Autism center receives nearly $27K grant

The Indiana Resource Center for Autism received nearly $27,000 to fund a project to improve autistic children’s social skills through video self-modeling.\nThe $26,848 grant comes from the Organization for Autism Research based in Arlington, Va. Scott Bellini of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, who is also an assistant professor for IU’s Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, has invested his time in the project. The grant is an extension of Bellini’s preceding work on video self-modeling. \nThe project is called “Increasing Social Engagement in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Using Video Self-Modeling and Peer Training.” The funds will be used to buy audio and video equipment, as well as employ \nresearch assistants. \nBellini’s model has gained national acclaim. He has traveled to 25 states in the past two years talking to sold-out crowds about his model. In video self-modeling, children watch a video of themselves doing a social behavior correctly. Bellini said in an e-mail that it is important to show positive behavior rather than negative, because children learn best when they are shown how to do something rather than told how to do something.\nThese videos will show the child “independently and effectively interacting with peers,” Bellini said. \nBased on this model and previous studies he has done, he said he thinks this will tremendously help the social skills of children affected by autism. Bellini also states that “social engagement is a critical element of development.” Social skills are extremely important to children affected by autism. This grant will also help to put into practice video self-modeling in a school setting in Indiana. \n“Scott has done the most amazing things for this field,” said Rachel Oxnard, one of Bellini’s doctoral students who works with him at the Social Skills Research Center, which just opened last week. “In November of 2007, he talked to a room filled to the brim in Bloomington. So many people were there.” \nThe Social Skills Research Center merges the resources of the Indiana Resource Center with the IU School of Education to help teach social skills to children with autism or on the autism spectrum. \n“This grant is providing a crucial service for families in the community,” Oxnard said. “They need it more now because more children are being diagnosed with autism and have questions about autism. They can bring their children to the center and we can help them with it.” \nGraduate student Lauren Benner said she hopes the new center will help parents become more independent.\n“My goal is to help collaborate with parents so that they are not always dependent on the practitioner,” Benner said. “They can do training at home and at the clinic.” \nBenner has also co-authored research articles with Bellini.\n“There is a huge need to teach these social skills, but up until now, not a lot of programs were beneficial and available to parents and practitioners,” Bellini said.