Skill Competencies for Professionals and Paraprofessionals Supporting Individuals With

Application for Recognition of a Comprehensive Certificate
in the Area of Autism Spectrum Disorders
The Virginia Autism Council is offering recognition of college and university programs that provide comprehensive training and experiences in the field of autism spectrum disorders. The Virginia Autism Council will list all recognized certificate programs on its website and is offering tuition reimbursement to eligible students participating in these comprehensive training programs.
The Virginia Autism Council’s publication, Skill Competencies for Paraprofessionals and Professionals Supporting Individuals with Autism Across the Lifespan in Virginia, provides a comprehensive list of knowledge and skill statements which are critical to successfully serving an individual with autism spectrum disorders. The Virginia Autism Council recognizes the value of research to practice and has outlined a series of requirements that will lead to recognition of a comprehensive certificate program. The Virginia Autism Council will recognize certificate programs that: 1) provide instruction on 80% or more of the knowledge and skill statements included in the skill competencies document, 2) requires at least 9 credit hours, and 3) includes a field experience requirement of at least 15 hours. These experiences may include observations, practicum, and internships.
College / University:
Certificate option is available for /  Undergraduate  Graduate
Name of Person Completing Application:
Complete Mailing Address:
Phone : / Fax:
Email:
Please complete all sections of this application and attach appropriate documentation. Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received. Applicants will be notified of the status of their application in writing.
Course Number / Course Name / Credit Hours / Number of Field Exp. Hours
Total Hours Required
The following documents must be attached to complete the certificate program review:
□Course Syllabi for each course in the certificate program
□Listing of all readings required for each course (if not included in syllabi)
□Description of field experiences (if not included in syllabi)
Return completed applications to:
Virginia Autism Council
P.O. Box 843081
Richmond, VA 23284-3081
Electronic submissions should be sent to

Please indicate which course(s) provides instruction for each knowledge(K) or skill (S) statement. Note the specific reading, lecture, or activity that provides instruction on the skill statement in the Specific Evidence section. Documentation of instruction for 80% of the statements for each section and all of the Knowledge statements (K) must be provided.

Section 1. General Autism Competencies / Course # / Specific Evidence
1.1K Understands the characteristics and diagnosis of autism as defined by the most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and definition/description of the VirginiaDepartment of Education.
1.1.1S Lists and explains the characteristics of autism (Communication, sensory responses and needs, stereotypical behavior, socialization and social skill development).
1.1.2S Describes typical child development (for example, communication, sensory responses, and needs, cognitive, behavior, and social skill development).
1.1.3S Describes potential courses of development and outcomes in individuals with ASD from infancy to adulthood. (Joint attention, imitation, failure to use gestures, failure to use symbols).
1.1.4S Describes the basic differences within Pervasive Developmental Disorders: i.e., Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder- Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Asperger Disorder, Retts Disorder, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD).
1.1.5S Describes the current understanding of etiology and prevalence of ASD.
1.2K Understands the implications of the above characteristics and their impact on the individualized program.
1.2.1S Describes the needs of persons with ASD based on characteristics of the disorder and ways to incorporate this knowledge into a comprehensive and adaptive program.
1.2.2S Describes the range of possible behaviors across the lifespan.
1.2.3S Identifies the learning styles and uneven profiles observed in individuals with ASD.
1.2.4S Identifies intervention/support strategies based on individual strengths and needs as they relate to learning.
1.2.5S Interprets and uses the information from specific screening and/or diagnostic tools (for example: GARS, CHAT-M, ADOS, ADI-R, CSBS, CARS ).
1.2.6S Describes the evidence-based and promising practice interventions that have been identified as best practices based on the needs of the individual and his/her response to the intervention.
1.2.7S Describes the need for early intervention and intensity of instruction.
1.2.8S Describes the need for effective planning and collaborative teaming when individuals transition from high school to adult life.
1.2.9S Demonstrates knowledge of autism resources and shares that information with other professionals and families as appropriate
1.2.10S Describes the need for and benefit of a transdisciplinary team to develop programs.
1.3K Understands the impact of common medical issues for persons with autism (for example: seizure disorders, chronic otitis media, chronic constipation or diarrhea, eating and sleep issues, use of psychotropic medications, etc.).
1.3.1S Assesses and communicates critical health related information to team members,
especially collaborating with parents and medical personnel.
1.3.2S Identifies health-related resources available to persons with ASD.
1.3.3S Researches and documents medications that individuals are taking and the side effects they might experience.
1.3.4S Develops and teaches the use of communication tools to assist the person in self-
reporting health related concerns.
1.3.5S Differentiates between self-inflicted injuries and potential abuse/neglect related injuries.
1.3.6S Suggests and requests adaptive equipment and assistive technology when appropriate.
1.4K Understands the implications of ‘dual’ diagnoses (autism and any other diagnosis from the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and co-morbidity.
1.4.1S Lists behaviors that could indicate the presence of an additional mental health or
disability diagnosis.
1.4.2S Discusses concerns and shares observations regarding possible additional diagnoses with transdisciplinary team, which includes parents, when dual diagnosis is suspected.
1.4.3S Implements behavioral and mental health recommendations given to the team by
specialists such as psychiatrists or psychologists.
1.4.4S Provides reports of behavioral and symptomatic changes (in person or in writing) to medical professionals who are consulting with and supervising care for persons with autism and co-morbid disorder(s).
Virginia Autism Council Use:

2. Individualization and Support Strategies Competencies / Course # / Specific Evidence
2.1K Understands how to assess an individual’s strengths and weaknesses and develop an individualized program using evidence-based and promising practices.
2.1.1S Identifies and uses appropriate assessment tools to plan goals and objectives.
2.1.2S Solicits information from all members of the person’s collaborative transdisciplinary program development team (that is anyone who supports, works with, or provides consultation).
2.1.3S Develops goals & objectives that are: appropriate, observable, measurable, and functional.
2.1.4S Considers assistive technology options needed (for example: environmental structure, picture symbols, visual schedules, electronic devices).
2.1.5S Considers and plans for transition needs of individuals (for example: preschool/home to elementary school, elementary to middle school, middle to high school, high school to post secondary activities such as employment, adult living, recreation, community living, and post secondary education).
2.1.6S Plans for communication needs of individuals.
2.1.7S Plans for social skill needs of individuals.
2.1.8S Plans for sensory motor needs of individuals.
2.1.9S Plans, communicates, and instructs family and professionals on accommodations and modifications needed to access home, educational, work, and community environments.
2.1.10S Plans proactive strategies and behavior supports.
2.1.11S Plans strategies to encourage generalization and maintenance of skills across programs and community and school settings.
2.2K Understands and implements intervention activities to support the individual’s goals and objectives.
2.2.1S Implements evidence-based and promising practices and strategies (for example: incidental teaching, discrete trial, group instruction, task analysis, use of prompts and prompt fading, shaping, effective use of reinforcement in teaching skills, shadowing, modeling, scaffolding)
2.2.2S Uses various visual strategies (for example: environmental structuring, schedules, social situation stories and scripts) to communicate social information & expectations.
2.2.3S Develops activities that:

Are age and ability appropriate,

Are meaningful, relevant, and interesting,

Promote active engagement,

Focus on systematic presentation of new skills,
Are embedded within a variety of settings.

2.2.4S Uses data and ongoing assessments to modify program content, presentation, and interventions.
2.2.5S Implements strategies to encourage generalization and maintenance of skills across programs and settings.
2.2.7S. Modifies and/or accommodates task requirements to address individual’s strengths and needs.
2.2.6S Addresses program goals and objectives in inclusive, natural, and community settings.
2.2.9S Modifies instructional techniques to promote positive communication and social skills.
2.2.10S Uses instructional methods and strategies, across all environments and social situations, that:

Meet students’ academic needs in the core curriculum
Promote the development of life skills across all domains.
Emphasize the use of naturally occurring reinforcement
Promote communication and social interaction
Facilitate the development of healthy relationships
Use prompting strategies and hierarchies to promote high rates of successful performance

2.2.11S Uses positive and proactive interventions across all environments that are focused on person- and family-centered needs.
Virginia Autism Council Use:

3. Communication Competencies / Course # / Specific Evidence
3.1K Understands components of communication (including form, semantics, pragmatics, and processing and its impact on the day-to-day experience of an individual with autism.
3.1.1S Uses informal and formal tools to assess and analyze the form, semantics and pragmatics of communication including information from the individual’s team and family.
3.1.2S Develops an individualized communication program with on-going assessment to monitor outcomes and adjust plan over time in various settings.
3.1.3S Selects and implements effective communication strategies and supports (for example: modeling, prompting, repairing communication breakdowns, using augmentative communication systems, and cueing).
3.1.4S Supports vocabulary development within a contextual framework.
3.1.5S Implements pragmatic skill strategies using the individual’s learning style.
3.1.6S Makes and teaches the use of a visual schedule to support individuals.
3.1.7S Provides opportunities for and offers choices across the day.
3.1.8S Provides and teaches others on the transdisciplinary team how to provide adequate processing (“wait”) time when communicating.
3.2K Understands a variety of strategies to increase an individual’s communication abilities.
3.2.1S Teaches individuals how to communicate by a variety of means, to a variety of people, and in a variety of settings.
3.2.2S Designs and implements a meaningful communication program that crosses all life settings.
3.2.3S Teaches professionals and families to implement the communication program.
3.2.4S Assesses and revises communication program to match factors such as contextual fit, values of team, affordability, and portability.
3.2.5S Makes and teaches the use of appropriate individualized communication tools.
3.2.6S Makes and teaches the use of a visual schedule and cues to support individuals.
3.2.7S Implements appropriate augmentative communication interventions such as object or picture exchange systems, voice output communication devices, gesture, signs, and others.
Virginia Autism Council Use:

4. Social Skill Competencies / Course # / Specific Evidence
4.1K Understands social skill development and the unique social skill deficits and challenges associated with ASD, including but not limited to: relationship development and maintenance, play/recreation, non-verbal interaction, functional imitation, emotional expression, emotional understanding, self-advocacy, work, and/or the role of challenging behaviors versus social skill deficits.
4.1.1S Assesses social skill strengths and needs.
4.1.2S Plans and uses specialized social skills strategies (for example, anger and stress management techniques, Social Stories™, Comic Strip Conversations™, mentoring, shaping, incidental teaching, role play, social scripting, integrated play groups, etc.) to teach social skills, and to foster social interest, and interaction.
4.1.3S Teaches professionals and family to implement specialized social skill strategies in a variety of settings.
4.1.4S Plans for generalization and maintenance of social skills in a variety of settings with a variety of people including other professionals, friends, and family members.
4.1.5S Assesses the function of problem behavior and identifies the social skill deficits that lead to the development of problem behavior.
4.1.6S Implements a variety of strategies to teach alternative positive social skills to replace problem behavior.
4.1.7S In collaboration with the family, teaches self-advocacy and awareness of disability.
4.1.8S In collaboration with the person with ASD, uses circles of support or other techniques to identify their personal relationships (for example: family, friendship, acquaintance, romantic, and bullying).
4.1.9 S Assists the individual to build lasting, reciprocal, and healthy relationships.
4.1.10S Provide instruction, support, and guidance to the individual in identifying and dealing with manipulative, coercive, and/or abusive relationships.
4.2K Understands the importance of social relatedness and the need for social interaction,
social rules, and age appropriate leisure activities.
4.2.1S Plans for and teaches positive social skills in natural environments, general education and community settings.
4.2.2S Educates professionals and family on the concepts of social integration and the characteristics of autism.
4.2.3S Plans and implements age appropriate social integration programs (that is, teaches and facilitates the use of leisure skills for recreational and community activities).
4.2.4S Plans for and teaches individuals regarding appropriate behavior for different social contexts and relationships (for example: when interacting with strangers, acquaintances, friends, family members, employers, co-workers, and intimate significant others).
Virginia Autism Council Use:

5. Behavior Competencies / Course # / Specific Evidence
5.1K-Understands factors that influence behavior and the components of behavior analysis (antecedents, behavior, and consequences).
5.1.1S Identifies and operationalizes target behaviors for assessment and intervention.
5.1.2S Assists family and other collaborative transdisciplinary team members in prioritizing areas of concern.
5.1.3S Develops and implements strategies to address behaviors of concern when common, positive strategies are appropriate.
5.1.4S Observes behaviors using objective measures and criteria.
5.1.5 S Completes functional behavior assessment including

Team interviews,
Direct observations,
Rating Scales
Analysis of collected data, and
Development and testing of hypothesis.

5.1.6S Identifies individualized reinforcement preferences.
5.1.7S Develops multicomponent intervention plans that emphasize prevention and are socially valid. Plans should include:

Implementing setting event and antecedent interventions (i.e., proactive changes to prevent
the behavior from occurring),
Teaching alternative replacement, coping and general skill behaviors,
Implementing positive consequences to increase the alternative behaviors, and
Implementing reactive and crisis management strategies to support the person if and when the problem behavior occurs.

5.1.8S Implements behavior intervention plan effectively and reliably.
5.2K Understands how to evaluate the effectiveness of a behavior plan reliably and effectively.
5.2.1S Collects data to evaluate the plan’s effectiveness in

Decreasing the problem behavior,
Increasing the alternative behaviors, and
Increasing quality of life outcomes and generalization of skills to new environments.

5.2.2S Evaluates data and reports on the plan’s effectiveness.
5.2.3S Revises the plan as needed, in consultation with the team.
5.2.4S Develops a plan to generalize behavior to other persons and settings.
5.2.5S Implements the behavior plan in a variety of complex environments under natural circumstances.
Virginia Autism Council Use:

6. Sensory Motor Development Competencies / Course # / Specific Evidence
6.1K Understands the sensory systems, sensory processing, and sensory motor development.
6.1.1S Describes the seven senses (those are visual, auditory, oral, olfactory, tactile, proprioceptive, and vestibular) and the varying patterns of hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity to sensory input.
6.1.2S Describes the relationship between sensory motor systems and behavior (that is;
demonstrating stereotypical behaviors such as rocking, hand flapping, or triggering fight, flight, or fright responses).
6.1.3S Describes the relationship between sensory processing and functional performance in activities of daily living (that is: work, academic, and leisure activities).
6.1.4S Describes the range of potential sensory motor responses.
6.2K Understands the implications or influences of sensory processing when developing the complete program
6.2.1S Identifies behaviors that might indicate the need for a sensory motor assessment.
6.2.2S Observes and assesses sensory motor needs.
6.2.3S Develops a sensory motor intervention plan with a transdisciplinary team providing a rationale for the methodology used.
6.2.4S Teaches other team members (professionals and family) how to implement the sensory motor intervention plan.
6.2.5S Teaches individuals who need sensory supports to self-monitor/self-regulate sensory motor needs and request to have their sensory needs met.
6.2.6S Implements sensory motor intervention plan.
6.2.7S Communicates findings regarding the effectiveness of the sensory motor intervention plan and collaborates with all team members.
Virginia Autism Council Use:
Please provide a brief description of the Field Based Experience(s) that are required in the Certificate Program:
Virginia Autism Council Use:

Please return this application to :