Autism and Behavioural Science – Field Placement Information

Introduction

Welcome to the Field Guide for the Autism and Behavioural Science Graduate Certificate program. The instructions below will walk you through the process of preparing for fieldwork.

We advise all students to bookmark this page so you always have access to the most current placement information.

Please note: it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the field placement requirements, including documentation submission, ParaMed, and academic clearance are met within the stated deadline. The deadlines do not change year to year and are always available to students. No extensions will be granted.

If your documentation is not complete and/or you are not cleared for placement by the program deadline, you will have to wait for the following term before you can register again. There are no exceptions. This can delay the completion of your program and may result in you incurring additional fees.

Program Overview

There are two block placements required for the ABS online program. They are offered in levels 2 and 3 of the program and require a commitment of 4 and 6 weeks on predetermined schedules; the placement dates are not negotiable.

All placements, even if you are studying part-time, require full-time working hours Monday to Friday following the same daily schedule as the onsite supervisor. Students will need to be fully available throughout this time; exceptions will not be made for childcare, employment, or other personal obligations.

This field placement experience is designed to provide you with an opportunity to observe the implementation of the concepts that you have learned so far in the program. Please note that placement students should not expect to receive hands-on experience during their placement given the nature of the field and vulnerability of the clientele. For a more detailed explanation, please contact the Online Field Placement Officer.

ABS Placement Deadlines

Students are required to verify that their documentation is up to date prior to each placement. All documentation must be valid for the duration of the placement and must not expire before the final placement day.

*Note: Spring and summer are often used interchangeably to refer to the May-August term.

Completing the documentation can be a complicated process and students should start the preparations early. It may take 8-12 weeks to complete all placement requirements. If your documentation is not complete and/or you are not cleared for placement by the program deadline, you will have to wait for the following term before you can register again. There are no exceptions. This can delay your progression in completing your program and may result in you incurring additional fees.

Placement Eligibility

In order to be eligible for field placements, students must meet the following requirements prior to the placement deadline:

1. Academic Clearance: students must complete all required prerequisite courses prior to the placement start date. This will be confirmed by the Student Advisor after the placement deadline.
2. ABS Placement Request Form and Resume Submission: this form must be submitted prior to the placement request form deadline to ensure students are added to the master placement list. While this form is completed entirely online in just a few minutes, you must be prepared to upload a current version of your resume in order to complete the submission process.
3. ParaMed Clearance: the ABS program requires students to meet the following medical and non-medical requirements. Upon completion, these requirements must be confirmed through ParaMed, our partner organization. Please get started on the ParaMed Clearance process as early as possible to ensure you are able to meet your placement deadlines.
   1. Immunization Records
   2. Police Records Check for Service with the Vulnerable Sector (PRCSVS): if you live in an area with high demand for police checks, it may take up to 12 weeks to receive this document. If your local police station requires a letter from the college, please complete the online request form.
   3. Crisis Management and De-escalation Techniques Training is recommended but not required.

Registration

Full-time Students
Eligible full-time students will be registered for placement by their Student Advisor automatically. Please confirm your registration in ACSIS and connect with your Student Advisor if you have any concerns regarding your course load.

Part-time Students
Online registration is not available for part-time placement courses. Part-time students will be provided with the next steps to register after the placement deadline has passed if they have submitted the ABS Placement Request Form and both academic and ParaMed clearance are confirmed.

Please note registration does not guarantee placement; part-time students must have Field Placement Officer permission to register for all placement and seminar courses. Students will be withdrawn if placement requirements are not met by the placement deadline.