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As many school administrators, teachers, and parents have heard, the Virginia House and Senate passed House Bill 325 during the 2012 General Assembly session. This Bill requires school divisions to ensure that paraprofessionals assigned to work with teachers who have primary oversight of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) receive training in behavior support strategies. The legislation also directs the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to outline standards to meet this mandate.

In an effort to comply with this new legislation, as well as meet its mission of improving the knowledge and skills of educators who support someone with ASD, VCU-ACE now offers an online course for paraprofessionals. The course, Autism Spectrum Disorders for Paraprofessionals: Providing Effective Instruction and Supports includes five learning modules:

• Characteristics of ASD;
• Roles and Responsibilities of the Paraprofessional;
• Foundational Instructional Practices;
• Supporting Communication and Social Skills; and
• Providing Positive Behavior Supports.

The course is available online and users are able to complete the content at a time convenient for them. However, this is not a typical self-paced course. Participants have one month to complete the 5 learning modules. Access to the modules is staggered across the duration of the month to help the participant devote the proper time for learning and complete the embedded learning activities. Due to the generous grant from the VDOE, the course is currently free to Virginia residents. VCU-ACE Director of Training, Dawn Hendricks commented on the new legislation and VCU-ACE course, “Paraprofessionals are on the front lines every day with students with autism spectrum disorder and training is essential to improving educational experiences and outcomes for these students.”

In December 2011, the Commonwealth’s 132 school divisions reported 13,137 students with autism as their primary disability, a 490 percent increase since 2000. “These statistics underscore the importance of VDOE’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. She followed, “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.”

Click here to view a short video piece (WTVR Richmond Channel 6, Monday, April 23, 2012) on the new VCU-ACE online course for Paraprofessionals. 

For details and registration information on Autism Spectrum Disorders for Paraprofessionals: Providing Effective Instruction and Supports, please visit this Online Courses page on the VCU-ACE website.   

As reported by Olympia Meola in the Richmond Times Dispatch (Jan. 27, 2012), the Commonwealth of Virginia has now reached an agreement with the United States Justice Department following the 2008-2010 investigation into state training centers, and the subsequent critical report issued in February 2011.  The settlement allows Virginia to avoid litigation and provides that the state will grow services to support community-based care and add 4,170 waiver slots to aid in this transition.  Four of the five state training centers are scheduled to be closed by July 1, 2020. 

To view the entire Richmond Times Dispatch (Jan. 27, 2012) article, "Virginia, U.S. Reach $2B Settlement on Disability Services," click here.

Loudoun County Public Schools, in collaboration with the VDOE Region 4 T-TAC, recently hosted international visitors from Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia to learn a process for implementing evidenced based practices (EBPs) for students with autism as developed by the National Professional Development Center (NPDC) in Autism Spectrum Disorders.  One of three divisions initially selected within the Commonwealth, Loudoun County Schools is in year two of successful implementation of an NPDC grant.  Loudoun County Autism Program Specialist, Rosemarie McGuinness, says of the division’s involvement in the grant. “This process has given us a systematic and comprehensive training tool for implementing evidence-based practices and ensuring the fidelity of these practices with our staff.  We have seen positive outcomes with our students as a result of using this process.”  Guests were able to observe multiple classrooms where the NPDC process, including program quality measures, EBP resources, and coaching tools, is being used and to examine data displaying the significant positive student outcomes that have resulted.  With the launch of the VDOE VCU Autism Center for Excellence (VCU-ACE) and expansion of technical assistance available, more school divisions throughout the state have been able to access and utilize the NPDC model.  For more information about NPDC and the resources it offers, click here.

A free online module is now available for early intervention service providers and anyone who supports families with young children.  Autism in Infants & Toddlers:  What Every Early Interventionist Needs to Know provides an overview of Autism Spectrum Disorders in infants and toddlers, including definitions, prevalence, and early signs and symptoms.  Participants will learn about social interaction, communication, and play of young children with ASD, as well as other characteristics.  Completing this module will result in a certificate and one credit hour of professional development. 

For More Information: Virginia Early Intervention Professional Development Center

From the Introduction and Purpose, here’s a brief description of what you can expect: “The Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia is committed to working closely with families of young children with ASD to provide individualized supports and services that help families promote the development of their children. This guidance document has been developed to serve as a resource for early intervention practitioners (e.g., service coordinators, educators, speech language pathologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists), family members, and other service providers (e.g., medical personnel) who work with infants or toddlers who have signs of or who have been diagnosed with ASD. Information is presented in this document that relates to the early identification of young children with ASD as well as their progression through Virginia’s early intervention process.”

You can find the document, “Supporting Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Families” under Resources (Early Intervention) on the VCU-ACE website!