The Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center (DDDC) at Rutgers University presents its 2025-2026 annual report. The document covers the Center's mission of service, training, and research for the autism community. It includes messages from the Dean's Cabinet and the Center Director, an overview of impact by the numbers, and sections on school-aged programs, community outreach, training…
This is the 2025-2026 annual report of the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center (DDDC) at Rutgers University. It is addressed to the Center's community of partners, families, and supporters. The report documents the Center's integrated mission of service, training, and research for individuals with autism and their families.
The report opens with a message from the GSAPP Dean's Cabinet, noting the passing of founder Sandra L. Harris and the launch of the Autism Training Hub. A message from Center Director Catriona Francis follows, emphasizing the Center's commitment to addressing service gaps and expanding partnerships with urban school districts.
An 'Our Impact by the Numbers' section reports that in 2025-2026 the Center served 107 students (29 in the Center-based School Program from 18 New Jersey districts, 78 in the Community-based Program from 3 districts) and trained 130 trainees across psychology, medical, and allied health fields.
The Service section describes the Douglass School Program for students ages 3-21 with significant support needs, grounded in applied behavior analysis (ABA), and the Douglass Outreach Program providing training and consultation to New Jersey schools. It also introduces the SHARE program, launched in 2023 with Rutgers Chancellor's Office funding to partner with underserved urban school districts.
The Training section covers graduate student training in ABA and interdisciplinary training for professionals in nursing, psychiatry, family medicine, and pediatrics. The Research section lists 24 research posters, 20 conference papers, 3 peer-reviewed journal articles, 3 guest lectures, and 1 book chapter, with three specific publications cited.