Autism Action Partnership is careful in selecting partners and service providers that can combine our areas of expertise to provide services and programs that are greatly needed by people with autism and their families in Nebraska. Together we strive to achieve our initiatives of:

1. Increasing awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorders for individuals affected by autism, their families, and the community at large

2. Offering information about diagnosis, treatment, and community resources

3. Educating professionals, educators and community members about autism

4. Fostering key service partnerships with community organizations that serve individuals and families touched by autism

5. Supporting the development and piloting of new services in the field of autism

Our supported programs include:

Rethink Autism in Nebraska Schools
Rethink Autism is a web-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) platform that economically implements standardized best practice treatment for children and youth with autism. Rethink Autism is revolutionary because it cost effectively places an easy-to-use autism treatment tool in the hands of teachers, school staff, and parents that can be individualized to the needs and ability levels of each child. With increased use of Rethink Autism in Nebraska, more and more children with autism across the state will be given consistent, effective opportunities to learn. Grant funding from Autism Action Partnership has made Rethink Autism available to schools and parents across the state. Click here to learn more about Rethink Autism in Nebraska Schools.

Social Skills Programs in Nebraska Schools
Grant Funding provided by Autism Action Partnership allows educators to go above and beyond to provide additional opportunities and support for students with ASD. As a function of the grant, school staff can devote more resources toward improving peer-sensitivity training, offering student book clubs, building-wide staff development opportunities, and collaborating on target-student activities. Effectively trained peers serve as models of appropriate communication and social behavior for individuals with autism. Once trained, peers are to serve as models of appropriate interaction and behavior for their target individuals in different environments throughout the school day. Interaction with peers allows students with autism a safe, consistent arena to practice and improve their social skills. The social skills program helps to build peer interaction and relationships into the school day, helping to decrease the feelings of alienation a student with autism may experience. Click here to learn more about Social Skills in Nebraska Schools.

Transitions-A Social Skills Program for College-Aged Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum
The Transitions Program is designed to assist high-functioning young adults on the autism spectrum develop and refine social skills needed for their transition into adulthood. The goal of Transitions is to provide positive social experiences that will allow for the development of social skills and friendships for both the participants and the peers.

Munroe Meyer Institute – Speech Pathology Department
The Munroe Meyer Institute’s Speech Pathology Department provides services to individuals with various communication impairments, including individuals on the autism spectrum. For individuals on the autism spectrum, they are able to provide speech and language evaluations, speech and language therapy, and Alternative and Augmentative Communication evaluations. They strive to establish functional communication for individuals, as well as to expand existing communication to enable individuals with ASD to live successful and independent lives.

The Prevention Group
Autism Action Partnership funded a pilot project with The Prevention Group and the Munroe Meyer Institute to assess the effectiveness of videotaped modeling to teach high functioning individuals with autism how to perform job-related social engagement opportunities with other agencies, non-profit organizations and multi-national companies that use WalkAround mascots for public education and promotion. The initial results are encouraging and if successful, the project will provide a nation-wide vocational opportunity to individuals on the spectrum. 

Therapies & Social Skills Training
Pediatric Therapy Center is a specialized outpatient clinic dedicated to providing high quality therapy services to children with special needs. Their services include speech, occupational, and physical therapies. Autism Action Partnership has funded special therapies for children with autism and supports social skills therapy clubs to assist children with building and maintaining healthy relationships with peers.

University of Nebraska Ruth Staples Child Development Laboratory Autism Spectrum Disorder Project
Working with the University of Nebraska and Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, Autism Action Partnership sponsored a project to promote research, education, and services related to young children with autism spectrum disorders and their families. The work will resonate beyond the UNL campus with the ultimate goal of expansion into other accredited early childhood programs and to enhance evidence-based intervention practices for the benefit of those affected by autism in Nebraska.

Munroe Meyer Institute - Autism Diagnostic Clinic and Behavioral Therapies
With approximately 230,000 people with disabilities living in the state of Nebraska, the need for specialized programs and support services to improve their quality of life and unlock their potential is evident. The Munroe Meyer Institute is a federally designated University Center of Excellence for Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Services. Autism Action Partnership collaborated with Munroe Meyer to fund an autism diagnostic clinic and assisted in providing funding for children on the spectrum that require the specialized services of The Severe Behavior Program. Many of these clinics would not be available if they were not sponsored in a collaborative fashion.

Munroe Meyer Institute - Sibling Support Group
Siblings of children with autism have unique needs. The Support Group for Siblings of Children with Autism may increase siblings’ understanding of their brother's or sister’s disability and help them feel more positive about themselves and their role with their sibling.

Munroe Meyer Institute – Social Skills Training School Programs
The Recreational Therapy department at MMI has utilized funds from Autism Action Partnership to provide prescriptive social skills training in the public schools, along with social recreational programs in the community for a variety of youth and young adults on the spectrum. The program features one-to-one skills training during the school day, developing typical peer social support networks, and facilitating close family involvement with social skills homework and community social club participation. The programs have proven highly effective in developing social skill sets and creating social networks and are currently serving over 120 participants.

Acting Classes at the Rose Theater
These classes are designed specifically for students diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Students learn acting skills and character development, while having fun with a group of peers their own age. Classes aim to improve verbal and nonverbal language skills, increase social interaction among peers, create awareness of facial expressions and emotions, and improve self-confidence. The Rose Theater’s professional instructors and the assisting volunteers have undergone special training with Autism Action Partnership and nationally recognized special needs acting instructors.

An Evening at the Rose
Autism Action Partnership sponsored special viewings of family plays exclusively for children and their families. At these events, a family can truly experience a live production in an autism-friendly environment. Over 1,000 children and families have attended these classic plays, including Charlotte’s Web, Stinky Cheese Man, Puss and Boots, and Stuart Little.

Therapeutic Listening® Lending Library Grant
Pediatric Therapy Center (PTC) therapists are trained providers of the Therapeutic Listening® program. Therapeutic Listening® has recently been proven as an effective sensory integrative approach for children. Specific equipment is required to provide the maximal therapeutic effects of the program. Due to the high cost of the equipment necessary to correctly implement this program, many families are unable to meet the expense of it individually. AAP provided funding to start a Therapeutic Listening® lending library which supports over 100 children per year.

BRAIN: The World inside Your Head at SAC Museum
This groundbreaking exhibit was brought to Omaha and made possible by Autism Action Partnership and SAC Museum as they co-sponsored an exclusive evening for children with autism and their families. BRAIN: The World inside Your Head” brings information about the body’s most essential organ to light in an interactive, family-oriented atmosphere.

A Real Camping Experience
Autism Action Partnership collaborated with Easter Seals of Nebraska to design a camp specifically for individuals on the autism spectrum. Since its inception, over 170 campers have participated in this week long over-night camp. Because the demand is so high, Easter Seals is now offering two autism-exclusive camping sessions per summer. Activities include horseback riding, swimming, fishing, boating, camp fires, sing-alongs, arts and crafts and sensory activities. This is typically the only camp children with autism will experience and is offered based on what the family can afford.

Autism Training Series in Central Nebraska
The Nebraska Parent Training Workshop is an intensive 10-week workshop designed to educate, provide training and offer support to parents or caregivers of children with an autism spectrum disorder. These workshops have been held in North Platte and Lexington.