The University of St. Thomas

School of Education

Program Features

Certificate in Special Education with Concentration in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Providing Hope to Families and Children

This certificate will enhance skills in understanding, identifying, and programming for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

Through the certificate, you will:

  • Explore the history and current thinking on ASD.
  • Understand the impact of ASD on sensory processing, anxiety, social perception and communication.
  • Learn identification and evaluation methods for educational settings.
  • Study processes for establishing priorities for educational needs and Individual Educational Program (IEP) goals and objectives.
  • Discover techniques that support the selection of instructional interventions, support strategies and monitoring systems.
  • Identify techniques for supporting the selection of instructional interventions.
  • Learn support strategies.
  • Review monitoring systems.
  • Gain access to research and resources that will provide ongoing access to ASD information.

There is no specific Minnesota license in autism spectrum disorders. However, schools recognize a need for focused training for autism specialists and other pre-K-12 educators.