Louisiana Autism Spectrum and Related Disabilities Project

Why LASARD?

Since 2006, LASARD has effectively partnered with Louisiana educators, schools, and school systems (both traditional and charter) to help and advance Disabilities Education in Louisiana.

• Our Louisiana-based facilitators have extensive experience in providing on-site and online support to teachers, paraeducators, administrators, family members, and related service providers in educating students with disabilities.
• LASARD is a project within LSU Health New Orleans Human Development Center, which is Louisiana’s federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). This connects LASARD to other UCEDDs to stay abreast of current research and best practices nationally.
• Whether you are teaching students in person, online, or in a blended approach, we are prepared to provide training and coaching online or in person to meet changing needs.  We have designed training and support in response to the current need for virtual learning.
• We have taken what we have learned from our success in Louisiana schools and created an array of services which can be customized to meet your individual needs and will be supported by our well-qualified staff.

I've enjoyed and appreciate being on the LASARD District team for our district in St. Charles Parish Public Schools because I'm getting to grow my capacity. Having our wonderful coaches, they know the resources, they know the research based practices, and I think they're able to give us the tools that our teachers need for the benefit of our students. As a facilitator who doesn't have a background in students with all autism and related disabilities, this has really helped me because they've done the research, they know their field, and they're able to point myself and my teachers in the right direction. So that's why I've been very appreciative to be a part of our LASARD District team.

Shaun Crochet

Instructional Facilitator, St. Charles Parish Public Schools

I think the LASARD virtual trainings were the most beneficial because the facilitator covered several different behaviors of children in our classrooms explaining the reason for their specific behavior along with a variety of supports to provide for them. The trainings I’ve received from LASARD have saved me time researching for ways to meet my students’ needs. It has helped me understand their needs better and how I can more effectively support them.

Courtney Edwards

Lower Elementary Teacher, Ascension Parish Public Schools

We make an impact

In the previous school year, LASARD provided training to more than 1100 educators and coached more than 300 educators across 30 districts in Louisiana.