GO TO: Resource Room - Visual Supports - Educational Consultations - Family Focused Consultations - Video Conferencing and Consultations - Developmental Screenings - Comprehensive Diagnostics - Case Management
Resource Room and Lending Library
The TAP Resource Room and Lending Library is open to families, providers and other professionals, and the community in general. It contains a wealth of information related to Autism Spectrum Disorders, including books, DVDs, computer software, tip sheets, articles, games, visual communication aids, learning kits, and more. Some items are free to take and keep, while others are available for checkout. Our Resource Room is open Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm and is located at the TAP office at 689 Castle Drive in Charleston, IL. Extended hours are available upon request.
To view a complete listing of the items available in our lending library, download a copy of our Resource Room Catlog.
Individuals with ASD often develop stronger visual skills than auditory or verbal skills. Visual supports allow them to use this visual strength to process, organize, remember, and respond to information, thus allowing the individual to more easily participate in the communication process. In addition to our standard visual communication aids that we keep in stock, we can also design customized visual supports for individuals who request them. These might include picture-based social stories, schedules, choice boards, and more. Please note that there may be a nominal fee charged for this service to cover our cost for materials.
If you would like to request a customized visual aid for a student or family member, contact us at (217) 348-3869. You will also need to complete the Visual Aid Request Form.
Upon request from teachers and other educators who serve students with ASD, we offer personalized assistance that focuses on helping educators meet the needs of each child. This might include doing classroom assessments, developing intervention strategies, providing informational resources, designing visual schedules and communication aids for the classroom, and more.
We are happy to work with families on an ongoing basis, focusing on how the family responds to their child with ASD. This can include working with parents, extended family, and/or siblings. The goal is to assist families in their role as the primary agent of change for their child and prepares them for lifelong work with their child.
Video Conferencing and Consultations
These free services/sessions are available via video conference technology at our TAP office located at 689 Castle Drive in Charleston, IL. They are intended for human service professionals, interested college students, and parents of children who have ASD.
- Case Consultations: These free consultations are led by Dr. Bennet Leventhal via video conference, and include case presentations and discussions with pediatricians, psychiatrists, social workers, speech and language therapists, and other providers. Consultations are provided statewide once a month in 1-hour sessions. If you have a case that you would like to present for Dr. Leventhal's input, contact our office at (217) 348-3869.
- Topical Presentations by Dr. Leventhal: Once a month, Dr. Bennet Leventhal gives an informative 1-hour presentation by video conference on some aspect of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Certificates of attendance are available to professionals and students who need them.
- Skills Spotlight: Once a month, TAP hosts or presents a 1-hour training session on some aspect of ASD. Certificates of attendance are available to professionals and students who need them.
- Brown Bag Seminars: The Children's Healthcare Partnership Brown Bag Seminar Series offers a presentation every few months during the lunch hour by an expert in the healthcare field. The topics address various issues related to children's health. CEU's are available for LCPC and LCSW, and certificates of attendance are available to all other professionals and students who need them.
These screenings are done in conjunction with early intervention and schools. The screenings use autism-specific measures as well as general development measures that are collected from parents, caregivers, and school personnel to screen for the possible presence of Autism Spectrum Disorder. We also have the capability to provide MCHAT and SCQ screenings.
We work in conjunction with Carle Diagnostic Center to provide this service. A comprehensive diagnostic assessment involves an interdisciplinary evaluation team that might include a psychologist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, and/or other experts who use autism-specific and more general developmental evaluation instruments to assess a child.
We work closely with families to coordinate the services and supports provided to an individual with ASD. This might include making home visits, meeting with educators and other providers who serve this individual, helping the family locate and access additional appropriate services, and more.
