Internship Goals

  1. Demonstrate awareness of methods and practices HANDS uses to help individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and apply these methods within my internship.

I have participated in HANDS in Autism® training week inclusive of online modules as participant. I will continue shadowing and will eventually participate in conduct of intakes, interviews, small groups and other intervention opportunities with individuals, groups, families and/or providers. I will contribute to opportunities for translation and/or development of materials with Spanish-speaking population with a fellow intern. I will continue contributing to the PR efforts at HANDS in Autism® with regular additions to organizations and contacts to be added to the HANDS database. Over the next few years I will keep up to date on any modifications to practices to best meet the needs of individuals with ASD.

  1. Expand on communication skills and build relationships in a professional environment with my internship site supervisor, individuals with ASD, their families, and other providers.

I will continue participating in conduct of intakes, interviews, small groups and other intervention as part of clinical, education and research opportunities (individuals, groups, families and/or providers). I will have the opportunity to collaborate with another intern to help distribute and create materials for Spanish-speaking individuals and families. Weekly I work with a client who primarily speaks Spanish at home, and I plan to help her create supports in both Spanish and English to aid in every day conversation settings. I will continue participating in ongoing project meetings, planning/debrief sessions, biweekly individual and monthly group supervisions. In the future I will continue establishing connections within my field of study and in professional environments.

  1. Relate skills and information learned through research and hands-on experiences to coursework and my future career.

I will continue tracking as component of research opportunities (individuals, families and/or providers) through conduct of individual interviews or participation in focus groups for the needs assessment study. In the future I will expand on my data collection and research skills to complement what I learn through my internship. I will continue helping individuals with ASD to perform certain tasks that promote independence. In the future, I will continue learning ways to encourage individuals to reach their full potential in completing tasks independently.

Other Goals

Another goal I have to promote personal growth is to participate in activities that encourage me to reach my full potential. Instead of doing the minimal amount of work, my goal is to strive to get the most out of every experience through putting forth my utmost effort.

Necessary Skills and Experiences

To achieve these goals, I am continuously working to further develop my leadership, communication, and collaboration skills. Through focusing on each of these areas, I will become more successful in my future career. To achieve these goals I will continue participating in experiences that encourage me to share my ideas, be a model and leader for others, and work with others to meet a shared goal.