Several Fischler Professors Named Dooley Trust Recipients

The Robert E. Dooley Trust NSU Center for Autism Endowment Fund was set up to help fund and support NSU programs that benefit individuals with autism, and several professors at the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice have been named as recipients of the award.

Among the recipients of the award are Maribel Del Rio-Roberts and Timothy Scala, along with a project involving Dana Scott Mills.

Mills will serve as the methodologist/statistics person on a project titled “Measuring rehabilitation health services access and use among emerging adults on the autism spectrum: A pilot study.”

The study aims to “develop and test a questionnaire for the measurement of rehabilitation access and utilization among emerging adults with autism spectrum disorder.”

Overall, the goal is to understand the challenges young people with autism spectrum disorder face, and how rehabilitation services can help improve their health and quality of life.

Scala and Del Rio-Roberts also received funding for a project titled, “A Training Program to Support Faculty & Staff Working with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Higher Education.

Both Del Rio-Roberts and Scala are serving as PIs for the project. The aim of this program is to provide comprehensive training to “selected NSU staff who may encounter a student with ASD, so they can more effectively provide support.”

The program also aims to provide training to faculty and public safety officers as well. The training will be provided through psychoeducation and Mursion simulation activities.

Del Rio-Roberts also received the award for a project supporting Access Plus. The effort, titled “Supporting a Comprehensive College Support Program for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.”

Access Plus is a program at NSU that offers various supporting services to students with autism spectrum disorder throughout their college career. Funds from the Dooley Trust are now being used to support and cover the fees associated with the program.

Congratulations to all!

Posted 01/10/24