Collaborators
We developed the current NJACE to address the complex and unique features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by promoting increased communication and collaboration amongst autism researchers, educators, practitioners and autistic individuals and their families to improve our understanding of and ability to diagnose and treat ASD, decrease service disparities, and empowering the lives of all New Jersey individuals and families affected by ASD. The NJACE has three collaborating organizations — Children’s Specialized Hospital, Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services, and Autism New Jersey — as well as many individual researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders from across the state of New Jersey.
Collaborating Institutions
Children’s Specialized Hospital
Children’s Specialized Hospital (CSH), with 15 locations throughout NJ, is the nation’s leading provider of inpatient and outpatient care to children with special health needs. As a part of the RWJBarnabas Health system, CSH is the largest provider of services for children and adolescents with ASD in the geographic region, providing a wide array of diagnostic, therapeutic and recreation programs for children and teens with ASD including primary care services within a medical home model. Almost 10,000 individuals with ASD were patients at CSH in 2022 with 2,072 being newly diagnosed in 2022. At CSH, they value a family-centered approach to care with an emphasis on early detection and treatment. Autism research at CSH includes focus on development of screening tools for underserved communities, medication studies, research on how ASD impacts brain functions and studies on the genetic causes of ASD, as well as multiple clinical trials and a distinguished lecture series. CSH education activities include a 3-year Developmental Pediatric Fellowship in collaboration with Rutgers, a 1-year Developmental Nursing Fellowship, a 2-year Pediatric Rehabilitation Fellowship, and various postdoctoral research fellowships.
RUCARES at the Rutgers Brian Health Institute
The Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (RUCARES) at the Brain Health Institute (BHI) was developed to improve communication and collaboration between autism researchers, clinicians and educators across Rutgers University and CSH (e.g., initiating the RUCARES Advisory Board and the Neurodevelopment Focused Area Workgroup) and to develop needed programs not currently available at Rutgers or CSH (e.g., initiating the Severe Behavior Program, the RUCARES Annual Autism Conference, and the Early Intervention Research Program). Since 2020, RUCARES has grown steadily. It has four NIH grants and one Autism Speaks grant generating over $13 million in total research revenue. CSH-RUCARES, the clinical arm of RUCARES, has generated more than $2.5 million in revenue and has grown to include more than 30 faculty, staff and trainees. Additionally, faculty and staff at RUCARES have produced 65 peer-reviewed publications in the 3 years that RUCARES has been open, with many more in preparation. The clinical programs produce excellent outcomes (e.g., a mean reduction of 96 percent in severe problem behavior at the end of treatment in comparison to baseline).
Autism New Jersey
Autism New Jersey (ANJ) is a nonprofit agency focused on supporting individuals with autism and their families through awareness, empirically based information, education and public policy initiatives. They value dignity, compassion, accessibility, progress, collaboration and excellence. ANJ is committed to supporting individualized services for people with autism and ensuring that they live safe and fulfilling lives. They recognize the autism community’s many contributions to society and work to enhance their resilience, abilities and quality of life.
Collaborating Researchers
Vanessa H. Ball, Ph.D. | Karmazin and Lillard Chair in Adult Autism; Associate Professor, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology; Director, Psychological Services Clinic, Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services
Helen M. Genova, Ph.D. | Associate Director Center for Autism Research, Kessler Foundation, Associate Research Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rutgers University
William Graves, Ph.D. | Associate Professor of Psychology, Director of the Language Behavior and Brain Imaging Lab, Rutgers University–Newark
Brian D. Greer, Ph.D., BCBA-D | Assistant Director, Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (RUCARES), Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Casey Irwin Helvey, Ph.D., BCBA-D | Senior Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Severe Behavior Program Children’s Specialized Hospital – Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services
Sungwoo Kahng, Ph.D., BCBA-D | Professor and Chair, Department of Applied Psychology, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University
Tracy L. Kettering, Ph.D., BCBA-D | Senior Director of the Applied Behavior Analysis Center of Excellence at Bancroft
Christopher J. Manente, Ph.D., BCBA | Executive Director, Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services and Clinical Associate Professor, Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Chiara Manzini, Ph.D. | Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Resident Scientist, Child Health Institute of New Jersey
Jennifer Gladys Mulle, MHS, Ph.D | Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Resident Scientist, Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers University
Janice Prontnicki, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.P | Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Director of Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Child Evaluation Center, Early Intervention Program at Rutgers- New Jersey Medical School
Sharon A. Reeve, Ph.D. | Professor and Graduate Coordinator, Applied Behavior Analysis Department, Director of Center for Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis, Caldwell University
Christina Simmons, Ph.D., BCBA-D | Associate Professor of Psychology, Rowan University; Director Rowan University Center for Behavior Analysis
Milen Velinov, M.D., Ph.D. | Associate Professor in Pediatrics, Director of Division of Genetics, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Walter Zahorodny, Ph.D. | Director, New Jersey Autism Study, Pediatrics Department, Rutgers–New Jersey Medical School