Project TEDD: Training Educators in Dual Diagnosis
Texas Tech University's Virginia Murray Sowell Center for Research and Education in Sensory Disabilities implemented Project TEDD: Training Educators in Dual Diagnosis, an initiative that addressed a state need for K-12 educators who specialize in teaching students who have a dual diagnosis of an intellectual and developmental disability and a mental health condition. Developmental disabilities are severe, chronic disabilities that occur before the age of 22, such as autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injury, and epilepsy.
Project TEDD was funded by a $1.5 million grant from the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities. Project TEDD is a train-the-trainer program that was designed to increase knowledge and skills of those working with children with dual diagnosis.
Project TEDD provided up to 400 Texas special educators/professionals with access to train-the-trainer workshops so that they in turn trained other educators/professionals/parents with necessary skills for recognizing, understanding, and working with individuals with dual diagnosis. The first year of training started in December 2020 at the Region 17 Education Service Center (ESC) in Lubbock. The focus of the project then expanded the train-the-trainer workshops to the remaining 19 ESCs in Texas. We have now completed the fifth and final year of this project. The goal was to train a total of 400 teachers/professionals by the end of the project. Each teacher/professional was expected to train at least 5 other individuals, totaling 2,000 or potentially more across Texas. The trained educators (trainers) have trained another 1,908 individuals (teachers, other professionals, parents). The trainers themselves have become a resource within their respective school districts and/or ESCs and will continue to impact their colleagues for several years through ongoing training for numerous other educators, related professionals, and parents.
Through a sustainability initiative where all Project TEDD materials are now available to the general public throughout the United States and beyond, this project will continue to enhance the competencies of educators in K-12 settings who work with students with dual diagnosis. The educators will receive knowledge in the areas of identification, referral, assessment, and behavior and academic best practices. These educators will receive advanced training in collaboration and communication, crisis intervention, and working with families. This new knowledge will enable educators to make meaningful changes in their school districts and support collaboration with agencies outside of school settings serving individuals with dual diagnosis. Project TEDD has created new leaders in dual diagnosis in K-12 settings through its use of the train-the-trainer model. This model facilitates systemic change by developing individuals who can continue to train educators and related professionals serving students with dual diagnosis for numerous years in Texas and beyond.
To access the Project TEDD curriculum free of cost, use the following link: Teacher Training Workshop Materials
This work has been supported by the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities through a grant from the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Washington, D.C. 20201, with a 100% federal funding award totaling $6,175,796. Council efforts are those of the grantee and do not necessarily represent the official views of nor are endorsed by ACL, HHS, or the U.S. government.