USF Students Prepare Education Materials for Autism Conference in Belarus
In October, Dr. Trina Spencer spent a week at the annual Autism Conference in Belarus. She presented on topics related to Applied Behavior Analysis and language promotion. She worked with an occupational therapist and a speech-language pathologist to train over 140 Belarusian specialists and 80 parents.
"Considering there are no course options in Applied Behavior Analysis and no certified behavior analysts in Belarus, conference participants were extremely grateful for the opportunity to learn how the science of behavior can enhance their services with children with autism and other disabilities," said Dr. Spencer.
Approximately 30 undergraduate students from the Bilingual Language and Literacy Investigative Networking Group (BLLING) volunteered their time to create and assemble educational materials before the trip. They assembled 142 file folder games and packaged play materials to distribute to the Belarusian specialists.
"The recipients of the materials were extremely happy to receive the materials and will definitely put them to good use," added Dr. Spencer. "Thanks to all the BLLING volunteers!"
