Autism experts available to speak on new CDC report

LAWRENCE — University of Kansas autism experts are available to speak to media on Thursday’s CDC report that raised prevalence of autism spectrum disorders from 1 in 88 to 1 in 68:

Debra Kamps, Ph.D., director of the Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training: Kamps' expertise includes a long history of research on children with autism and serious behavior disorders as well as effective instructional, behavioral and social interventions for students with disabilities. She is the associate director of Juniper Gardens Children's Project and senior scientist at the KU Life Span Institute.

Matthew Reese, Ph.D., co-director: Reese is a licensed psychologist with more than 25 years of experience in developmental disabilities. His particular areas of expertise are autism and individuals with severe developmental disabilities and behavioral problems. He is the director of the Center for Child Health and Development at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Sean Swindler, M.S.Ed.: Swindler is the director of Community Program Development and Evaluation for the Kansas Center For Autism Research and Training (K-CART). For K-CART, he is responsible for the establishment of community partnerships and development of individual programs to respond to the needs of people with autism. Swindler earned his master's degree in special education, with an emphasis on transition, from KU.