For Immediate Release: April 27, 2007
UMW BOARD OF VISITORS APPROVES CERTIFICATE PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS OF STUDENTS WITH AUTISM
Fredericksburg, Va. – To help prepare licensed teachers and other professionals to educate children with autism, the Board of Visitors of the University of Mary Washington recently approved a new certificate program in teaching students with autism.
“There is a child diagnosed with autism every 25 minutes,” said H. Nicole Myers, assistant professor of education and coordinator for development of the autism certificate program. “These children, who struggle in so many areas, need the best trained teachers available. We’re hoping to fill this need at UMW.”
The four required certificate courses will cover the characteristics of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), methods of teaching students with ASD, assistive technology and behavior management techniques. In addition, the Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst (BCABA) Course Sequence will offer a second avenue of study, consisting of three graduate courses that require field experience and that prepare students to take the BCABA exam. These courses explore principles of learning and motivation, basic methods of applied behavior analysis and advanced techniques in behavior analysis.
A third option will combine the certificate and the BCABA course sequence, requiring the completion of six courses, and allowing individuals to earn the certificate and prepare to take the BCABA exam. The program will begin this summer at UMW’s College of Graduate and Professional Studies in Stafford County.
The program emerged from a joint effort among the faculty members in the graduate education and the undergraduate education and psychology programs, and it responds to local school administrators’ requests for the university to develop courses to help train teachers to work with students who have autism. Representing the latest example of individuals on the university’s Fredericksburg and Stafford campuses collaborating to develop academic offerings, it adds a post-baccalaureate certificate to the array of five post-master’s and graduate education certificates currently available in the areas of educational leadership, gifted education, instructional technology leadership, literacy specialist and teaching English as a second language.
Prospective students may contact the Office of Admissions at (540) 286-8088, toll-free (866) 261-4458 or graduate@umw.edu. For more information about the programs at the College of Graduate and Professional Studies, visit the web site at http://www.umw.edu/cgps.
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News release prepared by: Christine Neuberger