Teaching and Professional Preparation

ASD-RTC consortium members offer formal didactic instruction across varied departments in the College of Education, such as the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education and the Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology.

 

Advanced diagnostic and assessment training occurs within the College of Education through the Clinic for Autism SPectrum Evaluation and Research (CASPER Clinic), which is a specialty clinic that operates within the School Psychology Program’s training clinic.

 

Advanced behavioral assessment and intervention training occurs outside of the College of Education through collaborations with various public school systems and autism centers. For example, advanced functional behavioral assessment and applied behavior analysis practica occur through collaboration with the Marcus Autism Center. Similarly, advanced training in inclusive preschool special education programming through an incidental teaching model occurs through collaboration with the Emory Autism Center.

Advanced teacher preparation and behavioral training is offered through the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education. The Department currently has two federally supported grant projects that prepare teachers in evidenced based practices to work with elementary aged students across the autism spectrum (COPPA) directed by Dr. David Gast and with adolescents with classic autism (CAATT) co-directed by Drs. Kevin Ayres and David Gast.

The ASD-RTC also supports study abroad programs in developmental disabilities in Ireland and Peru.