An educator shares the value of collaborative, ongoing, and autism-specific professional development.

By Dr. Claudia Rose Addeo, PhD

As a certified teacher working with students in grades K-8, I understand the importance of staying current in my profession.

However, I also know that many of my fellow educators are required to participate in professional development (PD) courses to sustain employment and increase their salaries.

While these are more than valid reasons to sign up for a professional development course, educators should also ensure that the course they choose benefits the students they work with and their own overall professional growth.

The need for specialized training

Research has shown that professional development is typically geared towards individual meetings, such as lectures and workshops, usually led by external experts, to promote a teacher’s mastery of certain skills and competencies.

This may sound like a great idea in theory. Yet, while there are more assessments and interventions to support students with autism or other special education needs, our ability to provide more inclusivity among these PD lectures or workshops remains limited.

This is where the need for PDs aimed towards educators working with students who have a neurodiverse classification (autism, ADHD, dyslexia, etc.) and receive special education comes into play.