Children with autism need support, but their parents and caregivers do too

ST. LOUIS COUNTY ? There is an acute need for people in our region who are trained to provide quality behavioral respite programming, in particular for children with autism. Children are, by far, our most underserved population.

Not only is there a need for more care providers but also for increased expertise and training in serving children with autism who require intensive programming. This is coupled with a need for increased cultural competency. St. Louis County's families of color and low-income families of children with autism have shared their experiences, helping us identify this need.

In April 2016, St. Louis County received a grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services specific to respite services for individuals with autism. We have identified this as a very specific need for children in St. Louis County and are working to:

Develop a training curriculum/toolkit and

provide training to respite service providers. Increase the network of providers that

have training in autism spectrum disorder

(ASD) in order to better meet the current

needs in the community through person

centered and culturally competent service

delivery.

In order to ensure we are addressing the gaps in service and support, we've held numerous focus groups with families, caregivers, providers and social workers. A stakeholder group has been formed to guide and inform the process and work overall. Stakeholders include: Amber Madoll, Duluth parent; Jessica Lindberg, Virginia parent; Erik Sather, Duluth parent; Dr. Don Ferguson, St. Louis County child psychologist; Dr. Jessica Schililng, Polinsky Rehab Center (Essentia Health) child psychologist; Dr. Kelsey Berg, Harbor City Psychologists; and Mary Truscott, Fond du Lac Health and Human Services. Early on, stakeholders and partners gathered for a visioning and strategic planning meeting to address specific questions through a PATH (Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope) process, facilitated by Trillium staff.

Many exciting developments have and continue to come out of this process, and the results are open to the community, families, providers and other counties in our region. For instance, an in-depth positive support basics training created by Dr. Kidd and Kara Long specifically for working with children and adults with autism has been very successful. There are five more sessions scheduled and available in both Duluth and Virginia. The trainings are geared towards providers, parents, caregivers and others who are supporting individuals with autism such as teachers and paraprofessionals. Please contact Laura Birnbaum for more information and to register at 218-726-2492 or birnbauml@ stlouiscountymn. gov.

We have coordinated educational/ networking events for parents and providers as well. These events occur in the evening with a meal and childcare provided. They are typically held at the Mountain Iron Community Center and the DRCC in Duluth. We have partnered with other organizations to provide information and other helpful tools at these events, including AuSM (Autism Society of Minnesota) and Yoga North.

As an example, we held an event last week in Mt. Iron (and will hold a similar event on Monday, July 31, in Duluth for anyone interested in attending) with a focus on helping parents create a calm environment to benefit their child, themselves and the rest of the family. The session also includes information and materials to create a "Busy Box" to engage a child.

Our next event will be a workshop/training for parents and providers supporting children with multiple diagnoses including autism and mental health diagnoses. Dr. Schilling and Dr. Berg will be co-presenting this workshop in Duluth at DRCC on Tuesday, Sept. 12, and at the Mountain Iron Community Center on Tuesday, Sept. 26. Please contact Laura Birnbaum or stay tuned for details! You also can find us on Facebook by searching for Autism Respite Grant-St. Louis County.

St. Louis County continues to do outreach to share opportunities through this grant. We hope to continue to build resources for children, families and adults with disabilities who may otherwise experience barriers to the supports that they need.

Laura Birnbaum is a social worker for St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services.