I want to Work with children with Autism...?

Question

What Education or Classes would I need to obtain that goal? That has always been an interest of mine and I just don't know how to go about doing that. Now that there is so many kids diagnosed each year I really want to get into that field. Any information would be helpful. Thanks

Answer 1

First of all, I commend you on wanting to pursue a career in such a noble yet challenging field.

Well, depends on what area of study you're interested in. Special education is a given, but there's also Speech Therapy/Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Psychology, Psychiatry, Neurology, etc. All of these work directly with the autistic population.

There are some colleges that offer concentrations in autism, usually on the SpEd track. There are also certificate programs you can complete after a bachelor's or master's degree.

In the meantime, you can get some experience by doing respite. Respite care refers to caring for children and adults with disabilities so there primary caregivers can take a break. You can get in touch with a local parent's group or your local Autism Society of America chapter for respite opportunities.

Good luck!

Answer 2

In general, the most effective interventions for autism will happen in early childhood--before a child is even old enough for kindergarten. School systems are changing to address this need, and there is a career opportunity there. Generally, it is not a teacher but some kind of paraprofessional that is directly involved with the child and family in this early intervention. That paraprofessional may be supervised by a teacher.

If you have some college, I would look into becoming an educational assistant (EA) or skills trainer before going for the education degree. The difference between an EA and a skills trainer is that the EA is an employee of the school, where a skills trainer works for an agency that has a contract with the school system. The training and background should be about the same. A skills trainer may get a bigger paycheck, while the EA may have better benefits. This will vary from place to place, of course.

EAs tend to work more closely with students than teachers do, the way nurses tend to work more closely with patients than doctors do. An EA may have responsibility for one student or a handful of students in a general education class. A special education teacher may be responsible for dozens of students throughout the school day, and may even be responsible for the care and paperwork of students she does not teach.

Teachers get paid more, but they also tend to have longer work days, more responsibilities, more potential for being sued or having to testify in a due process hearing, and bigger student loans to pay off.

The paperwork burden in Special Education has become such that some Special Education teachers don't teach students at all. Some do nothing but write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Some write IEPs and lesson plans for other teachers to carry out.

I have begun to believe that every person who wants to be a teacher should work as an EA for a year or two before they spend big money on teacher certification classes. That experience will do several things for you if you do decide to go for certification later.

1) The observation time will probably give you a very good picture of what good teaching and bad teaching look like.

2) It will help you decide if education is a career you want to spend a lot of money on. Seriously, there are quite a few who take out big student loans to get their education certification, then set foot in a classroom and realize it is not for them.

3) The actual classroom experience will teach you what college classes cannot.

4) It will also help you get the most out of your college classes. Instead of furiously taking notes and trying to absorb as much information as possible in lectures and before tests ("Help! What's the difference between Bloom's Taxonomy and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs?"), you'll be connecting that information to your own experience. It will be more meaningful to you.

5) You'll be able to think critically about the theories and ideas that are presented in your educational certification classes. Your professors will consider you to be more interesting, because you have better questions and better things to say in class discussions.

Answer 3

You need to have some pychology stuff, a few classes about Autism, Down Syndrome, etc, and a few PhDs plus your Masters degree in Special Education for Children. You also need to know how to handle it when Special kids have temper tantrums, and the rewards theory. Also, you need to have a little expierence. This process is like the process of becoming a teacher, but harder and more degrees are needed. You also need to be a people person and a good team member, because you'll be working with other teachers in the same class. Talk to your local Special Education techer in your school or area, they'll givve you more info.

Answer 4

I am a special education teacher. I have worked in Autism programs, but they are very difficult to get into in CT without being ABA (applied behavior analysis) certification. I do not know of any school that have a focus on Autism in new england because I would have gone that route. You should work in a program with autistic children to make sure that it is what you really want before majoring in it.

Answer 5

You do not necessarily have to go the route of working in a school district to work with children with autism. If you have a bachelor's degree or master's degree or even your PhD, you can work towards getting your certification in applied behavioral analysis. It also requires a mentoring process where you are working and learning how to do ABA. Sometimes private ABA schools have programs where if you volunteer, they will teach you in return. As parents with autism who use ABA keep pushing for this in our school districts, school districts will be desperate to find individuals with these skills. Go to http://www.bacb.com for more information. Some parents will also take on this mentoring role. Our local FEAT (Families for Effective Autism Treatment) send out a list of potential therapists and part of this list are "want to learn." But this is a local decision, I believe, to keep such a list.

Answer 6

You need to get an degree in special education with a focus on autism. There are many programs that offer an certification in working with Autistic children.

Answer 7

I agree with what the first answer was, and to add to that, I would suggest, since many schools want you to have some experience in working with a sped population, to contact a school district that deals with special ed or private school and see if they will accept you as a volunteer or hire you to work for them.

In NJ for example, there is a special services school district for each county. They run numerous programs and are usually looking for aides to work with students.

Good luck.

Answer 8

I have no idea what classes you would need. But just want to thank you for wanting to work with children with autism, or any disability. Just remember children with disabilities need lots of attention, and are very aware of what is said and very sensitive of how one speaks to them. If you raise your voice they will take as you are upset with them. You must choose your words right and speak in a soft tone to them.

Again thank you if you do choose this profession and good luck.

Answer 9

My advice would be go and work as a Teaching Assistant with special needs children, this will give you a great insight into autism

hope this helps

Answer 10

u will have to ask the school.