The ASD Nest Model

Shirley Cohen, PhD, a professor in the Department of Special Education at Hunter College of the City University of New York, USA for many years, became Professor Emeritus in 2011. In her role at Hunter College, Dr. Cohen co-developed the ASD Nest programme for the New York City public schools with Dorothy Siegel of New York University, and continues to serve as a consultant and intervention developer for the programme. She is the author of the book Targeting Autism, originally published in 1998 and since 2006 in its third edition, as well as two earlier books on disability: Special People (1977) and Respite Care (1985). She is also a coauthor of Everyday Classroom Strategies and Practices for Supporting Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders (AAPC Publishing).

Lauren Hough, MsEd, is the coaching consultant for the ASD Nest Support Project at New York University s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, USA. In this role, she provides professional development workshops, school-based consultation, and seminars on meeting the needs of school-aged students on the spectrum in inclusion settings. Prior to working as a consultant, Ms. Hough worked for five years as a special education teacher and school-based coach in the ASD Nest program. She is a coauthor of Everyday Classroom Strategies and Practices for Supporting Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders (AAPC Publishing).