Autism Teaching Institute Postgraduate Programs
Autism Teaching Institute Postgraduate Programs
The Autism Teaching Institute is pleased to announce the opening of applications for postgraduate funded places in the Graduate Certificate in Teaching Autistic Students, commencing in Term 3, 2025.
The courses will start in Term 3, 2025 and consist of the Graduate Certificate in Teaching Autistic Students and Graduate Diploma of Teaching Autistic Students. The Graduate Certificate is run over three school terms, followed by another three terms to complete the diploma. Most lectures and workshops are held on Saturdays to minimise disruption to the teachers’ home schools.
The courses have a high practical component, with 10 practicum days split between the teacher’s own classroom, Western Autistic School or one of its partner specialist schools.
The programs are fully funded by the department for teachers in Victorian government schools who teach autistic students.
Please see below for further information.
What is the Graduate Certificate in Teaching Autistic Students?
The Graduate Certificate in Teaching Autistic Students is a specialised postgraduate qualification for fully qualified teachers currently teaching students with autism designed to enhance their professional practice.
Graduate Certificate Units
The Graduate Certificate program consists of the following units delivered concurrently over three school terms:
Use communication to build relationships
Apply knowledge of autism to develop a holistic profile of an autistic student
Create environments that promote participation and success of autistic students
Collaborate to design an individual learning plan for an autistic student
Benefits for Graduate Certificate Graduates
The Graduate Certificate in Teaching Autistic Students will provide graduates working, or seeking to work in, special schools or mainstream primary and secondary schools with the skills and knowledge to develop and implement effective ways of teaching autistic students, as a specialist resource within their school.
Time commitment
The lectures and workshops making up the Graduate Certificate course consist of eight full days of learning across the three school-term duration. These are augmented by five full days of workplace training and assessment in students’ classrooms and five full days of teaching practicum. The written assessment tasks, research and reading entailed in the Graduate Certificate require a commitment of approximately three hours a week.
What is the Graduate Diploma of Teaching Autistic Students?
The Graduate Certificate course is usually delivered as the first half of a combined 18 month program, of which the second half is the Graduate Diploma of Teaching Autistic Students. Students completing the Graduate Diploma will build on the skills and knowledge gained in the Graduate Certificate, enabling them to:
develop a deep understanding of the current policy context for inclusive schooling
access, analyse and evaluate research related to autistic students and educational best practice
apply insights from research in their classroom practice to improve learning outcomes for autistic students
implement proactive teaching approaches that support the wellbeing of autistic students
implement strategies to help students solve problems within their environment.
Graduate Diploma Units
Integrate research and lived experience perspectives into practice when teaching autistic students
Develop teaching approaches that support the wellbeing of autistic students
Deliver and evaluate the effectiveness of an individualised learning program for an autistic student
Benefits for Graduate Diploma Graduates
Successful graduates will be able to apply acquired skills and knowledge as learning specialists, leading teachers, or principal class employees with responsibilities for inclusive leadership in special schools and mainstream primary and secondary schools.
Application Process and Next Steps
Full details of the Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma courses delivered by the ATI can be found here.
Prospective students who wish to apply should download and complete the application form located here and submit this together with supporting documentation to admin@autismteachinginstitute.org.au by 6 June 2025.