The Community of Practice in Autism (CoPA) is a statewide network of providers supporting infants and young children (birth-3 years) with (or suspected of) a diagnosis of autism, and their families. Join CoPA for a packed day as we head west to Roanoke to share strategies, resources, and ideas.

Alicia Hart, Autism Spectrum Disorder Coordinator at the Autism Center for Excellence at Virginia Commonwealth University, and a former Florida early interventionist brings her expertise and knowledge as a parent of a child with autism, an author of two books (with one under development) and a presenter on a multitude of autism-related topics. Alicia will focus her session on autism, early intervention and coaching, providing strategies to support parents and caregivers in exploring complex processes while breaking those processes into smaller, manageable, and attainable steps.

A panel of local system managers and providers will also share collaborative and innovative strategies to advance supports and services for very young children with autism and their families. Topics will include: the use of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) as certified early interventionists providing developmental services, screening children for potential autism spectrum disorders, and collaborating with system partners for assessment and service implementation. Participants will have opportunities to consider systemic, programmatic initiatives for their communities.

REGISTER for the CoPA PreConference day!

PreConference sessions will be offered on Wednesday July 19th.