Ebony Holliday

What does Ebony Holliday, PhD, from the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI), love most about her work? She says engaging directly and collaborating with everyone to help autistic — and all — people get the services and supports they may need to thrive.

Ebony Holliday, PhD, from the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI), talks about how, especially for autistic students, behavior equals communication. Once adults understand the reason for a challenging behavior, they can help the child better communicate about or deal with those behaviors.

To help autistic students thrive in school, building on students’ individual strengths and foundations is the best way to set goals and establish what assessments, supports, and interventions are needed, explains Ebony Holliday, PhD, from the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI). This is best accomplished though a team approach.

Learning social emotional competencies is very important for autistic — and all — students to be successful in and beyond the classroom, explains Ebony Holliday, PhD, from the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI). However, for autistic students, sometimes those instructions need to be individualized and adapted so they can get the most benefit, too. 

Ebony Holliday, PhD, from the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI), on how income, socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, and community can really impact how autistic students can access the services and interventions they need.

Ebony Holliday, PhD, from the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI), says that many children, adolescents, and even adults are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) later than what would be ideal and the long-term impact of the delay.

When looking to introduce services and strategies in schools for students with autism, for example, it is crucial to look at the big picture. Is this school well resourced? Are the teachers well trained, or would it be more effective to start small and work up to bigger interventions? 

“For students with autism or other special needs, the optimal goal is always an inclusive education,” says Ebony Holliday, PhD, assistant director of Community Programs at Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI).

Ebony Holliday, PhD, from the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI), talks about how schools can be more proactive in recognizing the traits of autism and knowing the available services so as to better help students with with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Ebony Holliday, PhD, from the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI), talks about the various programs and services that can help autistic students — and their families — as they transition between grades and into adulthood.

Ebony Holliday, PhD, from the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI), talks about the factors that can contribute to children of color going undiagnosed or diagnosed and supported later for autism than white children and how better outreach and intervention can help shift those trends. 

Ebony Holliday, PhD, from the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI), discusses how co-occurring conditions like ADHD and anxiety disorder can muddy the waters for getting a proper autism diagnosis and what families can do to ensure diagnostic clarification.

In this clip, Ebony Holliday, PhD, from the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI), talks about how cultural differences can sometimes impact the rates that families, especially families of color, seek services, interventions, and even diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for their children.