EEU - Project DATA

Created by Haring Center educators, researchers, and graduate students Project DATA (Developmentally Appropriate Treatment for Autism) is a groundbreaking, replicable, sustainable, inclusive classroom model for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This program has been replicated by school districts throughout the state of Washington and the rest of the United States.

At the EEU, Project DATA (Developmentally Appropriate Treatment for Autism) is a program in which children on the autism spectrum currently enrolled in our preschool programs can receive additional services integrating the best, most current educational practices from the fields of early childhood special education and applied behavior analysis. In order to ensure the best possible outcomes for children with autism and their families, the program is also influenced by guiding principles, which serve as the cornerstone of Project DATA:

1. Children with autism are children first, and the program must be a safe and nurturing place for children
2. Data-based decision making must be employed across all aspects of the program
3. Children with autism must have multiple opportunities to interact successfully with their typically developing peers every day
4. The program must be acceptable to consumers and must fit in the social contexts of public schools

A nationally recognized program that began at the Haring Center, Project DATA is the model for which SPS designed its extended day special education program. Project DATA is provided through a contract with Seattle Public Schools.