ASD Practicum Requirements

If you are seeking an endorsement in ASD, you will be required to take a practicum. The practicum ranges from 3-6 credits. Students seeking an M.A. and who have a special education endorsement take a three-credit practicum. Students who are seeking the endorsement only or do not have a special education endorsement take a six-credit practicum. The practicum is a course that involves readings and assignments related to specific course objectives. In a practicum, you are able to apply the theoretical and practical knowledge from the affiliated courses in the instruction and assessment of students with disabilities in school settings. If you are in an endorsement program, you are required to complete the practicum with the types of students in that endorsement area (i.e., students with ASD). The practicum will help you meet State of Michigan requirements for endorsement.

Students are required to track and document all hours toward fulfilling the practicum requirement. It is common for students to obtain up to 90 practicum hours through experiences related to assignments from CEP 843, CEP 844, CEP 845 and CEP 846. Thus, you will need to begin completing the practicum hours log (Appendix C) as soon as you begin taking the core ASD courses. Course instructors will provide details regarding the potential to earn practicum hours when taking these courses.

During your practicum, you will be asked to engage in a series of specific tasks in which you apply the assessment, instructional, behavioral and collaborative skills you have learned in the master's program. The practicum can only be taken after you have completed all the other requirements of the program, and is offered in the summer and fall semesters.

Students in the program can be spread across the country and, indeed, around the world; therefore, we are not able to make arrangements for your practicums and internship. You will need to locate a setting and students that permit you to meet the practicum requirements during the time you are enrolled in the practicum course. The course instructor can help advise you of the suitability of a practicum setting. However, if you have any questions about your ability to find a suitable placement, you should immediately contact the M.A. program coordinator or your advisor. To assist you in planning for these experiences, here is a summary of the expectations and requirements necessary for the approval of any practicum setting:

Practicum Hours: Depending on the endorsement sought, 180-240 total practicum contact hours are required. Up to 90 of these hours may come from experiences that are required as part of the ASD specific courses. The remaining hours are obtained when taking the practicum course (CEP 894J). A log of hours must be completed and submitted at the conclusion of the practicum (see Appendix C for a practicum hours log).

Instructional Group that Includes Students with ASD: In the practicum setting, you must have access to an instructional group that includes students with ASD. You may only count hours toward the practicum that are specific to providing instruction to students with ASD.

Onsite Supervisor: An onsite supervisor within the educational service agency must be identified, and the associated paperwork bearing the supervisor’s signature must be submitted in order for the supervisory arrangement to be reviewed and approved. In order for an individual to be eligible to provide supervision in the practicum setting, he or she must have a master’s degree, meet one of the following requirements, and be approved by the M.A. program coordinator:

• Possess current ASD Endorsement and have three or more years experience delivering educational programming to individuals with ASD
• Possess current BCBA certification and have three or more years experience delivering educational programming to individuals with ASD
• Possess current CCC-SLP certification and have three or more years experience delivering educational programming to individuals with ASD
• Possess current School Psychologist Certification and have three or more years experience delivering educational programming to individuals with ASD

Appropriate Instructional Setting: Practicums must be completed in a K-12 educational setting and is directed by qualified personnel. Home-based tutoring, summer camps or other activities conducted outside the auspices of a certified educational entity are not appropriate as internship or practicum settings.

Videotaping: Teaching videos are required as integral parts of the practicum. You will evaluate your own teaching through the videos you create; additionally, the videos will be viewed by the course instructor(s). In some cases, you will be asked to share your teaching videos with other students in your program. Finally, teaching videos are a key piece in your teaching portfolio.

LD Practicum Requirements

If you are seeking an endorsement in LD, you will be required to take two practicum courses and an internship.

The practicums are 3-6 credit experiences. In the LD emphasis area, one practicum (CEP 894) is taken in conjunction with CEP 850 (technology & literacy). Another is taken in conjunction with CEP 804A (literacy methods). Course instructors will provide details regarding the potential to earn practicum hours when taking these courses.

In practicum, you are able to apply the theoretical and practical knowledge from the affiliated courses in the instruction and assessment of students with disabilities in school settings. If you are in an endorsement program, you are required to complete the practicum with the types of students in that endorsement area—LD students for the LD endorsement. The practicums help you meet State of Michigan requirements for endorsement.

The LD internship is a three-credit extended teaching experience in which you will be asked to engage in a series of specific tasks in which you apply the assessment, instructional, behavioral and collaborative skills you have learned in the masters program. The internship can only be taken after you have completed all the other requirements of the program, and is offered only fall semester.

Because students in the M.A. program are usually spread across a very large geographic area, we are not able to make arrangements for your practicums and internship. You will need to locate a setting and students that permit you to meet the practicum requirements during the time you are enrolled in the practicums or internship. The course instructor can help advise you of the suitability of a practicum setting. However, if you have any questions about your ability to find a suitable placement, you should immediately contact the M.A. program coordinator or your advisor.

To assist you in planning for these experiences, here is a summary of the expectations and requirements necessary for the approval of any practicum setting:

Practicum Hours: Ninety (90) total contact hours are required for each practicum in the LD emphasis area, including 90 hours in the instruction of students with disabilities in content-area instruction (during CEP 842) and 90 hours in the instruction of students with disabilities in literacy (during CEP 804A). The majority of these hours must entail direct instructional contact with students. Guidelines for each of the practicums provide more guidance about the activities that can be counted toward the requisite practicum hours. Policies for logging hours and submitting those logs are also provided in each practicum course. A log of hours must be completed and submitted to the program coordinator at the conclusion of the practicum.

Instructional Group that Includes Students with Disabilities: In the practicum setting, you must have access to an instructional group that includes with disabilities who match the endorsement criteria (i.e., LD). Further, you must have a minimum number of contact hours per week (as specified by the course instructor) with the group in instructional activities designed to satisfy the applied requirements of the associated course (literacy, content-area instruction).

Onsite Supervisor: An onsite supervisor within the school district who has certification in the desired endorsement area (i.e. LD) must be identified, and the associated paperwork bearing the supervisor’s signature must be submitted in order for the supervisory arrangement to be reviewed and approved.

Appropriate Instructional Setting: Practicums must be completed in the settings in which the students in your endorsement area are typically educated by qualified personnel. Thus, most LD practicums and internships are completed in K-12 classrooms. Home-based tutoring or other activities conducted outside the auspices of a certified educational entity are not appropriate as internship or practicum settings.

Videotaping: Teaching videos are required as integral parts of the praticums and internship. You will analyze and reflect about your own teaching through the videos you create, and videos also will be reviewed by course instructors. In some cases, you will be asked to share your teaching videos with other students in your program.