The Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (K-CART), established in 2008, is dedicated to disseminating research-based knowledge to Kansas educational, medical and allied practitioners thhrough pre-, in-service, training and consulting.
Beginning in May 2008, K-CART under its parent KU unit, the Life Span Unit, partnered with the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services to launch the Autism Training Program. The mission of the program is to increase the number of qualified service providers in Kansas to support home and community-based services to facilitate program development, implementation and coordination of interventions for people with Autism Spectrum Disorders in multiple environments including home, community, and school. The ATP gives trainees a basic understanding of evidence-based strategies to increase learning and decrease behaviors that interfere with learning to improve the functional skills and social-communicative ability of children and youth with ASD and their families.
The ATP also includes a short-term goal of training the service providers (Intensive Individual Support Providers) who are participating in the Kansas Autism Waiver program. The ATP is partially funded through the State of Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services in collaboration with the University of Kansas Life Span Institute.
Researchers and clinicians at the Center for Child Health and Development consult with physicians through telehealth and continuing education, hold diagnostic clinics and train medical students.
Affiliated K-CART researchers of the Kansas Institute for Positive Behavior Support train professionals in the fields of developmental disabilities, mental health, and child welfare who are then eligible to bill Medicaid for Positive Behavior Support services.
