4. The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) is an innovative and dynamic group of professionals and agencies. This group is
always striving to make the lives of children with Autism and their families better and brighter. This transformational
approach to supporting the children of Illinois brought me to TAP as the new director this year, and I could not be more
excited!
Meeting the needs of children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families requires a comprehensive,
multi-faceted statewide approach. TAP provides such an approach by bringing together more than 30 agency and
university partners across our state. We have 12 centers from Rockford to Carbondale that each serve as many as 14
counties, often in rural settings.
Developing the infrastructure and funding to support appropriate screening, diagnosis, treatment and education for
these children and their families represents a major challenge to our nation’s health care and education systems.
Currently, Medicaid and private insurance do not provide reimbursement for many necessary treatments. TAP is often
the only answer for families who cannot afford to pay full price for the support their children need to succeed.
Year after year, we continue to work as hard as possible to provide the necessary services to the children and families
of Illinois. However, as a state-funded program, TAP continues to feel the burden of our state’s precarious financial
situation. This year has been particularly challenging, and it is likely that in FY2012 fewer children will receive services,
treatment or diagnostics due to further decreases in funding. However, the statewide model has proven to be an
effective use of state dollars to provide more services and supports than any agency can accomplish alone. We are
able to continue to sustain the high level of quality services through the loyalty and commitment of all of our partners
across the state of Illinois and our very dedicated staff at Headquarters and in the field.
These are challenging times, but I still believe it is critical to continue providing affordable, evidence-based services to
the 29,000 children in Illinois with an ASD. TAP remains the most comprehensive and affordable way to accomplish
this monumental task.
Best Regards,
Bronwyn E. Rains, NSCP, LCPC
Director- The Autism Program of Illinois
Letter from the Director
5. our HISTORY
In 2003, Public Act 93-0395 created The
Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) and the
establishment of three Regional Centers.
TAP expanded in FY2006 to include two
additional affiliate centers. By FY2008, TAP
convened a statewide network of more than 27
agencies and universities devoted to meeting the needs of
children with autism and their families, forming The Autism
Program of Illinois Service Network.
6. our MISSION• To foster development of community networks that promote best practice in the diagnosis,
treatment and education of all children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
• To provide complementary and supplementary services to every facet of the system of care.
our GOALS• Bring agencies together to work systematically to provide a network of
resources for Autism Spectrum Disorders in the State of Illinois.
• Provide a strategy and framework for the State of Illinois to address
the complex issues involved in diagnosis, treatment and research for
the thousands of children in Illinois with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
• Train, support and coordinate services with health care providers and
educators to help Illinois families.
7. Annually, The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) impacts
more than 16,000 families through a variety of services.
The 12 TAP centers statewide provide differing ranges of
services depending on community needs. These services
can include diagnosis, assessment, training for parents
and professionals, family consultations, Applied Behavior
Analysis, counseling, support groups and social skills groups.
Since the program began in 2003, TAP has made 64,000 clinical contacts (screening, diagnosis,
consultations).
The Centers for Disease Control reports that currently 1 in 110 children could be diagnosed with
an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This means there are 29,000 school-aged children in Illinois
with an ASD. Training is an important way TAP helps to spread awareness to many audiences
about the growing rate of autism. Since the program began in 2003, TAP has trained nearly
57,000 parents and professionals.
what we do
8. highlighting accomplishments in FY2011
• Piloted fee-for-service models at some centers to charge market value for services, depending on families’ ability to pay
• Increased referrals between centers regionally and statewide to allow center specialization, less duplication of services, and
shorter waiting lists for clients
• Worked to create a rural health model in northeastern Illinois
• Developed a parent mentoring program
• Hosted an integrated summer camp for children of all abilities
• Increased collaboration with school districts in order to educate administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals and others
working in the field
• Trained college students to enter the field as knowledgeable,
compassionate service providers
• Increased interaction with first responders (police and fire stations)
to improve their knowledge of ASD and to familiarize children to
uniformed responders
• Provided modules for adults with more severe symptoms focused on
improving nutrition, life skills and safety in the community
• Continued work with the Health Resource and Service Administration,
Association for University Centers of Excellence in Developmental
Disabilities, and the Centers for Disease Control to identify potential
policy changes to ensure necessary services for children and adults with
an ASD
• Worked with hospitals and doctors’ offices to break down silos in
healthcare and promote a better understand of autism and referrals to
TAP centers
• Collaborated with Early Intervention providers to increase the ability to
diagnose children less than two years old
“While the network approach
provides an efficient, economical
method to provide regional service
by qualified providers, inadequate
and diminishing financial support
(grants, insurance reimbursement),
is contributing to growing un-met
needs across Illinois.”
-- Quarter Three 2011 Report
11. CO
fiscally responsib
Henry Ford once said,“Coming together
is a beginning; keeping together is progress;
working together is success.” The Autism
Program of Illinois (TAP) is
proof that a system approach
works.
TAP partners complete great
work individually, serving
distinctive populations in their
diverse communities. However,
their clients reap the benefits
of being part of a larger body
of providers, all working
toward more services, better evidence-based
practices, increased outreach and support,
appropriate public policy and most importantly,
knowledgeable and caring staff.
The TAP Network, convened by The Hope
Institute for Children and Families, consists of
12 centers and more than 30 partners which
means that no matter where you
live in Illinois, someone in the TAP
family can help. Some communities
are fortunate enough to be within
range of more than one TAP
center. In these cases, centers are
becoming more specialized- one
center might focus on diagnostics,
while the other hones their social
skills programs.This allows the
TAP Network to refer clients
to one another and cut down on duplicative
programming, saving the state money, and
ensuring the on-going growth of critical
services.
“Coming together is
a beginning; keeping
together is progress;
working together is
success.”
- Henry Ford
12. COLLABORATION
The TAP Network has been so successful in providing for the children in Illinois, the network
concept was borrowed. Intersect for Ability is a network of 11 agencies in metropolitan Chicago
serving adults with developmental disabilities, also convened by The Hope Institute using a systems
model. Similar to the TAP partners, Intersect for Ability partners are stand alone agencies with
successful histories of providing outstanding care. However, working together they have expanded
service offerings for their clients, including a program to enhance the transition into retirement for
adults with developmental disabilities.
In addition to the Intersect for Ability Network,TAP was a leading partner in policy development
through Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (AFAA). AFAA brought together allies in the
autism community including providers, educators, parents, caregivers and self advocates to shape
future services and public policy for a maturing population of children with autism.
While AFAA and Intersect for Ability are part of the “big picture” of system development,TAP
operates day-to-day with a prescription of collaboration and sharing in order to maximize
work accomplished by TAP partners, sharing that work to all partners for the benefit of their
communities, and doing so within a fiscally responsible model.
sible
13. positively impacting“TAP seems to have an acute
understanding that parents
of children with ASD have
complex needs that include
not only direct service requests
and network access, but also
assistance on a daily basis.This
comprehensive continuum of
services is one of the many
aspects that makesTAP an
outstanding program.”
~ Eric L. Robinson, Ph.D.
Baylor University
Facts
• 1 in 110 children has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)- this
is about 29,000 Illinois children
• TAP is the largest network of its kind in the country for
services, training and other supports for children with an ASD
• Annually,TAP impacts more than 16,000 families in 101 of 102
counties in Illinois
• Since the beginning of the program in FY2003,TAP has
provided 64,612 clinical contacts (screening, diagnosis,
consultations) and trained 56,981 parents and professionals
• TAP centers provide a variety of services dependent on
community needs and can include diagnosis, assessment,
training for parents and professionals, family consultations,
Applied Behavior Analysis, counseling, support groups and
social skills groups
• TAP is committed to shaping legislation, both at state and
federal levels, to improve funding, services and supports
14. ng Illinois
since 2003
TAP centers provide opportunities
for people interested in Autism
Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) to learn
and grow as professionals in the field.
Chelsie Lonbom is one of these
dedicated professionals. Chelsie is a
graduate student at the University of
Illinois Urbana-Champaign, working
toward a master’s in Human and
Community Development and a
master’s in Social Work. She has
worked at three different TAP
centers, which informed her decision
to pursue additional education
focused on working with children
with an ASD and their families.
WorkforceDevelopment
“I began with
very little
interest in this
field, but once
immersed,
informed
and shown the world of
autism through the eyes
of professionals, families,
and individuals with
autism, I don’t think I
could ever leave.”
~Chelsie Lonbom
15. TAP TRAINING CENTERS
University of Illinois-Chicago
Chicago, Illinois (312) 413-4624
The Hope Institute
Springfield, Illinois (217) 525-8332
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, Illinois (618) 536-2122
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois (309) 585-0887
University of Illinois Champaign Urbana
Urbana, IL (217) 244-1395
TAP SERVICE CENTERS
Charleston Transitional Facility
Charleston, Illinois (217) 348-3869
Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
(312) 491-4110/(312) 564-4060
Easter Seals Rockford
A program of Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago
Rockford, Illinois (815) 395-5566
Easter Seals Peoria-Bloomington
Peoria, Illinois (309) 686-1177
Bloomington, Illinois (309) 663-8275
UCP Heartland
Maryville, Illinois (618) 288-2218
Kreider Services, Inc.
Dixon, Illinois (815) 288-6691
Trinity Services, Inc.
New Lenox, Illinois (815) 462-4273
