Dr. Scott Bellini, will be speaking on autism Wednesday, March 26 at 5:00 p.m. in 1203 Haley Center, Auburn University's campus.  Bellini's presentation will address the social and emotional functioning of youth on the autism spectrum, and the factors that lead to the most beneficial social outcomes for children on the autism spectrum.  He will also summarize his social skills training model, "Building Social Relationships," which provides a systematic approach to teaching social skills and measuring the outcomes of social skills programs for youth on the autism spectrum.

Bellini is certainly well-qualified to lecture on autism.  He serves as assistant director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism (IRCA) and assistant professor of school psychology at Indiana University, Bloomington.   A licensed psychologist in the state of Indiana and an endorsed health services provider in psychology, he is also the director of the newly formed Social Skills Research Center (SSRC), a university-based center specializing in developing and empirically examining the outcomes of social skill interventions for youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

The author of the award-winning book, "Building Social Relationships," Bellini is currently conducting research on professional development outcomes educators, anxiety disorders and social skill interventions, including video modeling for youth with autism.

Today, 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism usually appears before a child reaches three years old and interferes with social communication skills.

The lecture is presented in conjunction with the Auburn University Autism Center, based in the College of Education.  The Auburn University Autism Center is dedicated to maximizing the potential or individuals with autism spectrum disorder.  Contact Jennifer Sellers with questions at 334-844-2004 or sellersjenn@auburn.edu.  Additional information about the Autism Center is available online at education.auburn.edu/autismcenter.