Autism and Developmental Disabilities

Master's Degree

The Department of Special Education offers a master’s degree in Special Education with a specialization in Autism and Developmental Disabilities. This program of study uniquely integrates theory, research, and practice for the provision of evidence-based services to individuals with autism and related developmental and physical disabilities and to their families. Graduates are prepared to assume educational and related professional positions as teachers, behavior analysts, and clinicians, serving all ages, diverse populations, and incorporating assistive technology.

Master's Degree Options

Two master’s degrees are available: the Master’s of Education (M.Ed.) and the Master’s of Arts (M.A.). Both degree options allow flexible combinations of coursework, practical experiences, and applied intervention research, but vary in their primary area of emphasis. All degree plans require a minimum of 36 hours of coursework.

The Master of Arts (M.A.) is a research-oriented degree, structured to provide students both academic and practical experiences in conducting research in university settings and other research environments and to prepare them for future doctoral study. Students selecting this option complete a minimum of 30 hours of coursework and six hours of thesis. This degree option takes 18 months of full-time study.

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) program reflects an applied emphasis, and is designed to prepare students for leadership roles in a variety of educational and related settings. Two options are available under the M.Ed. program: M.Ed. with Report (33 hours of coursework + 3 hours of report), or M.Ed. with coursework only. The M.Ed. program can be completed in 12 months of full-time study.

Comparison of the Master's Degree Requirements

Core Areas of Study	M.Ed.	M.A.
Department Core	6 hours	6 hours
Specialization Core consists of 6 (MA) or 7 (MEd) courses in the Autism/Developmental Disabilities Area	21 hours	18 hours
Special Education/Rehabilitation Counseling Electives	3 hours	6 hours (Thesis*)
Supporting Coursework consists of two courses taken outside the Department of Special Education	6 hours	6 hours
TOTAL	36 hours	36 hours

*Students must be continuously enrolled in the thesis or report course until their semester of graduation.

These general requirements set a minimum standard for the master’s degree. Students develop their own individualized program of study in consultation with their Academic Adviser and the Graduate Adviser.

Program Components

The master’s program requires a minimum of 36 semester hours of study and can be completed in 12-18 months of full-time study, depending on the degree plan selected. Students complete requirements in each of the following core areas:

• The Department Core complements each student’s specialist education in the areas of cultural and linguistic diversity as well as application of research to practice. Students explore issues, trends, and emerging practices related to services for individuals with disabilities from diverse socio-cultural, linguistic, racial and ethnic backgrounds; and develop a framework for culturally and linguistically responsive practice. They also acquire the knowledge and skills required to read, understand, evaluate, and use research to improve professional practice.
• The Specialization Core provides students with specialist expertise through advanced coursework and collaboration with faculty in their chosen area of study.
• Special Education/Rehabilitation Counseling Electives consist of coursework in another specialization within the Department of Special Education that complements the major areas of study and match students’ interests and professional goals. These electives may also include courses related to the thesis or report.
• Supporting Coursework consists of elective coursework in a related discipline outside the Department of Special Education, that complements the major areas of study and matches students’ interests and professional goals.

Core Courses

• Challenging Behavior and Developmental Disabilities (Fall, Summer)
  Challenging behaviors, such as aggression, self-injury, property destruction, tantrums, and stereotyped movements, are highly prevalent in individuals with severe and multiple disabilities. Developing a better understanding of challenging behaviors and using this better understanding to develop more effective assessment and treatment strategies is therefore a major research and educational priority. In this course, you will be introduced to the nature, assessment and treatment of challenging behaviors in people with severe and multiple disabilities. You will gain a better understanding of why these behaviors occur and what can be done to treat these behaviors.
• Teaching Individuals with Autism and Developmental Disabilities (Summer)
  This course covers assessment and instructional strategies for educating students with autism and related developmental and physical disabilities. Emphasis is given to designing and implementing assessments to develop appropriate instructional objectives and create effective learning programs that address the many educational and related needs of students with severe disabilities. The course also focuses on implementation and evaluation of instructional procedures for teaching a range of adaptive behaviors, such as self-care, communication, social, and community living skills. In addition to describing effective teaching procedures, students will develop an understanding of the basic principles of learning that underlie these strategies, and learn how to structure the environment to promote learning.
• Practicum in Special Education––Autism and Developmental Disabilities (Fall)
  During the practicum, you will gain valuable hands-on experience in designing, implementing and evaluating intervention programs for individuals with autism and related developmental disabilities.
• Communication Intervention (Spring)
  This course focuses on communication intervention for individuals with developmental disabilities. You will learn how to assess communication behavior and translate this information into intervention programs to enhance and teach new communication skills.
• Single-Subject Research Design (Spring)
  In this course you will learn how to use single-subject research designs to make data-based decisions about program effectiveness and student outcomes. You will also learn how to integrate applied research into classroom instruction as part of the move toward evidence-based professional practice in educating students with special educational needs.
• Advances in the Understanding and Treatment of Autism (Spring)
  This course focuses on literature related to the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of individuals with autism. The course focuses on a review of educational interventions for teaching individuals with autism.
• Practicum in Special Education––Severe and Multiple Disabilities (Spring)
  During this practicum, you will gain advanced skills and valuable hands-on experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating intervention programs for individuals with severe and multiple disabilities. If the Master of Arts option is chosen, you will not take this practicum, but will instead take Thesis A.
• Special Education/Rehabilitation Counseling Elective
  In consultation with your supervisor, you will elect one course from those offered by the Department of Special Education that match your interests and professional goals. If the Master of Arts option is chosen, you will not take the elective but will instead take Thesis B.
• Supporting Coursework (Out-of-Department Electives)
  In consultation with your supervisor, you will select two courses from Psychology, Educational Psychology or Communication Disorders that match your interests and professional goals.

Area Faculty

Mark O'Reilly, Ph.D., (University of Illinois at Urbana––Champaign)
Professor and Fellow in the Mollie Villeret Davis Professorship in Learning Disabilities
Area Coordinator, Autism & Developmental Disabilities

Karrie Shogren, Ph.D., (University of Kansas)
Assistant Professor