In an effort to provide information and reliable techniques to teachers and parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Napa County Office of Education is compiling a resource guide based on the findings of leading experts in the field.

The Autism Spectrum Disorders: Guidelines for Effective Interventions Project is the largest autism education program in Napa County history, said NCOE Superintendent Barbara Nemko, culminating in a comprehensive “evidence-based” review of interventions commonly used for children with ASD.

Managed by NCOE and spearheaded by the California Department of Developmental Services, 40 experts across California are collaborating with research teams, including Stanford University School of Medicine, to create a “practical guide and source of information for parents and professionals.” Scheduled for completion in May 2008, the document will be distributed in Napa as a free and public document available in print and online. Nemko hopes the final project might include a DVD as well.

“The thinking behind (the project),” she said, “is with the dramatic rise in autism over the last few years, lots of things have been tried, but not all of them have been effective. We want to highlight the ones that work.”

Andrea Knowlton, director of early childhood services at NCOE, said it will be helpful to have “one source that we can go to look at the different interventions currently being offered that are successful, and possible interventions for the future.” This is particularly important, she said, because there is a lot of contradictory information out there.

“There is a lot of information out there, especially on the Internet,” she said. “Some is good and evidence-based practice, and some is not so good. It can be difficult to sort through.”

As a result, said Napa Valley Unified School District Director of Special Education Adam Stein, teachers “are often underinformed and can actually make the situation worse for these kids.” Further difficulties arise when parents and teachers employ different techniques and learning methods. This project will help maintain consistency between the home and school, said Nemko, and throughout the educational track.

“Students with autism are a challenge in schools and a tremendous challenge to parents,” she said. “The better we can do to learn what works and identify that and give information to teachers and parents, the better we can do in school and the easier it is for us to provide that education.”