Preschool is a transitional setting for children to learn the basics of education and to be introduced to social settings. The transition, however, isn’t always smooth or easy for children with autism. To help these students and their families, USU special education researcher Thomas Higbee and his associates at USU have created the Autism Support Services: Education, Research, and Training (ASSERT) program, which provides support for students with autism and their families through a model classroom environment.

Students in ASSERT are exposed to intervention techniques based on the latest educational and behavioral research, and successes from the model can then be adopted by public school programs.  Higbee and his group have executed the program with three Utah school districts and are working to implement the program on a larger scale. By helping school districts provide effective, research-based interventions, the ASSERT program is helping ensure a bright future for students with autism and their families.