Autism spectrum disorder certificate now offered fully online

The online ASD certificate program offers busy service and educational professionals—and current U of M students— more convenient, flexible training to support young people with ASD and their families.

Approximately 1 out of 54 children in the U.S. has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) according to the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM). Minnesota has the third highest prevalence of ASD in the country with 1 in every 44 children with an ASD diagnosis.

The University of Minnesota’s ASD certificate was designed to meet the growing demand for service professionals—like speech-language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, medical professionals, and social workers—as well as educational professionals to assist children and youth with ASD and their families. University of Minnesota undergraduates and anyone who has completed a bachelor’s degree may also apply.

“We want to make it easier than ever for service and education professionals, as well as U of M undergrads, to learn how they can help young people with ASD and their families. This online program opens up this critical training to more of the professionals—and young people and families—who need it most.”

“The professors in this program allow you to feel connected to them while learning through a screen,” says Natalie Fox is an undergraduate special education student and also studying to earn her ASD certificate. “I am in my last semester, and thanks to many of the connections I’ve made in the certificate program and my major, I am starting my graduate program to get an additional license in early childhood special education at the U in the fall.”

The special education program at the University of Minnesota is consistently ranked among the top graduate programs in the country and was ranked number ten in 2021 which Johnson says is an advantage of the program.

“The instructors in the ASD certificate program at the University of Minnesota are some of the leading researchers in the field. Students who enroll in the program will be learning from the best of the best.”

The fully online ASD certificate program is now enrolling for fall 2021.