Autism Assessment and Intervention Track

Please see the Training Program Overview for details that apply across all tracks.

Unique Training Elements for this Track

Autism Assessment Boot Camp Required:

Following general orientation, Regilda Romero, Ph.D. will spend a full week teaching and reviewing the most commonly used clinician-administered Autism assessments. This will include training in the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) Modules 1-4, Autism Diagnostic Interview ā€“ Revised (ADI-R), Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition (CARS -2) Monteiro Interview Guidelines for Diagnosing the Autism Spectrum, Second Edition (MIGDAS-2), Clinical Assessment of Pragmatics (CAPS), Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language, Second Edition (CASL-2). Dr. Romero will work with each postdoc individually to review a proficiency checklist and to make an individualized training plan for the remainder of the training year.Ā 

Comprehensive Autism Diagnostic Evaluations (CADE) Required:

Each postdoc will complete two CADEs per week. Most patient will be between the ages of 7 years old and 40 years old who are referred from the UF Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment (UF CAN). The intake interview will occur one week before the assessment day to allow adequate time for supervision. Feedback will occur one week from the date of testing. Each assessment has protected report writing time the following day.

Early Childhood Assessment (ECA) Required:

Between 1 to 4 of the CADEs the postdocs complete each month will be for younger children. For these Early Childhood Assessments, the patients will be between the ages of 2 years old and 6 years old who are referred from the UF Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment (UF CAN). These assessments are a little shorter, so the intake interview and assessments will be completed on the same day. Feedback will still occur one week from the date of testing. Each assessment has protected report writing time the following day. Postdocs will become proficient in administration of the following assessments:Ā 

Neurodivergence-Affirming Specialty Therapy Required:

Postdocs are expected to have 8 appointment times available for scheduling. Scheduling of new patients will be managed by administrative support staff and the postdoc will schedule return patients in the available openings. Patients will be aged 8 years old through adulthood with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Intellectual Disability, or Developmental Delays or any other condition that requires a neurodivergence-affirming approach to evidence-based interventions like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Parent Management Training (PMT). The treatment target for therapy is often anxiety, OCD, mood disturbance, problem behavior, school avoidance, or adaptive functioning limitations. Patients will be referred from UF Providers or UF CAN. We are thrilled to be able to provide this much needed service, especially for adult patients who often have difficulty finding informed providers.Ā 

Group Therapy Optional:

If the postdoc is interested, any number of individual therapy face-to-face hours may be converted to group therapy. Based on their interest, the postdoc may run a closed group or rolling enrollment group. Groups topics that may be of interest include: social skills, parenting support, parenting skills training, study skills, or psychoeducation on school advocacy. We highly encourage postdocs to be creative and have fun organizing groups in their area of interest.

Sample Autism Assessment and Intervention Track

Daily Schedule

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8:00 AM CADE Chart Review Didactics Therapy CADE Chart Review Protected Report Time
9:00 AM CADE Intake Didactics Therapy CADE Intake Protected Report Time
10:00 AM CADE Testing Hour 1 Protected Report Time Teaching CADE Testing Hour 1 Protected Report Time
11:00 AM CADE Testing Hour 2 Protected Report Time Therapy Admin CADE Testing Hour 2 Protected Report Time
12:00 PM Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch
1:00 PM CADE Testing Hour 3 Protected Report Time Teaching CADE Testing Hour 3 Multidisciplinary Case Conference
2:00 PM CADE Testing Hour 4 Protected Report Time Individual Supervision CADE Testing Hour 4 Individual Supervision
3:00 PM Protected Scoring Time Therapy Therapy Protected Scoring Time Therapy
4:00 PM CADE Feedback Therapy Therapy CADE Feedback Therapy

Summary: Two assessment cases per week, 12 protected report writing hours, eight therapy cases, two administrative hours for charting and other case management, three didactic or case conference hours, two individual supervision hours, two teaching hours or time spent in supervision of graduate students.


Autism Assessment and Intervention Track

Didactic Schedule

8am Hour Combined with all Postdocs 9am Hour Usually Specialty Tracks Only
Safety Assessments and Involuntary Commitments Safety considerations in ASD and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
EPPP/Planning for the Year Setting Behaviorally Anchored Therapy Goals
Guest Lecture: Mandated Reporting Assessment I: Diagnostic Intake
Guest Lecture: Motivational Interviewing Part 1 Adapting Cognitive Therapy Elements for Neurodivergent Populations
Guest Lecture: Medical Comorbidities in Adults Assessment II: Feedbacks
Guest Lecture: Medical Comorbidities in Children Comprehensive Treatment Planning
Guest Lecture: Intro to Psychopharmacology for Adults Guest Lecture: Neurobiological Biases of Behavior for the EPPP
Guest Lecture: Educational and Employment Rights and Advocacy Intro to Lessons from ABA
Guest Lecture: Intro to Psychopharmacology for Children Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and ASD
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Assessment III: Disabilities and Functional Limitation