In February, 2009 ODDD Director John Martin announced the formation of the Autism Interagency Workgroup (AIWG) at a phone conference with stakeholders. The purpose of the workgroup is to bring together members of the various Ohio state agencies - Health, Mental Health, Jobs and Family Services, Education, Rehab Services and ODDD - to work collaboratively to address the needs of persons with autism and their families in Ohio, using the Ohio Autism Taskforce recommendations as a guide and building on the work already done to make the recommendations a reality. Part of a proposal to the Governor by ODDD,  the formation of this group was also a recommendation of the ASO to the Governor.
Under the leadership of ODDD’s Assistant Deputy Director of Systems Innovation and Technical Assistance (SITA), Kevin Aldridge, the Work group will be led and facilitated by Jody Fisher, Project Manager with SITA. The work of the AIWG is based on core values….
• Some help and hope for all
• Services where they ought to be
• Good stewardship of limited resources
• Quality outcomes through a combination of people and process
• Partnerships with stakeholders for positive results

….and a commitment to benefiting all Ohioans with disabilities

The AIWG identified 6 Priorities :
• Statewide system of early identification of autism
• Evidence-based, high quality, cost effective intervention
• Qualified professionals to serve
• Support for caregivers and service providers
• Effective service and support delivery through regional approaches
• Successful transitions across lifespan

The AIWG had developed a workplan around the priorities and they are interested in your feedback!
As an individual, family member, advocate, service provider or leader in the field, your input into the IWG
work plan is critical and valued.
Please review draft work plan, determine if the plan hits the mark for moving Ohio in the right direction, and provide feedback. You are also encouraged to share this plan with others that may be interested in providing their thoughts. All feedback will be shared with the Interagency Work Group and be used to finalize the work plan. Comments or feedback can be directed to .usThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Should you have an interest in becoming involved with any of the specific activities outlined in the plan, please include your contact information.

To get complete details, click on IWG introductory letter
To review the work plan, click on The IWG Work Plan
To see who the members of the AIWG are, click on IWG Roster
For more information on the work plan, click on “Talking Points” - information to help explain the Work Plan
For more information on the ODDD Website, click here.