To assist school professionals as they strive to help these students reach their potential, the National Autism Center has produced a comprehensive 245-page manual, Evidence-Based Practice and Autism in the Schools.

The manual outlines relevant topics, including the current state of research findings, professional judgment and data-based clinical decision making, values and preferences of families, and capacity building. Each chapter sets a course for advancing the efforts of school systems to engage in evidence-based practice for their students on the autism spectrum.

When the manual was first published, we distributed 3,000 print copies to school systems around the country. Due to high demand, we now offer the manual on our website as a pdf, and make hard copies available for purchase.

Download your free PDF version here.

Here is an answer by Teka J. Harris, M.A., BCBA: Pica (pronounced 'pike-ah') is a very dangerous disorder characterized by craving or ingesting inedible items. The word pica originates from the Latin word for magpie, a bird with a ravenous appetite known to eat just about anything.

Pica is not as rare as one might think. The disorder is commonly seen in women who are pregnant and in small children. Pica behavior is also exhibited by a number of individuals with autism and other developmental challenges. For these individuals, the behavior can be especially difficult to prevent and address, and may require special safety measures to minimize the level of risk in the home and community.

The exact cause of pica is not known, but research suggests gastric parasites, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Prader-Willi syndrome, sickle cell disease, mental illness, and/or traumatic brain injury as potential causes. There are also many studies that point to iron deficiency as the source. The theory is that due to low levels of iron in the body, some people ingest inedible items in an attempt to supplement the deficiency. 

The account continues here.

Some one billion of the world's people live with disabilities and disaster risks. These persons, by-and-large, still have no significant representation in the planning and decision-making processes to reduce these risks or build resilience.

Given the lack of data on disability issues generally, The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) is conducting this survey to ascertain the needs of persons living with disabilities and disasters.

FEMA = Federal Emergency Management Agency

Here is the English version of the Survey.