DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed project is pilot research aimed at developing "novel service delivery models designed to target children with complex, comorbid and/or chronic conditions in school and community-based settings." It is timely and responds to the National Institute of Mental Health PA: PAR-03-078, "From intervention development to services: Exploratory research grants"1 and a concern of the lag between research and practice for children with autism. This gap is significant because of the increasing numbers of children with autism identified by public service agencies and a lack of trained community and school-based personnel. The proposed study will evaluate the effects of an innovative treatment approach for children with autism who participate in community-based public school programs. Guidelines of effective practice and recommendations for research generated by the National Research Council (NRC) in 2001 are incorporated. Caregiver, teacher, and school variables, as well as child effects will be evaluated. The evaluation of this intervention is longitudinal and focuses on important child outcomes over a period of one school year as well as parent/caregiver and teacher outcomes. The aims of this proposal are: (1) To generate pilot data and effect size estimates of the impact of a child-specific consultation approach (COMPASS) vs. "usual" educational program development practice by prospectively following a random sample of 60 children whose teachers received COMPASS and whose teachers did not receive COMPASS, and (2) to generate pilot data of additional factors (school organization, teacher, parent, and child) that may account for variance in teacher, child, and family outcomes.