Learning to Empower Students and Educators Through a Neurodiversity Lens

Before Lebanon Valley College launched its new Graduate Autism Certificate this fall, program founder Dr. Susan Weiss, Assistant Professor of Education, worked with four autistic adults to serve as curriculum consultants. This collaboration and the consultants' great advice led Weiss to emphasize neurodiversity throughout the 12-credit certificate.

Neurodiversity acknowledges how individuals interpret information, absorb knowledge, and respond to situations, especially in learning environments. Embracing these differences, including within the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) community, fosters greater understanding and enhances educational effectiveness.

"We will offer a class this spring, Instruction, Intervention, and Methods, that LVC undergraduate Education majors can enroll in," said Weiss, who also collaborated with the College's Speech-Language Pathology faculty. "The course will explore best practices for teachers to use in the classroom to best meet the needs of students with ASD and develop a true inclusive classroom where everyone is accepted for their unique nature. Characteristics and Etiology of ASD will be offered for graduate students to enroll in next fall. The class will examine autism through four lenses: Neurological, Sensory, Social, and Historical.

"Our goal is to teach educators to be a bridge between the autistic and typical worlds," added Weiss. "People with autism were historically excluded from participation in traditional educational models, so we will prepare our students, at the graduate and undergraduate levels, to break down societal barriers and empower their students in the classroom. They will learn to understand who they are and the many wonderful things they can achieve."

Haley Thunberg '25, an Early Childhood and Special Education double major, is excited to be in the first class this spring.

"I am passionate about general and special education, and LVC made it easy to complete both degrees in four years," said Thunberg, who plans to complete the Graduate Autism Certificate and earn an LVC Master of Education after graduation and teach locally.

"I'm excited to take Dr. Weiss' class because of the many interactions I've had with students on the spectrum. I am fascinated with how their brains work and hope to learn more about how autism presents itself differently for each person. This knowledge will help me become a more effective teacher for my students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)."

Weiss shared that there has been a sharp increase in the number of people identified with ASD due to increased MRI technology and improved diagnostic methods. Twenty years ago, one in 150 people were identified, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now lists the ratio as one in 36.

"Education programs need to prepare their students with these skills-and understandings-now more than ever," said Weiss. "There is a growing demand but, more importantly, a growing need to help this audience succeed academically, socially, and professionally."

Dr. Suzette Madanat '15, who completed her dissertation, Adults' Perspectives and Experiences of Growing up With a Younger Sibling Diagnosed With High-functioning Autism, as part of her doctorate in Clinical Psychology, agrees and is excited about her alma mater's new certificate.

"It is important for LVC to add a program like this so that the Education majors and other educators who enroll learn to specialize in teaching individuals diagnosed with ASD," said Madanat, who just completed a Pediatric Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship at Akron Children's Hospital in Ohio. "These future educators will gain special training and skills that they can carry into other domains in their profession, helping bring more awareness about exactly what ASD is.

Madanat, now a Neuropsychologist at Meadville Medical Center in Northwestern Pennsylvania, added:

"No two people with ASD are identical, and all present with their strengths and weaknesses. Students and educators will better understand the diagnosis, other than what the media shows, and the stigma sometimes associated with such a diagnosis. With the prevalence of ASD increasing, there is a high probability that an educator will have a student with ASD, regardless of the classroom setting. If necessary, these tools will help teachers better modify their teaching tools or techniques."

Thunberg has additional advice for her classmates and others interested in pursuing LVC's Graduate Autism Certificate.

"I have nothing but great things to say about LVC's Education Department. The professors are phenomenal and strive to know their students in and out of the classroom."

About LVC's Graduate Autism Certificate

The Graduate Autism Certificate Program is designed to accommodate educators' busy schedules. It is 100% online, with accelerated, seven-week terms and new cohorts starting throughout the year, providing flexibility for those with other professional or personal commitments.

The Autism Certificate provides education professionals with specialized knowledge and skills related to assessment, intervention, instruction, and program management for students with ASD. The certificate is designed on the Autism Program Guidelines from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). The program is in the process of applying for PDE Endorsement approval.

If you're interested in LVC's Graduate Autism Certificate, you can apply to start with the next cohort on October 21 or one of the several upcoming cohorts.

Please contact Dr. Jen Kanupka, Chair and Associate Professor of Education and Director of Special Education, at [email protected] or Dr. Susan Weiss, Assistant Professor of Education, at [email protected] if you have questions about LVC's new Graduate Autism Certificate.

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