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Child & School Psychology CE | Independent Study

Autism in Schools: Early Identification, Comorbidities, and Partnering with Families

Build a current, practical foundation for recognizing autism early, understanding the conditions that often accompany it, and partnering with families from the first conversation through eligibility and beyond.

3 CE Credits
5 Modules
Narrated Video Lessons
Self-Paced
Online Independent Study

Start Module 1

Course Overview

About 1 in 31 eight-year-olds in the United States has been identified with autism, yet when and how a child is identified still depends heavily on where the child lives and how school teams describe what they see.

This course gives school psychologists, teachers, and special education teams a shared, evidence-based foundation. Participants review the DSM-5-TR criteria and how they differ from IDEA eligibility, learn the early signs of autism and validated screening tools, examine common co-occurring conditions and their effect on evaluation, consider equity in identification, and practice sharing results with families.

Each module is built from short narrated videos followed by readings, case-based interactive activities, and references.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

Describe the DSM-5-TR criteria for autism and explain how a medical diagnosis differs from IDEA educational eligibility.
Identify early signs of autism in children ages 0–5 and name at least two validated screening tools used in early childhood and Child Find.
Outline a comprehensive school-based autism evaluation, including record review, observation, standardized measures, and developmental history.
Recognize common co-occurring conditions and explain how they affect evaluation and eligibility decisions.
Apply culturally responsive practices to reduce over- and under-identification across racial, linguistic, and gender groups.
Use a structured approach to share evaluation results with families and build a collaborative next-steps plan.

Course Modules

The course includes five modules that move from foundational knowledge to identification, evaluation, and family partnership.

1Module 1: Autism TodayDSM-5-TR criteria and support levels, 2025 CDC prevalence findings, diagnosis versus IDEA eligibility, and neurodiversity-affirming practice. Four short parts, each with a narrated video, a reading, and interactive activities.Start 2Module 2: Finding Autism EarlyEarly signs by age, AAP screening recommendations, the M-CHAT-R/F and other early tools, Child Find, and the Part C to Part B transition.Start 3Module 3: When It’s Autism and Something ElseADHD, anxiety, intellectual disability, language disorders, depression and suicide risk, medical conditions, and trauma: telling them apart, recognizing co-occurrence, and making eligibility decisions.Start 4Module 4: Equity in IdentificationWho is identified late or missed, autism in girls, English learners and interpreters, and practical steps to reduce bias in rating scales and observation.Start 5Module 5: Sharing Results with FamiliesPreviewing results, explaining eligibility in plain language, delivering difficult news, handling disagreement, and planning next steps together.Start

✓Final assessment15 multiple-choice questions; 80% to pass with unlimited retakes. Your certificate is issued on completion.Enroll to take

How to Complete This Course

Watch each video Each module is a single lesson made up of short parts. Every part opens with a narrated slide video.
Complete the readings and activities Work through the reading and three interactive activities in every part, then review the module takeaways.
Complete all five modules Move through the modules in order; each builds on the one before.
Pass the final assessment Score at least 80% on the final assessment. Retakes are unlimited.
Download your certificate Access your continuing education certificate through your learner account.

Continuing Education Credit

3.0

Continuing Education Hours
Online Independent Study

Child & School Psychology CE is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists to offer professional development for school psychologists (Approved Provider #1152). Child & School Psychology CE maintains responsibility for the program.

Intended Audience

This course is designed for school psychologists, licensed educational psychologists, and nationally certified school psychologists, and is written so that teachers, special educators, and other members of school teams can also benefit.

Course Instructor

Jaime Flowers, Ph.D., NCSP, LEP, BCBA
Program Administrator and Director of Continuing Education
Child & School Psychology CE

CE Program Information & Disclosures

Instructional level: Introductory to intermediate
Target audience: School psychologists and other professionals who work with children, adolescents, families, and schools.
Format and schedule: Asynchronous, self-paced online home study. No live sessions; complete the course at any time during your access period.
Access period: 1 year from enrollment.
Instructor / content developer: Jaime Flowers, Ph.D., NCSP, LEP, BCBA
Conflict of interest: Dr. Flowers is the owner of Child & School Psychology CE and receives revenue from sales of courses on this site, including this one. No other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships are reported.
Commercial support: This program receives no commercial support.
Accessibility: Need an accommodation? See our Accessibility & Accommodations page.
Questions or complaints: See our CE Complaint & Grievance Procedure.

Limitations and Risks

Limitations of the content. Prevalence figures come from population surveillance of 8-year-olds at 16 U.S. sites and may not reflect every community. Diagnostic criteria, eligibility rules, and best practices continue to evolve, and state requirements for autism evaluations vary. Case examples are simplified for teaching and do not capture the full complexity of individual students.

Risks. The most significant risk is treating course content as a substitute for a comprehensive, individualized evaluation, such as identifying or ruling out autism from a single behavior, screening result, or rating scale. Overreliance on group-level findings can contribute to misidentification, especially for girls, English learners, and students from historically underserved groups. Participants should follow their state’s eligibility requirements and consult qualified professionals when questions fall outside their training.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
Hviid, A., Hansen, J. V., Frisch, M., & Melbye, M. (2019). Measles, mumps, rubella vaccination and autism: A nationwide cohort study. Annals of Internal Medicine, 170(8), 513–520. https://doi.org/10.7326/M18-2101
Hyman, S. L., Levy, S. E., Myers, S. M., & Council on Children with Disabilities, Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. (2020). Identification, evaluation, and management of children with autism spectrum disorder. Pediatrics, 145(1), e20193447. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-3447
Lord, C., Charman, T., Havdahl, A., et al. (2022). The Lancet Commission on the future of care and clinical research in autism. The Lancet, 399(10321), 271–334. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01541-5
Shaw, K. A., Williams, S., Patrick, M. E., et al. (2025). Prevalence and early identification of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 4 and 8 years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 16 sites, United States, 2022. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 74(SS-2), 1–22. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/ss/ss7402a1.htm
Assistance to States for the Education of Children with Disabilities, 34 C.F.R. Part 300 (2024). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-III/part-300