Introduction
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a range of psychological characteristics that describe a wide range of abnormal behavior and difficulties in social interaction and communication. Also, strictly limited interests and frequently repeated behavioral acts are considered as races. The main goal of the ASD specialist is to create special conditions for the assimilation of educational programs, development and social adaptation of such students. The implementation of this goal involves the creation of optimal conditions for the development of positive opportunities for each child with a complex defect structure. To achieve this, the ASD specialist should integrate key elements from the CEC advanced preparation standards in one’s practice.
CEC Advanced Preparation Standards
CEC 3.2
CEC advanced preparation standards imply that there are different groups of children with signs of autism with completely different types of behavior. Subject to paragraph CEC 3.2, the specialist takes into account the nature of ASD, its severity, the degree of maladaptation of a particular child and the possibility of their socialization (Bond et al., 2017). I believe that this point is of paramount importance and I use it in my practice. I adhere to the approach of differentiated treatment, developing individual methods and forms of organization of psychological and pedagogical assistance.
CEC 3.3
The CEC 3.3 element of the advanced preparation standards prescribes compliance with legal regulations when working with children with ASD. In order to implement this point, the specialist needs to create the necessary conditions for correcting developmental disorders and social adaptation, using the knowledge of scientific theory. I use this technique in my practice, relying on evidence-based practices and relevant laws when providing correctional care to patients. I am also monitoring the changes in the legislation regarding the amendment and introduction of draft laws regarding children with ASD.
CEC 3.5
Evaluation of the effectiveness of achieving goals of supports for individuals with ASD, according to the element (CEC 3.5), allows to receive objective information about the compliance of work with accepted standards. To fulfill these criteria, it is necessary first of all to be guided by the satisfaction of the patient’s family with the quality of the services provided by the specialist (GĂłmez et al., 2019). My contribution to implementing CEC 3.5 in my practice is to regularly analyze the compliance of the results of my work with the competencies of my profession. First of all, it is the completeness of the coverage of people with ASD and their relatives with whom I work directly.
CEC 4.1
The approach to a child with ASD should be as individual as possible, otherwise there will be no opportunity to carry out correctional work. For this reason, the element of CEC 4.1, which imposes evaluating research and inquiry to identify effective practices, allows to identify the most effective way of interacting with the patient. I try to apply this regulation in my practice by tracking and studying the latest scientific papers on working with children with ASD. I subject the received information to processing, comparison, and comprehension, in order to choose the most productive method for interacting with the ASD patients.
CEC 4.2
In psychology, it is generally recognized that one of the leading factors of the mental development of a child with ASD is the nature of child-parent relations. Therefore, ASD specialists should receive continuing education to improve practices with individuals with exceptions and their families by reading professional literature (Siew et al., 2017). My application of CEC 4.2 in practice consists in a constant process of self-learning and applying what I have read in practice. I also make notes and a summary of points that seem useful to me and that are worth trying with my current patients with ASD.
CEC 4.3
The creation of an environment that contributes to the effectiveness of comprehensive ASD research primarily consists in the personal interest of a specialist in this disease. If this condition is met, the theoretical provisions from research will be actively designed and implemented. My contribution to the implementing element of CEC 4.3 is to participate in interdisciplinary research (the interaction of ASD psychology with other sciences). For example, I am interested in studying philosophy, ethics and economics in relation to ASD. Of particular interest to me is the development and practical application of ASD biology, namely the influence of psychological pathologies on physical health.
CEC 6.7
An ASD specialist can promote their profession by creating and maintaining a positive image and a favorable image in the eyes of acquaintances, relatives, friends, etc. In all social spheres where an individual comes into contact with a large group of people, it is necessary to talk about the importance of this profession. My contribution to promoting the advancement of the profession (CEC 6.7) was to participate in special events held by the career guidance center. I provided assistance during an advertising campaign to attract the attention of students, students and graduates to the profession of the ASD specialist.
Conclusion
Thus, the support of the education of children with ASD should be carried out using the recommendations of the CEC. ASD specialists should rely on them when developing teaching methods for organizing classes taking into account the individual characteristics of children. These recommendations are useful in determining the possible forms of participation of a child in educational activities, auxiliary didactic means, features of motivation formation. ASD specialists, who integrate the key elements from the CEC advanced preparation standards in their practice, successfully develop a single strategy of comprehensive impact.
References
Bond, C., Hebron, J., & Oldfield, J. (2017). Professional learning among specialist staff in resourced mainstream schools for pupils with ASD and SLI. Educational Psychology in Practice, 33(4), 341-355.
GĂłmez, J. L., Anuncibay, R. F., Bernal, J. G., & Coto, M. A. (2019). A guide to indicators for the evaluation of specialist autism centres, based on the quality-of-life model. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 65(1), 49-57.
Siew, C. T., Mazzucchelli, T. G., Rooney, R., & Girdler, S. (2017). A specialist peer mentoring program for university students on the autism spectrum: A pilot study. PLOS ONE, 69(6), 460-466.