Applied Behavior Analysis Training for After-School Staff: A Grant Proposal Megan Rein   California State University, Long Beach Master of Social Work, May 2013

Introduction Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a growing concern in the United States, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2012) reported that the estimated number of children diagnosed with ASD is 1 in 88. Haney (2011) conducted a study that examined parents’ of children diagnosed with ASD current needs for and past involvements with after-school programming. This researcher reported that of the parents (n=54) he surveyed the majority, 69%, stated that they have a need for quality after-school care. Haney (2011) also found that when staff members at the after-school program had an understanding of the needs of the child and an ongoing relationship with the family the experience for the child was more likely to be a positive one The purpose of this project is to develop a grant to fund the program “Applied Behavior Analysis Training for After-School Staff” in partnership with the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of South East Ventura County. The projects goal is increase after-school staff’s knowledge of ABA techniques when working with children diagnosed with ASD.

Social Work Relevance According the National Association of Social Works Code of Ethics (2012) section 6.04 “Social workers should act to prevent and eliminate domination of, exploitation of, and discrimination against any person, group, or class on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, or mental or physical disability” (National Association of Social Workers, 2012) This training program would encourage inclusion and diversity awareness. This training program is designed to equip staff to meet the needs of children with ASD, which will help children and families who are in need of after- school services.

Cross-Cultural Relevance Girls have a prevalence rate of 1 in 252 and boys having an estimated prevalence rate of 1 in 54 (CDC, 2012) Children identified with ASD are an ethnically diverse group. The specific prevalence rates are as follows: 12 per 1,000 for White Non-Hispanic, 10.2 per 1,000 for Black, 7.9 per 1,000 for Hispanic and 9.7 per 1,000 for Asian or Pacific Islander (CDC, 2012) Through this training program staff will become more culturally competent due to the diversity of the population

Methods Target population for this grant is the employees who are working in after-school programs at the South East Ventura County YMCA Grant sources were sought through the local, state, and federal levels such as the Ventura County Community Foundation, California Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Internet was also utilized to search for funding sources. The grant writer examined each funding source with the criteria of the proposed program in mind, such as the described field of interest of the foundation, amount available for funding, open application status, and geographic area of focus. The criteria of the proposed program played a major role in the selection of a funding source The Amgen Foundation, based in Thousand Oaks, California, is the funding source that was selected for this project. This project falls under The Amgen Foundation’s giving category of community life which focuses on ensuring that essential health and social services, environmental programs, the excitement of the sciences, and the richness of the arts are more accessible to all members of the community (Amgen Foundation, 2012).

Methods Continued For information on the needs of the autism community, public sources such as the U.S. Department of Education, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and school districts that serve the South East Ventura County YMCA were explored for data related to autism prevalence in the specific community this program targets. Private sources such as Autism Speaks were also used to examine the autism community’s need for resources. The total budget for this project is $48,850 of that $30,000 comes from in-kind support. The remaining $18,850 is divided between salaries and wages and direct program costs. The total cost of salaries and wages is $13,850. The remaining $5,000 is allotted to cover direct program costs which includes program supplies, printing and food supplies.

Grant Proposal The goal of this project is to develop the program “Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Training for After-School Staff” in partnership with the YMCA of South East Ventura County. After-school programming is offered by the South East Ventura County YMCA in four school districts: Conejo Valley, Simi Valley, Moorpark, and Las Virgenes Unified School Districts. The California Department of Education’s (2010) DataQuest program reported that in the four school districts served there are a total of 439 children diagnosed with Autism ages 0-11.

Grant Proposal Continued The low direct costs and budgeted salaries make the program more sustainable than larger programs but this program does rely on grant funding therefor it requires yearly grant applications. Objectives: To educate the YMCA staff on the specific needs of children diagnosed with ASD and on the challenges they face. To educate the YMCA staff on the techniques of ABA to better manage the behaviors that are exhibited by children diagnosed with ASD. This program will be evaluated using several different methods: administration of tests before, during, and after the training; bi-annual staff evaluations by supervisors; and parent surveys

Lesson Learned The primary lesson that was learned by this writer was in the process of writing a grant. This includes but is not limited to compiling research, searching for funders and identifying the target population. The process of learning to write a grant proved to be a lengthy one but the skill has been shown to be extremely important, with lasting impressions on this writer’s future in the social work profession. As a result of this project, this writer will have opportunities to have an effect on the services being offered to children, youth, and families on a macro level.

References Amgen Foundation. (2013). Amgen Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.amgen.com/citizenship/foundation.html Baer D.M, Wolf M.M, Risley T.R. (1968) Some current dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 91–97. California Department of Education. (2010, March 23). DataQuest. Sacramento, CA. Retrieved from http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network - 2012. Atlanta, GA: Author, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Durlak, J.A., & Weissberg, R.P. (2007). The impact of after-school programs that promote personal and social skills. Chicago, IL: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. Retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://www.casel.org. Dietel, R. (2009). After-school programs: Finding the right dose. Phi Delta Kappan, 91(3), 62-64. Haney, M. (2012). After school care for children on the Autism spectrum. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 21(3), 466-473. doi:10.1007/s10826-011-9500-1 National Association of Social Workers. (2012). Code of Ethics. Author, National Association of Social Workers. Shernoff, D. J. (2010). Engagement in after-School programs as a predictor of social competence and academic performance. American Journal of Community Psychology, 45(3/4), 325-337. doi:10.1007/s10464-010-9314-0 Zinkil, S. S., & Gilbert, T. S. (2000). Parents' view: What to consider when contemplating inclusion. Intervention In School & Clinic, 35(4), 224.