Dr Rose Dixon, Assoc Prof. Mitch Byrne ( UOW) Lan Zhang ( Big Fat Smile) Presented at Aspect Education in Autism Conference, Melbourne,May, 2016

 China has a huge population of families with a child with autism  Prevalence is 2.6 million children,120 million people effected  Educational levels are low in terms of ASD  Urgent need to develop parent and teacher education and training  Research into ASD is at a basic level  Looking for overseas expertese to rapidly build capacity

 UOW and Rehabilitation Association of China Disabled Persons' Federation ( CAPPDR)  Designed to assist with capacity building in the area of community and professional services for people, in particular young children, with autism and their families.  As identified by CAPPDR, the Chinese community currently has too few sufficiently trained professionals to meet the needs of children and their families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).  Further, there is a need for interventions to be guided by evidence-based practice.

 UOW and CAPPDR to facilitate both capacity building through professional learning and education programs over a defined time frame – approximately 5 years in the first instance  Models of service must incorporate assistance to families to manage their experience of having a child with ASD, as well as be partners with government service providers in enhancing the developmental trajectories of their children – to be able to take an active role in treatment and development.

 UOW and CAPPDR an incremental and iterative training framework that will provide  (1) a comprehensive Professional Learning Program to be overseen by CAPPDR with assistance from UOW, and  (2) a progression framework for professionals working for and with CAPPDR to obtain Australian standard and recognised tertiary qualifications in Special Education and/or other relevant disciplines.

 Entry-level skills based training can be offered through an Advanced Certificate to be coordinated in China by CAPPDR with initial guidance and support from UOW. This certificate will facilitate rapid capacity enhancement in the Chinese workforce, with a view to introducing contemporary international standards in working with people with autism and their families, as well as creating a structure for continuing professional learning. Initially, (2- 3 years), the UOW could offer an Advanced Certificate without assessment which would provide a non- transferable (to Australia) certificate of completion to students. Such a course would focus on direct service delivery skills in areas such as behaviour management, use of visual systems to enhance communication, how to work with ASD natural interests etc. The content of such a course can be negotiated.

 The next level of training would be a Graduate Diploma (in Special Education). Entrance to this program would require an existing undergraduate qualification, although some applicants may be admitted if they both have completed the Advanced Certificate and have relevant employment experience. This would be a 48-credit point course (typically 8 subjects), delivered in English through a Beijing based tertiary institution to be negotiated with the assistance of CAPPDR. It must be delivered in English in order to be eligible by AQF for Australian recognition of achievement. Further, assessment, would be managed by the UOW.

 “Autism Visual Support Strategies and Behaviour Management”  For the Project of the Rehabilitation Association of China Disabled Persons' Federation (CAPPDR)  Target Group-Teachers -70  Centres= Schools  Training Content  Results – Very positive

Strengths, weaknesses and routines. 优势，弱点和日程表 Dr Rose Dixon 柔丝 迪克森 University of Wollongong 卧龙岗大学

1. Strengths & weaknesses 2. Explanatory Theories 3. Memory 4. Application to teaching and learning 1. 优势 & 弱点 1. 解释理论 1. 记忆力 1. 教学和学习中的应用

Descriptive Statistics N Mini mum Maxi mumMean Std. Deviatio n Overall my knowledge was improved through my attendance at the workshop today Overall, my skills were improved through my attendance at the workshop Todays workshop was applicable to my day to day duties I would recommend todays workshop to other professionals who are working with people who have autism The program was well paced within the allotted time The material was presented in an organised manner Because of todays workshop I feel more confident in my ability to help people who have autism I intend to use some of the skills that I learned in todays workshop in my work Overall the presenters knew their material well Overall I had fun and enjoyed todays workshop Valid N (listwise) 291