Preparing Educators of Students with Autism Certificate (Online)
Through the Preparing Educators of Students with Autism (PESA) certificate courses, you will examine the core traits of autism and develop a knowledgebase of effective interventions. This will allow you to design engaging educational environments where autistic learners can thrive, both academically and socially.
The curriculum covers contemporary issues in autism, with a focus on
Social communication
Diagnostic assessment
Understanding behavior
The PESA certificate consists of four online courses that can be completed from anywhere in the world. People who enroll in these classes include educators, school psychologists and counselors, family members, and anyone interested in learning more about autism. Classes may be taken individually, or you can enroll in PESA and complete all four courses to earn the certificate.
For students in graduate degree programs at IU, PESA courses can be used to fulfill your elective credits or put toward a minor in Special Education. (School of Education graduate students can opt-in to the certificate without going through the full application process.)
Please note that the PESA certificate does not grant a teaching license or confer a degree (although these courses can count toward licensure and graduate degree requirements).
This program offers rolling admissions, meaning you may apply at any time.
The Graduate Studies Office will accept unofficial transcripts and self-reported test scores for admission reviews. Any admission made with these documents would be conditioned on receipt of official documents, which should be provided as soon as possible.
If you are currently enrolled or have applied in the past year, you are eligible for a reduced application fee of $35.
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Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 out of 4.00
Completed online application that includes:
Personal statement
One letter of recommendation
Minimum 79 TOEFL score
or minimum 6.5 IELTS score
or minimum 115 Duolingo score (international students only)
Find more information and calculate your expected costs at
Student Central.
K631 Introduction to Autism (3 cr.) – Fall This course covers identification and analysis of the core features of autism, the history of the diagnosis, early developmental traits, personal perspectives, and intervention approaches.
EDUC-K 634 Preventing and Intervening with Challenging Behavior for Students with Autism (3 cr.) Discuss contemporary approaches to understanding behavior using applied behavior analysis (ABA) and functional behavior assessments (FBA). For this course, you will need to access to an autistic individual/field placement where you can take observational data during the semester.
EDUC-K 633 Communication Development, Assessment, and Intervention in Autism Spectrum (3 cr.) This course looks at the social-communication challenges in autism and the interventions that have been shown to help develop language and social interaction skills.
EDUC-P 650 Autism Assessment (3cr) – 8 week summer session Learn how to administer autism assessment tools like the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS).
Classes may be taken individually, or you can enroll in PESA and complete all four courses to earn the certificate.
“The online format gives me a chance to reflect on what I‘m going say and refine my ideas before posting them. From the beginning through the end, course expectations were clear and I could always go back and look at my instructor’s directions.”
“I feel engaged when I see the relationship between my readings and what’s going on in my practice. I am also surprised by how much I learn from the experiences of my fellow classmates. The information that they shared helps me see how what we learned can be applied in multiple settings.”
“The PESA certificate broadened my understanding of autism, introducing me to key concepts such as sensory integration, communication challenges, echolalia and behavior intervention strategies like Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), social skills training, and many more. Each class deepened my perspective and provided practical insights that I can apply in real-world settings to better understand and support individuals with autism.”
