Autism Studies – Field Placement Information

Introduction

Welcome to the Field Guide for the Autism Studies 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

The final requirement of the Autism Studies certificate program is a 100-hour Autism Spectrum Disorder Practicum course. This course is designed to provide you with an opportunity to apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that you have learned throughout the prerequisite courses.

As a field placement student, you are responsible for completing 100 experience hours on-site at your assigned field placement agency. Please note that your hours can include a 15-minute break each day but do not include your lunch period. Field placement hours can be completed all at once or in varying time periods throughout the term. All placement hours must be completed by the final day of the term.

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.

Placement Deadlines

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

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 successfully complete all theory courses prior to the placement start date. This will be confirmed by the academic area after the placement deadline.
2. Autism Studies Placement Request Form: this form must be submitted prior to the placement request form deadline to ensure students are added to the master placement list.
3. ParaMed Clearance: the Autism Studies 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

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 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.