VIA Centers for Neurodevelopment

Congratulations to Dr. Ethan Long for his appointment to the Autism Advisory Council by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin! Operation within the state legislative branch, the Council promotes coordination of services and resources among agencies involved in the delivery of services to Virginians with autism spectrum disorders and aims to increase public awareness of these valuable services and resources. We're thrilled to see Ethan lend his expertise to serve the Commonwealth!

Thank you to Leslie Painter, Director of Roanoke VIA Day School, for sharing an important message of inclusivity and mindfulness for trick-or-treating tonight on WSLS 10. Children and adults with neurodevelopmental challenges (and their families) want to participate in public activities and events, and we appreciate our local communities accepting and including the people that we serve. https://lnkd.in/e64AJi8J

A few years ago, Drs. Tonya Lambert Delp (Director of Psychological Services) and Einar Ingvarsson (Director of Training and Research) established monthly virtual clinical rounds during the spring and fall semesters, providing a forum for VIA staff members and interns to share and discuss clinical topics and research projects. A virtual model facilitates staff participation across VIA’s four locations in Virginia. These clinical rounds have covered a variety of topics, including ethical issues, parent-child interaction therapy, social anxiety, family stress, siblings and neurodiversity, childhood trauma, vocational skills, social skills, and augmented and alternative communication. Earlier this fall, Drs. Lambert Delp and Ingvarsson presented on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and noncontingent reinforcement (NCR), respectively. In November, Dr. Elizabeth Sansing (VIA post-doctoral fellow) will present on an assessment and intervention model for establishing observational learning. Virtual clinical rounds are one of the ways in which VIA continues to encourage the development and implementation of compassionate, evidence-based practices across the organization. They allow staff and interns to share and obtain feedback on important initiatives, helping VIA to continually improve the quality of service delivery.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, or “NDEAM,” where we celebrate the value and talent workers with disabilities add to workplaces and the economy. VIA recognizes the need to support the people we serve in their search for meaningful employment. Through Achieve Employment, our job coaches work with individuals to help match talents and abilities with employers in the community. VIA believes everyone deserves the dignity, independence, confidence, and inclusion that employment provides. Thank you to all of our dedicated job coaches who support our Achieve Employment participants on and off the job.

Put your passion and energy to work improving lives in your community—and make a difference that will make you proud! VIA is hiring in all four of our locations: Charlottesville, Roanoke, Lynchburg, and Lexington. We offer continuing education and training and tuition reimbursement with a competitive benefits package. Visit viacenters.org/careers to learn more!

Damien Murtagh, Director of Lynchburg VIA Day School (pictured far right), recently participated in a Q & A panel at Liberty University hosted by Psi Chi, the Psychology Honor Society. Psychology students heard from panel members working in the field of psychology and learned more about how their work relates to this area of study. VIA's leadership values partnering with local universities and colleges to connect with students, sharing how our evidence-based practices not only impact our individuals and families, but our communities at large. Thank you, Damien, for sharing our VIA story with the next generation!

VIA was thrilled to attend First Place AZ's 13th First Place Global Symposium last week! Rebecca Ellison, our Director of Advancement, participated in dynamic discussions surrounding the crucial housing, healthcare and community needs of adults with autism and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities. We appreciate First Place AZ creating the opportunity to raise awareness and problem solve critical issues in our community.

Great to see our CEO & President, Dr. Ethan Long, in this year's cohort!

One of VIA's tenets is the dignity of meaningful work, and our Achieve Employment program helps match adult participants with jobs according to their interests and abilities. We'd like to recognize the achievement of one of our job coaching individuals who was recognized at the Canteen North America 95th anniversary celebration in Roanoke earlier this summer. Kevin Powell received an award from Chris Taylor, President of Canteen’s Mid South Division, as a key contributor for the Roanoke operation. Kevin accepted his award along with Rosie Britton, his VIA job coach, and his supervisor Tonya. Thank you to our Achieve Employment staff who offer countless hours of job coaching and support to the people we serve. These staff members help provide the pride of a paycheck and the confidence gained from employment, something that should be a reality for all.

Dr. Einar Ingvarsson, VIA’s Director of Research and Training, recently co-authored “A Call to Investigate and Improve the Research Literacy of Professional Behavior Analysts” in Perspectives on Behavior Science, which is the flagship publication of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). The article was written in collaboration with Dr. Nicole Bank, whose expertise in the field of information science allowed for an interdisciplinary approach to the topic. Professional behavior analysts generally engage in regular continuing education activities to maintain and expand the skills and knowledge, but research has revealed the challenges many face in identifying, accessing, and consuming research literature that is relevant to their practice. These challenges are not unique to this field. This article provides a definition of research literacy, which includes locating, evaluating, and effectively using the literature in one’s practice. Drs. Bank and Ingvarsson then provide an overview of relevant research, as well as an analysis of potential barriers, and solutions to overcome these barriers, based in part on assessment models from the field of organizational behavior management (OBM). VIA’s research department develops our unique evidence-based programs and deeply influences the field of behavior analysis and ABA practices. Congratulations, Dr. Ingvarsson!