Center for Disabilities Studies

Spectrum Scholars conducts autism acceptance training for UD career services Spectrum Scholars, the college-to-career program supporting UD undergrads with autism, continued its series of autism acceptance trainings with a presentation to the UD Career Services Center. The session covered specific techniques career counselors can use and emphasized that interview skills and internships are crucial for job-seekers with autism.

CDS, health care startup win federal award to develop care coordination app The CDS-administered Family SHADE project, which connects families and care providers to each other and to information that benefits children with special health care needs, has teamed with Danio Diary, a health care app that allows everyone involved in providing care to an individual to see and update the same set of records. Family SHADE and Danio Diary won the first of three phases in the Health Resources and Services Administration’s innovation in care coordination challenge and now have the opportunity to test and tweak their product.

CDS’s Pell, other Delaware women leaders denounce gendered school discipline At the first annual Women’s Leadership Conference Delaware, Pell joined a panel of education leaders to examine how gender informs the use of traditional discipline, such as suspension and expulsion, as well as the growing use of group discussion and mediation. While rates of discipline for female students are lower than those for male students, they are increasing among certain groups of females, especially African Americans. Conversely, among school administrators, female educators are more likely to use discussion and mediation than males.

First Spectrum Scholars training acquaints UD resident assistants with autism The 10-year, CDS-administered program to support UD students with autism offered its first community training on autism acceptance in collaboration with UD Residence Life & Housing last week. Resident assistants gathered for a session covering challenges college students with autism face and considerations for interacting with residents who have autism.

A place for all to shine The University of Delaware Magazine profiles the UD and JPMorgan Chase collaboration to create Spectrum Scholars, a 10-year program supporting UD undergrads on the autism spectrum pursuing careers in electrical engineering and computer science. In seeking to boost employment opportunities for individuals on the spectrum, the program will also offer training in areas like effective communication to UD faculty, staff and community businesses. Administered by CDS, Spectrum Scholars will accept between 5 and 8 students per year, starting in Fall 2019.