address during the course of the program.
• A didactic training workshop.
• Daily hands-on parent training sessions (Mon-Fri, for 1 hour each day) for a period of up to 6 months.  Sessions are attended by at least 1 parent and the child.  During each session, the trainer works hands-on with the parent to teach the child the skills identified during the initial assessment.  
• Follow-up visits (1 month and 3 months after sessions have been completed).

This program is open only to children with an ASD who have been evaluated at UMDNJ. For parents who are concerned about missing work to participate in the program with their child, we can provide information that may help them to work with employers to obtain temporary leave hours.