Description
What if true inclusion starts by rethinking everything you’ve learned about autism?
Neurodiversity Paradigm Focused Approaches: Creating Inclusive Classrooms for Autistic Students is a 15-hour, graduate-level professional development course for K–12 teachers who want to support Autistic students through evidence-based, neurodiversity-affirming strategies. Offered in collaboration with Courses4Teachers and the University of the Pacific, this course fulfills requirements for salary advancement and credential renewal.
A rapidly growing body of peer-reviewed research—particularly from Autistic scholars and qualitative studies centering Autistic lived experiences—is transforming the field of autism education in the public schools. This course prepares teachers to apply that research through trauma-informed, neurodiversity paradigm-centric practices that foster belonging, inclusion, and psychological safety.
You will gain foundational knowledge and practical tools to support Autistic students across academic and social contexts. Learn how to recognize autistic traits beyond diagnostic labels, understand the neurological and communicative differences that shape Autistic experiences, and address barriers to both instructional and social inclusion in your classroom.
➺ Course Instructor: Julie Roberts, M.S., CCC-SLP
➺ On-demand Course: Enrollees receive access to the recording and materials for 90 days.
Learn Neurodiversity-Affirming Strategies That Help Autistic Students Belong & Thrive
Topics include
☑ Neurodiversity 101 and educational implications
☑ IDEA criteria and the gap between diagnosis and classroom eligibility
☑ Common co-occurring conditions and their impact on learning
☑ Sources of autistic trauma and the role of school environments in long-term outcomes
☑ Autistic neurology: sensory processing, attention, and why co-regulation is better than self-regulation
☑ Echolalia, gestalt language processing, and language development
☑ Why AAC should always be an option
☑ Autistic social communication and The Double Empathy Problem
☑ Monotropism and its impact on learning and engagement
☑ Masking, camouflaging, and mental health
☑ Misinterpreted behaviors: moving beyond compliance and behavior plans to understanding and trauma-informed responses that prioritize connection over control.
☑ Barriers to instructional inclusion and actionable strategies to remove them
☑ Barriers to social inclusion and relationship-building
☑ Creating classroom and school social environments that support autistic authenticity and belonging
Therapist Neurodiversity Collective® is an educational company partner with Courses4Teachers, Inc. and the University of the Pacific, an accredited institution recognized by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
K–12 teachers who complete the 15-hour course, Neurodiversity Paradigm Focused Approaches | Creating Inclusive Classrooms for Autistic Students, are eligible to earn graduate-level professional development semester credit with the University of the Pacific.
➺ These credits may be used for salary advancement and credential renewal, depending on district or state guidelines.
➺ These units are not applicable towards attainment of a master’s or higher degree with the University of the Pacific.
➺ Professional development credit accepted nationwide (U.S.).
Here’s how it works:
- After completing the course, teachers must register with Courses4Teachers and submit their Therapist Neurodiversity Collective certificate of completion with their registration.
- Courses4Teachers partners with the University of the Pacific, which is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
- Courses4Teachers will send a confirmation email.
- Teachers will receive an unofficial transcript by mail from the University of the Pacific.
- Courses4Teachers will also send instructions for ordering the official transcript.
- The transcript will show a grade of A and is issued directly by the University of the Pacific.
Julie Roberts, M.S., CCC-SLP is a formally late-identified Autistic Speech-Language Pathologist and nationally recognized educator specializing in neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed approaches to teaching and therapy. With more than 25 years of experience—including public schools, private practice, and senior clinical leadership—Julie brings both deep clinical expertise and lived experience to her work with educators.
As the founder of Therapist Neurodiversity Collective, Julie has trained thousands of professionals to challenge ableist assumptions, recognize the harms of compliance-based practices, and embrace inclusive, strengths-based strategies that support all students. She is the author of The Gold Standard Fallacy of ABA: A Reference Guide for Therapists, Educators, & Parents and a co-author of the 2023 CARE PCORI autism research grant.
Julie’s professional development courses, writing, and educational tools have supported educators across the U.S., Canada, and Australia in creating classrooms where Autistic students feel safe, understood, and respected. Her work bridges research, ethics, and the lived experiences of neurodivergent people, empowering teachers to transform their practice.
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Julie-Roberts-14
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NeurodiversityCollective
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapistndc/
