Learning Paths

Learning Paths

Ready to grow your skills and make a meaningful impact for your students with autism? Learning Paths are your starting point to build expertise in autism topics tailored to your professional development goals. Start your journey today and build more inclusive, effective learning environments-one step at a time!

Learning Paths are grounded in evidence-based practices (EBPs) to guide educators through a systematic learning process:

  1. Determine and Identify the assessment needs of students related to the EBP.
  2. Plan and Develop tailored interventions based on these assessments.
  3. Implement and Monitor the interventions to ensure they are effectively addressing student needs.
  4. Evaluate the effectiveness of the EBP to make necessary adjustments and improvements

Choose Your Learning Path

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Visual cues, such as pictures, icons, objects, or colors, help clarify routines, expectations, and the boundaries which support students in understanding and demonstrating the skills.

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Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) includes all forms of communication beyond speech and strengthens communication for people with speech impairments.

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Social skills help us understand how to interact across different situations. Autistic individuals may need explicit support to navigate the social rules others pick up naturally.

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Antecedent-Based Interventions (ABI) involve proactively adjusting environments or routines to prevent interfering behaviors and encourage positive ones.

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A structured teaching approach that breaks skills into clear, manageable steps, ensuring mastery before progressing to more complex skills.

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Motivating and individualized reinforcement strengthens academic,social,communication,and behavior skills while reducing behaviors that interfere with learning.

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To learn more, take advantage of these additional VCU-ACE offerings:

  • Training- Enhance your ability to support students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through ACE training. Our training provides essential knowledge and actionable strategies designed to empower educators, families, and professionals. Choose from a menu of learning opportunities designed to meet various learning preferences, schedules, and roles. With options of varying lengths and intensities, you can select the training that best fits your needs.
  • Resources - Quickly access a comprehensive range of information, websites, and tools to deepen your knowledge and help you support individuals with ASD. Resources are organized by resource type, such as factsheets, tools, journal articles, or by topic.
  • Connect - The best way to know about upcoming events and new resources from ACE is to