SED 528 - Autism Spectrum Disorders: Diagnosis, Intervention, Systems Support, and Ethical Considerations

The purpose of this course is threefold. First, students will be provided a historical overview of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and will learn the revised diagnostic criteria established by the American Psychiatric Association in 2013. A variety of screening instruments will be reviewed. Students will learn empirically validated strategies for the education and treatment of individuals with ASD from early intervention through the school years. Controversial practices will be reviewed and discussed. Second, students will become familiar with guidelines for developing systems of support in human service organizations. Students will learn to develop effective systems of staff training, support, and supervision. Competency-based training will be discussed in detail, along with steps to ensure treatment integrity. Students also will become familiar with peer review processes and methods of assessing consumer satisfaction. Third, students will learn the standards for ethical and professional conduct. Students will discuss ethics in detail and learn to recognize potential ethical dilemmas that arise in daily educational and clinical practice. Identification of pertinent ethical codes of conduct and resolution of ethical dilemmas will be reviewed.

Prerequisites & Notes
Bachelor’s degree and SED 525, SED 526 and SED 527

Credits: 3