INTERprofessional Autism Collaborative Training (INTERACT) project is an interprofessional education program designed to prepare graduate students in psychology, special education, and speech-language pathology to work with individuals who have autism and moderate to severe intellectual disabilities as well as their families. The program includes online coursework and team-based clinical experiences. Over 60 graduate students were prepared to understand, assess, provide interventions, and implement collaborate interprofessional collaboration through the content of five courses and clinical experiences with individuals with autism and their families. Each student earned a degree in their program of study along with a certification in Autism. Each student was on a team that included a faculty advisor, a student from psychology, special education and speech and language pathology. Content in the courses was shared with the students by 5 project INTERACT faculty with expertise in autism and moderate to severe intellectual disabilities, a panel of autistic adults, a panel of parents who have children with autism, experts in the field of autism, and numerous resources such as AFIRM modules, Autism Navigator, Autism Speaks, and Autism Internet Modules. A critical focus of the project was to educate professionals about autism and intellectual disabilities and several of the challenges individuals with autism face throughout their lives. Content was shared that addressed the challenges related to identification of individuals with autism across cultures and gender. Strategies were explored to facilitate the effective assessment, instruction and inclusion of individuals with autism in the schools, employment and in the communities. Students collaborated across disciplines to use strategies to enable learners with autism to develop effective communication skills, executive functioning with self-regulation learning, and the skill acquisition of academic and daily living skills. The coursework included the universal design for learning to enable all students to acquire the content. Results were from three rating scales completed at program entry, midpoint, and program exit. Participants developed knowledge and skills related to understanding, assessing, and supporting children with autism and intellectual disabilities and their families.

Keywords: Interdisciplinary education, autism and intellectual disabilities.