TAP Training Center at the University of Illinois Champaign - Urbana

The Autism Program is a network of services and supports for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their families. All of the services and supports are intended to model best practice standards for diagnosis, treatment and support for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, based on current leading research and expert consensus. In FY2006, the Autism Program expanded to include two affiliates which includes TAP Training Center at the University of Illinois Champaign - Urbana.

Doris Kelley Christopher Hall, 904 W. Nevada, Urbana, Illinois, is currently home to The Autism Program: Champaign County, The Pampered Chef Family Resiliency Program, The Family Resiliency Center, and the Department of Human and Community Development at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The primary goals of the facility are to bring faculty together, support innovative research, provide academic and learning environments and create an opportunity for public engagement.

The Autism Program: Champaign County is in the process of building their autism collection of books, videos and teaching kits. It is housed within the Resource and Information Center at Doris Kelley Christopher Hall. This is an exchange center where family members, educators and professionals can consult with Family Resiliency Center staff, students and community volunteers, take part in educational programs, and obtain resources, information, and referrals to help resolve a variety of family issues.

The New Parent Orientation program will be offered to families who have recently received the diagnosis of autism for their child. Participants will meet for an hour and a half, once a week, for three consecutive weeks to learn about autism. The topics covered will be: What is Autism, Interventions, and Resources. For more information Contact Linda at (217) 244-1395.

Teen Connection is a nine week social skill program being offered by TAP-UIUC each semester. This program is for high-school students who have high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome. University of Illinois students in special education and social work act as peer mentors for group and one-on-one activities with the teens.

In addition, an 8 week group social skill program is offered for 7 – 10 year olds through a collaboration with the University of Illinois speech and hearing clinic.

Dr. James Halle received his masters degree from the University of Michigan and his Ph.D. in Developmental and Child Psychology from the University of Kansas. He is currently a Professor of Special Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For more than 25 years, Professor Halle's program of research has focused on communication assessment and intervention with children and youth who have substantial language deficits.He has published more than 50 articles and chapters related to communication assessment and intervention.

Currently, Professor Halle directs a U.S. Department of Education research grant focusing on communication repairs of young non-verbal children with severe disabilities. In the recent past, his research concentrated on instructional strategies that promote generalized use of language. This program of research was supported by a U.S. Department of Education grant to investigate the potential applications of general-case instruction to language of learners with severe disabilities.

Linda Tortorelli, B.B.A. is the Resource Coordinator for The Autism Program: Champaign County. Ms. Tortorelli received her Bachelor's of Business Administration, from St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN.

Prior to her position at The Autism Program, Linda was the business manager for Campus Middle School for Girls in Urbana, IL. Linda also currently volunteers as Coordinator for the Autism Society of Illinois's affiliate - the Champaign-Urbana Autism Network. This is a local family and professional networking organization. Linda is married to Dr. Daniel Tortorelli and is the mother of three teenagers, one with an autism spectrum disorder. She has extensive personal experience in service coordination and advocacy for her child and has served as a resource, advocate and support for families and professionals who live and work with individuals with ASD and related disorders.

Aaron Ebata is an associate professor and extension specialist in the Department of Human and Community Development at UIUC. He completed his PhD degrees in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State University, and was a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University.

A former elementary and preschool teacher, he has conducted applied research on how children and families cope with stress and develops and evaluates outreach programs for parents. He is currently the Director of the Family Resiliency Resource Center, which provides resource and referral services, an onsite library, educational workshops for the general public, and training for professionals who work with children and families.