As Year One came to an end, CSESA Advisory Board members along with CSESA team members from 7 sites around the country gathered in Chapel Hill, NC in June to reflect on lessons learned from the first year pilot work and look ahead to Year Two and beyond.

Topics discussed included:

• What are the strengths and challenges of the CSESA intervention and each of its components?
• What activities and partnerships can CSESA pursue to serve as a national leader in the area of secondary education for individuals with ASD?
• How can CSESA serve as a resource related to the rapidly expanding array of technology available for individuals with ASD?
• How can we best attract/entice/recruit secondary settings to participate in the project?
• What are some of the complexities of secondary settings we should be aware of when refining our intervention components for full implementation?
• What are some of the unique characteristics of secondary students with ASD and their families we should be aware of when refining our intervention components for full implementation?

Videos from Advisory Board Members:

• Listen as Dr. Geri Dawson discusses important skills for a successful adulthood.
• Dr. Rob Horner talks about the value of the CSESA intervention in the schools.
• Author and advocate John Elder Robison highlights the importance of cultivating interests among students with ASD.

Before departing, board members left the team with their hopes for CSESA’s future.