Marshall Magazine Autumn 2022

The West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall offers a variety of services including behavior and needs assessments as well as training parents and caregivers in positive behavior support techniques. It also teaches students how to transition into employment after college.

plan his schedule and assisting him with any projects he might have had difficulty navigating. In August the center announced a partnership withCAI Neurodiverse Solutions to work with its end-to-end employment program. The program provides work experience and employ ment opportunities in the technology field to Marshall graduates. While not all graduates have an interest in the tech field, Ellison said he believes it’s important to give those who do a chance to succeed. The Behavior/Mental Health Technical Assistance Center sup ports educators by teaching positive behavior support and interventions. It also oversees a statewide Mental Health First Aid initiative. The center

with a base knowledge of how autism spectrum disorder affects a person and why they may not act or react the same way as a neurotypical person. West Virginia is now one of only a handful of states that require this training. Ellison worked with Lt. K.G. Murray, deputy director of training at the West Virginia State Police Academy, to get the bill passed. Murray has two sons with autism. “The bottom line is this training is vital to ensure those people withASD will be safer when they may have an encounter with the police,” Murray said. “What’s more, police officers will be safer when they encounter a person with ASD.” The Autism Training Center

was established as a response to a re quest for support from teachers with issues related to student behavior and mental health needs. The services supported by the center are based upon national models and research related to multitiered systems of sup port (MTSS) and interconnected systems framework (ISF). Ellison has followed in Sullivan’s footsteps by working to get legislation passed that further benefits West Virginia citizens who have autism. In 2021 Gov. Jim Justice signed into law Senate Bill 634, which requires law enforcement and correctional officers to be trained on the best ways to interact with individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The training focuses on providing officers

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