IIACC 2022-2023 Annual Report

The IIACC Annual Report for 2022-2023 is Now Published!

The Indiana Interagency Autism Coordinating Council (IIACC) has released its annual report, which offers a comprehensive look back at the previous year. The report covers the actions taken by the IIACC, research updates, and plans for the upcoming year 2024. This is an excellent read to get a snapshot of all the progress made this year.

Explore the past IIACC reports to see how our research and data have helped individuals with ASD, their families, and professionals.

IIACC December 2023 Meeting Summary

The IIACC December 2023 meeting marked a pivotal moment as members actively engaged in creating the IIACC 2024 Vision Board. This dynamic session involved exploring areas such as the continuation of positive aspects within IIACC, improving meeting structures for enhanced engagement, and determining ways to make meetings supportive and inclusive. The collaborative effort also addressed methods for engaging members and identified specific groups, like first responders, to be involved in future sessions.

Key initiatives emerged, including the development of IIACC resources such as safety plans and toolkits, addressing barriers to insurance access, and exploring the intersection of sexual violence and individuals with developmental disabilities. To foster ongoing progress, the council proposed various activities, such as interactive vision board workshops, an inclusive resource hub, and cross-council collaborations. Success stories, virtual networking events, and regular Cadre meetings were suggested to further enhance member engagement and collaboration. The meeting also featured key takeaways, including mental health first aid training for police throughout the state, community connections, and updates from stakeholders like The Arc, emphasizing their commitment to providing resources and opportunities for the community.

As a result, the IIACC envisions a transformative and inclusive process, utilizing creative ideas to ensure impactful initiatives and sustained progress in the pursuit of its goals.

Beth Shepperd, December 2023 DISI Award Winner

Congratulations to Beth Shepperd for receiving the most recent Driver of Innovative Service and Implementation (DISI) Award! This award is given to an individual, agency, organization, or initiative that drives the implementation of innovative programs and/or services in the field of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/I53ZYrhCtD8.

Beth Shepperd is the Director of Special Education at Plainfield Community School Corporation. Her roles have included classroom teacher, Early Childhood Coordinator, assistant Director of Special Education, and the Director of Special Education.

In March of 2019, Beth Shepperd was the recipient of the Starfish Award from the Promoting Achievement through Technology and INstruction for all Students (PATINS). This award recognizes educators who go above and beyond to meet the needs of students through Universal Design for Learning, and implementation of accessible educational materials and assistive technology.

Beth was honored for her outstanding work on the QuakerBrake Food Truck project. This initiative is a fantastic vocational opportunity for Plainfield Life Skills Program high school students. Through this program, students have the opportunity to learn crucial vocational skills while making a positive impact on their community.

IIACC September 2023 Meeting Summary

The September 2023 IIACC meeting covered various topics related to autism awareness, engagement, and innovative service implementation. The meeting was focused on Goal 5 (Successful Youth Transition to Adult Services, Work, and Independence) and Goal 6 (Adequate Equitable Access to Resources, Funding, Inclusive Community, and Basic Living Conditions to Meet Quality of Life Outcomes). We also walked through the IIACC Engagement and Autism Engagement Network (AEN) Updates, the presentation of the Driver of Innovative Service in Implementation (DISI) award, the New Star Services Innovative Pilot Project about creating a Shared Living Companion Model, and a discussion around the goals.

Indiana’s plan to improve conditions for those with autism has been outlined in the Indiana State Comprehensive Plan for Individuals with ASD. Learn more about the Indiana Comprehensive Plan.

June 2023 Meeting Summary

We had a great quarterly Indiana Interagency Autism Coordinating Council (IIACC) virtual meeting on June 1st, 2023. In this quarterly meeting, our community engagement approach gave us a chance to dive deep into goals 3 (Early and Continuous Screening) & 4 (Access to Diverse Services). During the session, several providers, caregivers, and individuals came together to discuss these goal areas and suggested some brilliant initiatives to move forward towards achieving these goals. Together we can support individuals with ASD in the state of Indiana and expand our knowledge base to equip ourselves with better resources to improve the services that are provided. 

 

Indiana’s plan to improve conditions for those with autism has been outlined in the Indiana State Comprehensive Plan for Individuals with ASD. Learn more about the Indiana Comprehensive Plan.

UPDATE: Comprehensive Plan

Based on the need for relevance and accessibility of the Comprehensive Plan shared by the community and IIACC members, a new Plan structure was developed in 2020-2021 with ongoing input from IIACC members. These modifications allow us to set foundation for future adaptations by reformatting the structure, organization towards greater simplicity, to allow for greater accessibility and use across all stakeholders and communities. The updated Comprehensive Plan structure reflects four main sections for each goal to improvement of navigation, reader friendliness, and ability to quickly find the needed information. All information has been tailored for simplified verbiage that is both accessible and relevant (see figure below).

Note: Background information is available on the website.

Learn more and download the plan

Navigating the Holiday Season: Tips

Photo of big family sit feast meals table around blessing roasted turkey eldest grandfather making slices hungry relatives waiting excited in living room indoors

The holiday season brings a lot of fun and opportunities to connect with families. However, it may also bring challenges due to schedule change, sensory overload, need to travel, and social engagement expectations.

Here is a list of resources to help you successfully navigate this holiday season!

Welcome

Welcome to the Indiana INformation Network, a collaborative system of resources for individuals, families, and communities affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The INformation Network is driven by the shared community responsibility of supporting and caring for those with ASD, as well as their families, as represented in the Indiana Comprehensive State Plan for Individuals with ASD.

Learn more about this project by visiting About the Network page.

Check out our IIACC March 2025 Data Highlights

IIACC Attendance by Meeting RSVP 

The IIACC March 2025 quarterly meeting showcased some important data highlights related to IIACC meeting engagement ranging from the diversity of IIACC attendance to IIACC reach via the IIACC Facebook (@IndianaIACC) and INformation Network (www.indiananetwork.org).

Based on meeting RSVPs, education and healthcare stakeholder organizations were the leading sectors in attendance at the September IIACC meeting with Hamilton, Marion and Porter counties having the greatest representation. See below a graphical representation of IIACC attendance by meeting RSVP. 

Figure 1: IIACC Meeting RSVP by Sector & County.

IIACC Reach (Facebook)

As a public council with both statewide and global reach, there has been an overall increase in IIACC quarterly engagement on social media with top engagers being from the United States (83%) followed by Germany (3%) and India (2%).

Other countries that access our content include China, Russia, Philippines, and Pakistan. See below a graphical representation of our quarterly reach via Facebook. 

Figure 2: IIACC Facebook Reach.

Figure 3: INformation Network Reach.

IIACC September 2024 Meeting Summary

The IIACC September 2024 quarterly meeting began with important data highlights related to IIACC meeting engagement ranging from the diversity of IIACC attendance to IIACC reach via the IIACC Facebook (@IndianaIACC) and INformation Network (www.indiananetwork.org). Based on meeting RSVPs, education and healthcare stakeholder organizations were the leading sectors in attendance at the September IIACC meeting with Hamilton, Marion and Porter counties having the greatest representation. See more information here.

Autism Engagement Network (AEN) updates included a spotlight on our HANDS Local Community Cadres (LCC) specific to the Let’s Talk Series held monthly on Thursday afternoons as an informal opportunity to connect, center in on hot topics, and foster activities around key LCC areas (learn more).

Presentation of the community-nominated Driver of Innovative Service in Implementation (DISI) award went to Same As U. The organizations work aligns with both Goal 5 (Transition to Adulthood) and Goal 6 (Equitable Access & Quality of Life) within the Indiana Comprehensive State Plan for Individuals with ASD and serves as an innovative community effort true to the spirit of the DISI award. Check out more about Same As U and past winners at DISI Award Winners. This dynamic session covered topics central to the trajectories set forth by IIACC stakeholder organizations with an emphasis on Goal 5: Transition to Adulthood and Goal 6: Equitable Access & Quality of Life. The trajectories (using the framework of Charting the LifeCourse, Missouri Family to Family (2015) and associated goals complement and support work specific to the 8 goals within the Indiana Comprehensive State Plan for Individuals with ASD. Each action item noted under the goals reflects a priority action within the goal area and corresponding focused discussion and work. Click here to read more about the comprehensive state plan.

The sessions were highly interactive, featuring expert speakers on the topic, and breakout rooms to discuss and support further goal work or IIACC-Developed Resources (learn more at https://indiananetwork.org/indiana-innovators/iiacc-developed-resources/). Continue reading “IIACC September 2024 Meeting Summary”

Here are some Stakeholder Highlights- IIACC September 2024 Meeting

During our September meeting, some of our stakeholders shared some important activities happening in their organization which have been highlighted below:

  • Erskine Green Training Institute (EGTI) Indy is up and running! EGTI Indy’s commuter program offers individuals with disabilities the opportunity to receive hands-on job training with two of Indiana’s leading employers, Riley Hospital for Children and Allison Transmission. EGTI Indy will be starting their programs at Riley Hospital for Children in October where the students will receive training in environmental services, nutrition services, kitchen operations, and inventory distribution. Find more information on their website.

 

  • Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access (IDEA) Part C/First Steps early intervention program just experienced and completed federal monitoring from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)! See more information on their website.

If you have any upcoming events, trainings or activities of note that you would like to share, please leave a comment below or send us an e-mail at hands@iu.edu

Check out our IIACC September 2024 Data Highlights

IIACC Attendance by Meeting RSVP 

The IIACC September 2024 quarterly meeting showcased some important data highlights related to IIACC meeting engagement ranging from the diversity of IIACC attendance to IIACC reach via the IIACC Facebook (@IndianaIACC) and INformation Network (www.indiananetwork.org).

Based on meeting RSVPs, education and healthcare stakeholder organizations were the leading sectors in attendance at the September IIACC meeting with Hamilton, Marion and Porter counties having the greatest representation. See below a graphical representation of IIACC attendance by meeting RSVP. 

Graph and pie chart of IIACC Meeting RSVP

 

Figure 1: IIACC Meeting RSVP by Sector & County.

IIACC Reach (Facebook)

As a public council with both statewide and global reach, there has been an overall increase in IIACC quarterly engagement on social media with top engagers being from the United States (83%) followed by United Kingdom (3%) and India (2%).

Other countries that access our content include Australia, Nigeria, Canada, and Bangladesh. See below a graphical representation of our quarterly reach via Facebook. 

Graph showing IIACC reach via Facebook

Figure 2: IIACC Reach via Facebook by Age/Gender, Countries & Cities