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Full Description

The Autism Spectrum Disorders graduate certificate prepares students for understanding and addressing the needs of individuals with autism across the spectrum, across the lifespan and in varied contexts, including general and special education classrooms and community settings. Students gain knowledge and skills related to diagnostic and learning style characteristics, causes and medical intervention, early signs and assessment protocols, social-communicative development and disorders, theoretical models and implications of those models for intervention, family characteristics and evidence-based intervention practices.

This certificate is most relevant for students who want to specialize in autism spectrum disorders and/or professionals assuming leadership roles in supporting individuals on the spectrum and their families in the programs and organizations in which they work.

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 2.750 GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• Goal statement
• Two letters of recommendation
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:¹
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 DET score

¹

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores will not be considered for admission.

Application Deadline

• Fall Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Spring Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Summer Term
  • Rolling admissions

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Describe the diagnostic and learning style characteristics of individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
2. Identify early signs of autism spectrum disorder and identify and evaluate instruments used to screen for and diagnose autism spectrum disorder in children and adults.
3. Identify neurobiological and environmental factors implicated in the etiology of autism spectrum disorder.
4. Describe medical and complementary and alternative medical interventions used by individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
5. Compare the social-communicative development of individuals with autism spectrum disorder to that of neurotypically developing individuals.
6. Describe different theoretical models for understanding autism spectrum disorder.
7. Implement evidence-based interventions to address the needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Program Requirements

Certificate Requirements

Graduation Requirements

• Students declared in a doctoral degree should enroll in the doctoral level version of these courses, if offered.

• Delivery:
  • Fully Online
  • Mostly Online
• Location:
  • Kent Campus