UTSA Teacher Education Autism Model Center hosts April 2 open house
(March 25, 2014) -- To commemorate National Autism Awareness Day, the UTSA Teacher Education Autism Model (TEAM) Center in the UTSA College of Education and Human Development will host an open house from 3 to 5 p.m., Wednesday, April 2. The event, which is open to the public, will feature a video game simulator to help parents of children with autism learn to use behavior analytic interventions. The open house will be at the TEAM Center in Durango Building Room 0.220 at the UTSA Downtown Campus.
The TEAM Center, which opened in early 2013, provides low-cost Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) services to children in Bexar County, while serving as a teaching laboratory for special education teachers working on their graduate degrees.
"The TEAM Center allows us to synchronize what we're teaching in classes with field experience," said Lee Mason, assistant professor of special education in the Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching and director of the center.
The video game simulator and other technology is just one method the TEAM Center students and researchers use to advance research in this field. The center also relies on toys, murals and learning centers to help students research behavior in children with autism.
This semester, eight UTSA students are partnered with eight children from across Bexar County, allowing for a personalized experience. Each UTSA student is given the opportunity to work as a lead therapist while being supervised by Mason and Alonzo Andrews, a board-certified behavior analyst.
Children who get services from the TEAM Center receive a functional behavioral assessment and verbal behavior screening that allows UTSA graduate students to develop individualized plans for their needs each semester. Children receive up to seven-and-a-half hours of ABA therapy each week in 90-minute sessions. Children are discharged from the program at the end of each semester after their progress is evaluated.
Special education teachers who want to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts must complete 1,500 hours of on-the-field training and pass a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst Exam before they can practice independently.
"We are both teaching and service focused," Mason said, adding that the cost of a semester of services through the center is only a fraction of the cost of what similar services cost elsewhere.
Events
Come to the Alamodome for the season's first UTSA Football Home Game and participate in Rowdy Rush! Wear your best orange UTSA fit for this Orange Out game. Come to the Student Indoor Tailgate before kickoff to play games, eat food, and get hyped to cheer on the Roadrunners as they take on the Owls! Then be part of Rowdy Rush to form the tunnel for the players' entrance before kickoff.
AlamodomeCheer on the UTSA Soccer team as they take on Colorado State. Head over to Park West for this spirited experience!
Park West Athletic ComplexIn observance of Labor Day, UTSA will be closed on Monday, September 2. Plan a day exploring San Antonio with your roommate(s) and new friends.
Main Campus and Dowtown CampusLearn some planning, researching, and writing tips to help you with upcoming writing assignments.
Writing Center, (JPL 2.01.12D,) John Peace Library, Main CampusUTSA Police Department and Office of Risk and Emergency Management will host a safety information center with giveaways and interactive demonstrations. Both departments will provide information on services available to the UTSA community.
Student Union Window Lounge, Main CampusExplore ways of engaging with the community through our community-based work-study program. Voter registration and voter engagement opportunities with our community partners will also be shared.
McKinney Humanities Breezeway, Main CampusEnjoy an ice-cold paleta while learning about the parking options.
East Campus Lot 1 and Brackenridge Lot 5, Main Campus