Clinic improves education
outcomes for students with autism
T
he UK Center for Autism Spectrum
Evaluation, Service, and Research (CASPER)
offers intervention approaches for children
with autism spectrum disorder by providing
psychological services and support.
competitive applicants for internships and future
employment. The local community also has access to
services in their own backyard that often have very
lengthy waitlists, sometimes up to one year, at other
centers.”
Services provided by UK school psychology graduate
students are supervised by licensed psychologists
and faculty members of the school psychology
program, including Drs. Jonathan Campbell, Rachel
Hammond, Alicia Fedewa, Lisa Ruble and Sycarah
Fisher.
In addition to their work with children and families,
school psychology program faculty members
contribute to a growing body of research and
training for working with ASD-diagnosed students in
the school setting.
“The clinic ensures students within the school
psychology program have direct training in
providing diagnostic and treatment services for
youth with ASD as well as to meet the community
demands for these services,” said Dr. Rachel Aiello,
a recent alumna. “The creation of this program
is really a win-win situation. The autism program
allows students to get training experiences with
the ASD population, which makes them more
Most children with autism rely on schools as their
primary source of intervention. Yet research suggests
we need to study ways to help teachers use evidencebased practices, says Dr. Lisa Ruble, director of the
Autism Services Research Group at UK. Ruble’s
research and practice involve a model called
COMPASS, an evidence-based program designed
to improve educational outcomes of students with
autism.
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