Autism Awareness: Free Course Enhances Knowledge of Disorder

The professionals charged with educating and caring for children with autism now have a new online tool designed to help them improve their instructional skills and increase their knowledge about the autism spectrum, which is still poorly understood by many.

Autism Spectrum Training for Paraprofessionals is a self-pace online course developed by the Virginia Commonwealth University Autism Center for Excellence (VCU ACE) and the Virginia Department of Education.

The course is free to all Virginia residents through a Virginia Department of Education Grant. Registration for the May session is on the VCU ACE website.

The course is divided into learning modules that review the characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder, the role of the paraprofessional and how to provide positive behavior supports.

A score of at least 80 percent on all five quizzes given in the course is needed to receive a certificate of completion.

Educators and experts said the news of the online courses availability corresponds with Autism Awareness Month and a nationwide rise in the number of children diagnosed with the disorder.

There are 13,137 children with autism as their primary disability in Virginia’s 132 school divisions, according to the state department of education.

That’s a 490 percent increase since 2000 when 2,226 children were said to have Autism Spectrum Disorder, state educators said.

The increase in autism cases isn’t only in the commonwealth but nationwide, which is prompting a research movement to better understand autism, its causes and how it is diagnosed.

“These statistics underscore the importance of (Virginia Department of Education’s) partnership with VCU to assist school divisions in educating and supporting children with autism spectrum disorder and preparing these students for productive and independent lives,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright said.

“This new training course will equip teaching assistants, bus aides and other support staff with the knowledge and skills they need to help students with autism experience success.” 

Virginia House Bill 325, approved this year by the General Assembly, requires school divisions to ensure teacher’s aids working with autistic children receive training in student behavior management.

The bill also requires the state Board of Education to consult with VCU to create an online training program school divisions can use to comply with the new requirement, according to a department of education press release issued this month.

“VDOE will work in partnership with VCU’s Autism Center for Excellence to ensure that the course addresses all standards and competencies identified by the Board of Education,” Wright said.