Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Classroom

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
https://www.towson.edu/coe/departments/specialed/grad/autism-classroom-certificate/

Program Director: Dr. Katherine Holman
Phone: 410-704-3613
Email: [email protected]

The certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Classroom is designed to enhance the knowledge, skills and dispositions of any professional who wants to learn more about how to effectively support students with ASD in the school setting.  The post-baccalaureate certificate will provide students with:

• Completion of application assignments, or APPS, which are designed to allow for the implementation of learned skills in their classroom followed by guided reflection and revision from faculty and colleagues. 
• Access to faculty and national leaders in the area of autism spectrum disorders.
• Opportunities to engage with local community partners who specialize in supporting individuals on the spectrum and their families.

Upon completion of this five-course program, graduates will have the knowledge and capacities to effectively serve students with ASD in their schools and community and empower their families.  

1. Students will gain experience interviewing a family member and a professional about their perceptions of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team process and will utilize this information to develop both a personal and leadership action plan, which utilizes information gained to improve the IEP team process (CEC ASD Advanced Preparation Standard 7:  Collaboration)
2. Students will gain an in depth understanding about the social needs of students with autism spectrum disorder and will demonstrate competence in selecting appropriate social goals, embedding them within instruction and reflecting on the success of the lesson and empowering others to better meet this important area of need (CEC ASD Advanced Preparation Standard 1:  Assessment; Standard 3: Programs, Services and Outcomes)
3.  Students will complete a needs assessment (survey/data collection/observation of need), plan, create materials, and deliver a professional development session on effective classroom practices for students with autism spectrum disorders to a group of professionals in their school settings. (CEC ASD Advanced Preparation Standard 2: Curricular Content Knowledge)  
4. Students will learn how to evaluate student's behaviors to determine their function, design appropriate positive behavioral interventions to improve behavior and collect data on the effectiveness of the intervention (CEC ASD Advanced Preparation Standard 3: Programs, Services and Outcomes; Standard 6:  Professional and Ethical Practice)