Catalog > Autism: Student Assessment

Autism: Student Assessment

(60 Hr Course) - $300*

*Individual purchase cost is $5 per credit hour for courses or some districts may have a contract.

Description

Gain an understanding of the educational determination and assessment of students with ASD. Apply assessment information when teaching, monitoring, and maintaining new skills.

This course serves as the capstone for the autism program. It should be the final course taken in this series.

 

Requires student contact.

Learning Objectives

Chapter One:  Reviewing the MTSS Process

Learners will 

  • recognize the definition of MTSS;
  • discriminate between MTSS, RtI, and PBIS;
  • identify the tiers of support;
  • recognize common MtSS myths;
  • recognize disproportionality and how RTI may solve the issues;
  • recognize barriers to the identification process and how to alleviate them; and
  • identify next steps and process for entering ESE/SPED or evaluating for a new label.

Chapter Two:  Working with Families of ASD Students

Learners will:

  • identify common reasons parents may need additional support during identification and placement;
  • recognize the relationship between medical diagnoses, educational labels, and least restrictive environment;
  • understand reasons for including parents in the IEP process;
  • identify ways to support and include parents in the IEP process; and
  • identify general ways to facilitate a positive relationship with parents.

Chapter Three:  Assessment Tools

Learners will:

  • understand how IDEA relates to autism identification and evaluation,
  • identify legal requirements prior to evaluation for ASD eligibility,
  • identify legal requirements for ASD evaluation,
  • understand the relationship between IDEA and state requirements for ASD eligibility, and
  • review examples of assessment components and evaluation tools used in evaluation for ASD eligibility.

Chapter Four:  Interpreting Formal Assessment Data

Learners will:

  • read an evaluation report, 
  • recognize the key parts of the report, 
  • learn how to interpret assessment scores, and
  • use an evaluation report to pinpoint a student’s strengths and weaknesses.

Chapter Five:  Writing Goals Based on Priority Educational Needs

Learners will 

  • recognize key components of an IEP which includes 
    • present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) which are comprised of
      • student needs in an academic or functional skill area,
      • a statement that reflects the impact of the student’s disability on general education curriculum involvement, 
      • current level of performance to include baseline data,
    • IEP goals, and
    • objectives or benchmarks;
  • identify SMART goals and the benefit of using them;
  • learn how to write measurable goals and objectives for language, behavior, and academics;
  • recognize legal implications of the Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District case and how it relates to goal writing;
  • recognize common mistakes in goal writing and how to avoid them; and
  • demonstrate the ability to write SMART goals.

Chapter Six:  Least Restrictive Environment and the ASD Student

Learners will

  • recognize the federal guidelines within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as they relate to student placement,
  • recognize the principles of Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) within the IDEA,
  • analyze the classroom environment, teaching, and the student in order to determine appropriate supplementary aids and services,
  • recognize which individuals make up the Individual Educational Plan (IEP) Team that determines ASD student placement decisions,
  • develop an awareness of the ASD student  factors that influence placement decisions,
  • develop an awareness of the range of placements for students with ASD, and
  • recognize the complexity of decision-making when multiple diagnoses are present.

Chapter Seven:  Alternate Assessments

Learners will 

  • identify current state and federal guidelines as they pertain to statewide standardized assessments,
  • recognize the types of statewide assessments in Florida and who takes them, 
  • identify candidates for alternate assessment,
  • recognize  the decision-making process for determining who takes an alternate assessment,
  • recognize the impact that alternate assessment has on transition,
  • recognize current rules and regulations for using accommodations for alternate assessments, and 
  • practice making a recommendation for traditional assessment versus alternate assessment based on student need.

Chapter Eight:  Informal Assessments for Planning Instruction

Learners will

  • differentiate between standardized and non-standardized assessments,
  • differentiate between state assessments and those used for instructional planning,
  • identify several informal tests used by teachers to determine students’ mastered skills and levels of functioning.
    • preference assessments,
    • social skills checklists, and 
    • informal academic assessments such as task analyses, and 
  • create and administer a reading or math informal assessment.

Chapter Nine:  Transitional Needs of ASD Students

Learners will 

  • define transition planning and how it relates to the IEP process;
  • recognize current initiatives and legislation concerning transition;
  • identify transition team stakeholders and the roles they serve;
  • recognize critical issues surrounding transition and how, when, and why to plan for them
    • age of majority,
    • career interests,
    • long-term goals and post graduation plans,
    • student advocacy and involvement in IEP meetings,
  • learn how to write measurable transition goals for students with ASD;
  • identify programs, resources, and agencies that are available for students with ASD during and after transition; and
  • demonstrate the ability to write transition goals for employment and post-secondary education.

Chapter Ten:  Innovative Technology for Students with Autism

Learners will

  • recognize uses of technology in the ASD classroom,

  • recognize technology for the learning environment,

  • recognize personal technology,

  • recognize technology for personal safety concerns,

  • increase knowledge of available learning apps, and 

  • develop an awareness of emerging technology.

Documentation Methods

Participants must document their learning by completing the following summatives.

1 File Upload - Learner demonstrates implementation of course content by submitting documentation of a specified activity.
3 Multiple Choice Quizzes - Learner demonstrates knowledge of content by selecting the correct answer from the choices provided.
5 Reflections - Learner synthesizes previous knowledge and course content in order to develop a narrative response.

The summatives must meet 80% of the established criteria.

Project Team

Author: Carra Summers, Kari Woznick, Kim Dykes

Developed by Beacon Educator staff.

Course Last Updated: 2023© 2003-2024 Beacon Educator