Melisa asked:
How can I get my teaching license in special education ( autism area)?
Hi. I have a bachelores degree and want to work as a special education teacher in Autism ,anybody knows what the process is to get my teaching license in the state of Virginia? thanks for your help.
How can I get my teaching license in special education ( autism area)?
Hi. I have a bachelores degree and want to work as a special education teacher in Autism ,anybody knows what the process is to get my teaching license in the state of Virginia? thanks for your help.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Basically you two ways of earning an alternative license in special education. One is to enter a program a full-time program that has your license completely finished in 15-18 months. Or, you can take the necessary courses and take a test or two, then be hired as a teacher while completing your coursework at night.
(Since you have a BA or BS, look for alternative routes for teaching.
One thing to note is there is no specific license for students with autism…at least not in VA (each state is different). You need to decide on your type of student. Do you want to work with students who are dually diagnosed with mental retardation? If so, you want the Special Education License for mental retardation. These teachers often have their own classroom. If you want to work with students in the general education classroom, you want the Special Education license for the general curriculum. This would involve working with students with learning disabilities, etc.
you can get your masters degree in special ed–also the new certification for ABA (most used method) is BCBA (at the masters level)..
you can be a still be a teacher without the BCBA certification
The Virginia Dept of Education website can offer you the info you need about obtaining your teaching license.
May I suggest an excellent Autism Studies program(by completing the 4 or so classes you can add the autism endorsement on to your license)? JMU has an Autism Studies program and you can take the classes online. Contact person is Brenda Fogus at JMU…she’s a wonderful help and so knowledgeable about the field of autism
I commend you on wanting to do this. My son is autistic and that means a lot to me. My son’s teachers are so special and I know that they get so much out of teaching autistic children. I think that people do major in special education when they go to college. Having a bachelor’s degree is a good start. You should contact your local college and see what additional courses you should take.
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