Information Resources
April Autism Highlights from Around the Network 
The MCH Training Program has gathered presentation, webinar, event, conference, training initiative, and professional development grant opportunities from around the network that are related to autism.
Autism Society Affiliate Toolkit
The NAAM toolkit resources include an engagement guide (local activities, getting media attention, social media engagement, narratives and national calendar), sample press release, sample proclamation for elected officials, and logos, images and fliers.
Autism Speaks Toolkits
A series of toolkits for family members, practitioners, and other stakeholders on a variety of autism-related topics is available on the Autism Speaks site. Toolkit topics include behavioral health, advocacy, dental visits, feeding behavior, providing feedback to families, housing and residential supports, and others. Some resources are available in Spanish.
10 Things to Know About New Autism Data
CDC Feature
From the fact that “1 in 68 children were diagnosed with autism” to “boys were almost 5 times more likely to be identified with ASD,” this article presents 10 estimates from the recent ADDM Network report.
MCH Library ASD Resources
Knowledge Path & Briefs
Resources designed to help health professionals, program administrators, policymakers, and researchers learn more about ASD screening, diagnosis, treatment, care, and impact on family life are included on this page. Also, tools for health care practices; training; improving state systems and services; research; and finding data and statistics, journal articles, reports, and other materials are listed. Companion resource briefs include:
Prevalence of ASD Among Children Aged 8 Years
Findings Report
The ADDM Network has new data that show the estimated number of children identified with ASD continues to rise, and the picture of ASD in communities has changed. CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Surveillance Summaries has released the findings in their report.
NIMH Director Blogs on Autism Awareness
March 27, 2014 Post
Tom Insel, MD, director of the National Institute on Mental Health, discusses new research findings important to autism research and treatment.
How to Think about the Risk of Autism
March 29, 2014 New York Times Article
In this opinion piece, Sam Wang, associate profession of molecular biology and neuroscience at Princeton, has applied a meta-analytical technique to autism research literature. Finding it’s nearly impossible to get a good overall perspective from news reports, he provides a way to look at all data at once with risk ratios.
National Standards for Systems of Care for CYSHCN
The standards address the core components of the structure and process of an effective system of care for CYSHCN and were derived from a literature review, project guidance from 30+ key informants, case studies, and a national work group. The process to develop the standards is one of the first efforts of its kind.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis for School Health Screenings
Case-Based Curriculum
“The Governor Is Very Interested” asks students to assess the evidence for costs and potential savings with public health programs, such as BMI and eating disorders screenings. Created by The Harvard School of Public Health’s Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders, their case curriculum presents real-world dilemmas while encouraging student problem solving and teamwork.
Adolescent Health Highlights
Report Series
NAHIC and Child Trends have collaborated on a series of 3 reports addressing current issues in adolescent health:
- Physical Development and Daily Health Habits : nurturing healthy habits during adolescence to support physical growth and impact of habits on diet, physical activity, sleep, and oral health.
- Chronic Conditions : prevalence of chronic conditions in adolescents, disparities, trends in incidence, special health care needs of adolescents with chronic conditions, and implications for adolescents’ families.
- A Research-Based Case for Adolescent Health Care Services : recommendations on what health care services adolescents need and how they are best provided, data on adolescents receiving needed services, and examination of the barriers to obtaining services.
National Children’s Study
Data Brief
The NCS has released a Data Brief providing analysis of recruitment approaches from 3 phases of its pilot Vanguard Study began in 2009. As of December 2013, it includes about 5,050 children born to enrolled mothers in 40 locations. The NCS will perform a series of assessments on and follow the children until they reach age 21.
Training and Educational Resources
Autism Matters Podcasts
Archived Series
Hosted by Dr Laura Crane, these podcasts showcase the latest research published in Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice in a way that is accessible, easy to understand and has real world relevance. Anyone from academics to those simply interested in the topic will enjoy this series.
Autism NOW Webinars
Archived Series
This 3-year archive of webinars on topics designed to help people with ASDs and other DDs include titles such as Family-Centered Transition Planning for Students, Military Families and ASD, and Quality of Life Outcomes. Some are available for a small fee and many are free.
Autism Research Webinars
Archived Series
The SFARI Webinar Series highlights interesting findings, techniques or topics in autism research. Presenters include leaders in the field as well as up-and-coming researchers. Archived topics include neuroimaging and autism, high risk infant studies, autism neurobiology, and others.
Center for Development and Disability Webinars
Archived Series
In addition to such topics as considerations for students with ASD for families, and talking to your child about ASD, these UNM webinars include a variety of topics and presentations from the 6th Annual PROJECT SET Conference Series on early intervention and autism.
Assessment & Evaluation in IPE: Lessons Learned Webinar
April 22, 2014
2:00pm to 3:00pm EDT
The NCIPE is hosting the second webinar in an ongoing series on assessment in interprofessional education and collaborative practice. Join Amy Blue, PhD, Benjamin Chesluk, PhD, and Lisa Conforti, MPH, as they report their findings from a multi-methods study examining assessment and evaluation practices in interprofessional education.
National Center's Measurement Instruments Collection Intro
Archived Webinar
This presentation introduced a new collection of measurement instruments for interprofessional education and collaborative practice research via the Resource Exchange. Senior evaluation advisor Jean King and evaluation consultant Michelle Gensinger discussed their search process and inclusion criteria, as well as step-by-step instructions for using this new resource. It was hosted on February 12, 2014, by the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education.
National MCH Workforce Development Center Intro Webinar
Archive
This opportunity to learn more about the new MCH Workforce Development Center and engage in dialogue around how MCH Training Programs can collaborate with the Center is available on-demand. The MCH Workforce Development Center provides training, collaborative learning, coaching, and consultation to Title V leaders and staff in 4 core areas around implementation of health reform: access to care, quality improvement, systems integration, and population health (change) management.
Introduction to the National MCH Workforce Development Center (43:20 Flash Presentation)
Funding Opportunities
CDC – FASDs Practice and Implementation Centers
April 22, 2014 (Letter of Intent)
May 13, 2014 (Application)
Expand previous efforts from FASD training programs and shift the perspective of this work from individual training for practicing health care professionals to one that capitalizes on prevention opportunities and the ability to impact health care practice at the systems level through implementation centers. There is the need for stronger links with medical societies and national professional and partner organizations and more emphasis on practice change that will be sustained beyond CDC funding.
CDC – Improving FASD Prevention and Practice
April 22, 2014 (Letter of Intent)
May 13, 2014 (Application)
You will focus on strategies to improve delivery of care related to FASDs; promote training opportunities for health care professionals; create change around continuing educational requirements for provider groups; develop, integrate and disseminate content and messaging; and foster collaboration among medical organizations and CDC-funded FASD PICs.
HRSA: Safe Infant Sleep Systems
April 30, 2014
Funds are available to provide leadership by establishing, facilitating, and coordinating a national safe infant sleep coalition with the purpose of integrating safe sleep promotion throughout systems that serve families, with an emphasis on reaching communities at higher risk for SUID. Estimated total funding $5 million.
STTI: Global Nursing Research Grant
May 1, 2014
Propose a project that focuses on responding to health disparities globally with the principal investigator or investigators as registered nurses with a current license or master’s in nursing. The project should be ready to implement upon receipt of funding and be completed within 18 months. Expected: 1 grant of $12,000.
Ovarian Cancer Research Fund – Woman to Woman Program Grants
May 1, 2014
This support program pairs gynecologic cancer patients with trained survivor volunteers who provide one-on-one emotional support and mentoring. From diagnosis to treatment end, volunteers will help women and their families cope with gynecologic cancer. Medical institutions with gynecologic cancer patients and a need to provide this service can receive 1-year grants of up to $50,000 for this service.
HRSA – Network for Youth and Young Adults with ASDs
May 12, 2014
The MCH HCT-RN for Youth and Young Adults with ASDs is a cooperative agreement is to support the creation of an interdisciplinary, multi-center research forum for scientific collaboration and infrastructure-building, with a focus on research designed to improve health care transitions and promote an optimal transition to adulthood among youth and young adults with ASD. The HCT-RN will address lack of research on life course influences at all levels around the transition.
HRSA – Autism Intervention Research Program
May 12, 2014
The Program supports applied empirical research studies to advance the evidence base on the effectiveness of interventions to improve the health and well-being of children and adolescents with ASDs and DDs. It advances best practices for the screening and diagnosis of these at an earlier age. Applicants are encouraged to propose research studies that address the unique and unaddressed needs of underserved populations. HRSA is also interested in analyses of rural-urban differences.
HRSA – Autism Longitudinal Data Project
May 12, 2014
The Project supports the implementation and completion of research studies that examine longitudinal data on ASDs and DDs. This is to study risk factors of these conditions, the effects of various interventions, and trajectories of child development over the life course. The Project will provide leadership and education in studies of ASD intervention using longitudinal methods.
HRSA – Autism Data Analysis Studies Program
May 12, 2014
The Program supports secondary data analyses to advance the evidence base on the effectiveness of interventions and to advance best practices for the screening and diagnosis of ASD and DDs at an earlier age. Innovative secondary use of existing data from national datasets, administrative records and other publicly available datasets from a variety of sources is encouraged.
NIH – Pediatric Critical Care Network
June 2, 2014
Institutions proposing to serve as Clinical Sites in NICHD's multi-center CPCCRN are encouraged to apply for this research network. It will investigate the efficacy of treatment and management strategies to care for critically ill and injured children and seek to better understand the bases of critical illness and injury in childhood.
NIH – Pediatric Critical Care Network Data Center
June 2, 2014
Investigators will participate with the NICHD under a cooperative agreement as the DCC in an ongoing multicenter clinical program, the CPCCRN designed to carry out research in pediatric critical care.
NIH – Effects of Cannabis on the Brain
June 5, 2014 (R01)
June 16, 2014 (R03, R21)
Institutions and organizations that propose to study the effects and functional consequences of cannabis and cannabinoid exposures on the developing brain, from prenatal, perinatal, postnatal development through young adulthood in animal models and humans are encouraged to apply. Topics of interest pertaining to this announcement include, but are not limited to: molecular and cellular mechanisms of its effects on the developing brain; long-term functional consequences of its exposure on learning and memory, cognitive and emotional development.