Letter From the Director
Dear Friends:
As I watch the changing colors of the season brilliantly paint the neighborhoods, I am reminded that things are always changing. Change has a natural process but also requires activating forces. At the Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI™), things are always changing. The changes occur as we make breakthrough discoveries in our research, create innovations in clinical care, and design more effective ways to support families and professionals in the global community.
Despite the changes, our commitment to autistic individuals and their families remains the same. These are exciting times, as we are on the cusp of celebrating the 30th anniversary of the founding of our center. It was in 1995 that CASSI (formerly the Center for Autism and Related Disorders, or CARD) was founded. When we first started, we provided care to only about 350 patients a year and had a staff of six (mostly part-time) employees. Now, we care for over 6,000 patients a year and have over 225 staff members across four sites! We will be celebrating this milestone anniversary with many activities throughout 2025, and we hope you will join us.
In this Fall 2024 CASSI update, we provide a snippet of the many advances generated by CASSI staff members this year, and a peek at one of our community outreach and partnership activities.
We appreciate the support and confidence that our patients, research participants and families, and community partners have placed in us and in our work. I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter, and I look forward to celebrating our anniversary with you, and with all of our supporters.
Best,
Rebecca Landa, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL
Founder and Executive Director, CASSI
Research Spotlight: Social Communication Intervention Study
Kennedy Krieger Institute is looking for toddlers, ages 1.5–3.5 years old, with a social communication delay or autism, and one of their parent to participate in a research study offering a 12-week early intervention.
This study includes:
- Questionnaires about the toddlers and their parents
- Developmental assessments for the toddlers
- Random assignment to either virtual or in-person intervention sessions
Eligible families receive a 12-week intervention and a $50 incentive.
For more information, email Reach@KennedyKrieger or call 877-850-3372.
Community Outreach Spotlight
We know that the pandemic has been the most difficult challenge affecting society in decades. It has disrupted many aspects of life, including health, mental health, social vulnerability, the economy and education. This impact was also noted in the school readiness of young learners, with declines in the percentage of kindergarteners entering classrooms with the knowledge, skills and behavior needed to fully engage in the kindergarten curriculum in Maryland.
To offset these gaps and inequities, the Maryland State Department of Education provided Maryland Rebuilds grant funding opportunities in 2022 to elevate the early childhood education profession to build a strong educational foundation for early childhood education in Maryland. CASSI was one of several organizations to be awarded funding. We designed and implemented an innovative professional development program to support the state’s child care and early education systems in recovering from and mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s learning and kindergarten readiness.
The Maryland Rebuilds core team included CASSI educators, school psychologists and speech-language pathologists who created multiple professional development learning opportunities, including:
- Monthly community of practice meetings
- A virtual guided observation process of CASSI’s model inclusive pre-K classrooms
- Individualized community on-site classroom observations and coaching sessions
- Instructional kits for educators and families
- Access to comprehensive web-based learning modules.
As a result, 70 early childhood professionals from 11 different counties across the state completed the Maryland Rebuilds comprehensive tiered professional development program.
Annual Autism Conference
Join professionals, parents and caregivers at the 22 Annual Autism Conference: Innovations in Autism Care and Education!
The Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI™) at Kennedy Krieger is thrilled to host a dynamic virtual event on December 10, 2024, featuring real-time sessions delivered by experts working in the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) field.
Experience the Annual Autism Conference online without the need for travel expenses or time off from work with on-demand access available until February 28, 2025. Earn continuing education credits from the comfort of your home!
Early bird registration fees expire on November 10. Register at KennedyKrieger.org/AutismConference2024 for this great learning event.
An Unforgettable Golf Outing
Thanks to all those golfers and non-golfers alike who participated in our 2024 Charity Golf Outing. The weather was beautiful (albeit hot), the course was lush and green, and most importantly, we raised more than $50,000 to support the services, programs and research at CASSI.
And thank you to all of our golfers for purchasing all those mulligans! We are very appreciative for your support. We hope they helped out!
Be sure to mark your calendars for our next golf outing on August 4, 2025. Registration information will be available in early spring. See you on the links!