As one of the top autism research and intervention programs,
PCDI attracts students and professionals throughout the world who seek expert
training in its pioneering programs...
PCDI is deeply committed to sharing its research and
intervention strategies with others. In addition to student internships and
residencies, the Institute supports the development of new programs both here
and abroad.
Greece
Angeliki Gena gained intervention experience at PCDI while
completing her doctorate at Queens College of the City University of New York.
In 1995, she returned to Athens to establish a behavioral treatment program for
children with autism. The school started with two children and now serves more
than 10 children.
Russia
PCDI has a special partnership with "Dobro"
("kindness"), a Moscow-based institute for children with autism. Dr.
Klara Lebedinskaja (1925-1993), a leading Russian autism researcher, started
Dobro in 1989 as the first community-based program in Russia. A model of
effective intervention in Russia and other countries of the former Soviet
Union, Dobro continues under the direction of Dr. Sergey Morozov. Two Dobro
professionals have completed yearlong residencies at PCDI. Recently, Dobro
began to provide training and technical assistance to agencies in other parts
of Russia.
Norway
PCDI has a long-standing relationship with behavior analysts
in Norway. The Institute's former executive directors, Drs. Patricia J. Krantz
and Lynn E. McClannahan, have lectured and consulted there since 1989. They
gave keynote addresses at the annual conference of the Norwegian Association
for Behavior Analysts in 1991 and in subsequent years, students from Akershus
College in Oslo complete three-month internships at PCDI.
Poland
PCDI, Ania Budzinska, Ph.D., and Iwona Ruta-Sominka, M. A.,
have been working together since 2000. In January, 2006, as a result of their joint efforts,
the Institute for Child Development (IWRD) was launched in Gdansk. The Institute is based upon and
closely cooperates with the Princeton Child Development Institute. IWRD is a nonprofit organization
that offers science-based intervention to children with autism and
comprehensive assistance to their families. In addition to a research and development program,
IWRD also offers diagnostic and consultation services, as well as training and
supervision for professionals from many other cities in Poland. Dr. Budzinska, who completed a
year-long residency at PCDI, is the Director of IWRD. Iwona Ruta-Sominka, Deputy Director, and key staff
members completed internships at PCDI. IWRD can be contacted at Instytut Wspomagania Rozwoju
Dziecka, ul. Gomolki 11/13, 80-279 Gdansk, Poland. Tel. +48-58/341-4441, tel/fax. +48-58/341-4440, or
www.iwrd.pl
Australia
In 1992, PCDI's executive directors spent a month at Deakin
University in Melbourne, where they helped design research projects on staff
training and on mainstreaming children with autism and other developmental disabilities.
In addition, Regina Ledo, a specialist in early intervention from Perth, did a
pre-doctoral residency at the Institute.
Turkey
In 2003, Mine Narin and Aylin Sezgin, Founders of TOHUM,
visited PCDI and many other programs in the United States. Subsequently, they came to PCDI to
discuss a collaborative effort to establish a science-based school program in
Instanbul. Binyamin Birkan, Ph.D.
was selected to complete a twelve-month residency at PCDI and to become the
director of the new program; in September 2006 he returned to Turkey and opened
an applied behavior analysis intervention program for children with
autism. TOHUM and PCDI use
the same curriculum and achieve similar outcomes for students. Dr. Birkan frequently returns to PCDI
to present program evaluation data and to attend professional meetings, and
PCDI personnel visit TOHUM's program.
Contact Dr. Birkan at TOHUM OTIZM VAKFI, Cumhuriyet Mah. Abidei Hurriyet
Cad. No: 39, 34380 Sisli-Istanbul, Turkey. Tel. 011-90-212-248-94-30, Fax. 011-90-212-248-94-36, or
www.tohumotizm.org.tr