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UC Riverside's Autism Center Recruiting Families

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - An autism resource center at UC Riverside is conducting screening clinics for young children suspected of having autism and recruiting parents for group sessions about treatment options that will begin this summer. (Media-Newswire.com) - RIVERSIDE, Calif. - An autism resource center at UC Riverside is conducting screening clinics for young children suspected of having autism and recruiting parents for group sessions about treatment options that will begin this summer. "This is all about creating an appropriate education program," said Jan Blacher, founder and director of SEARCH ( Support, Education, Advocacy, Resources, Community, Hope ) center and professor of education. "There is absolutely nowhere in the Inland Empire for parents to go to find that. We have tried to create one-stop shopping." The screening clinics, which are ideal for children 2 to 5 years old but open to everyone, provide an in-depth assessment using the Autism Diagnostic Observation System. They are being conducted in English or Spanish on the UCR campus and in the San Bernardino Unified School District. Three UCR doctoral students traveled to the University of Michigan to learn the system. Funding from First 5 San Bernardino made that training possible. Meanwhile, the group sessions are aimed at parents of children with autism up to age 7 years, said Blacher, who was recently named co-chair of the Inland Empire Autism Regional Taskforce. Parents will meet in groups once a week for three weeks to learn about evidence-based autism education programs. In the fourth week, parents can attend an optional one-on-one session with a staff member who will consult about their child’s education program. Parents who want more information about the group sessions or screening clinics can call SEARCH at 951-