November 2009

OCALI leads development of first set of

national Autism Teacher Standards 

The Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence led a group of national experts from the Network of Autism Training and Technical Assistance Programs (NATTAP) to produce the first set of national standards for teachers working with students with autism.
 
The standards cover core competencies of knowledge and skills in areas such as learning environments/social interactions, instructional strategies and assessment.
 
“There is a great deal of debate as to what truly are best practices in the field of autism spectrum disorders,” said Shawn Henry, OCALI executive director.
 
“After much research looking at the best approaches worldwide, these standards are an important tool for school leaders to ensure effective staff are available within educational environments.”
 
OCALI is a statewide effort of the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio funded through the Ohio Department of Education.
 
The three-year standards project was sparked through a grant from the Autism Society of America. The National Competencies Committee included experts from 14 states in the medical, education, and state administrative fields plus families and individuals on the autism spectrum.
 
The standards will help colleges and universities develop coursework to better prepare new teachers, and professional development providers to better support current educators.
 
“Students with disabilities are the hardest population for school districts to educate,” said Bart Anderson, ESC of Central Ohio superintendent.
 
“At the ESCCO, we’re committed to helping districts serve all students, and these standards will help teachers make the best possible decisions for the students they serve.”
 
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Council for Exceptional Children were both involved in the development process and have approved the final standards.
 
OCALI is already putting the guides to use in production of modules of its popular Autism Internet Modules online training for teachers.
 
“We hope this helps to reduce the research-to-practice gap,” Henry said. “These are exciting developments and they should have an impact immediately.”

For more information on OCALI, visit www.ocali.org.