Autism Competency for Direct Support Professionals

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. There is often nothing about how people with ASD look that sets them apart from other people, but people with ASD may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others need less.

Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are crucial to the community system that supports individuals with autism spectrum disorder. DSPs need to understanding the people they are supporting. These competencies are based on consistent findings from the research community. Decades of research have provided a number of best practices effective for the treatment, education, and support of individuals with autism in community-based settings. Additionally, as the research literature continues to expand, there are a number of emerging practices that have been identified. Therefore, these competencies are based on the best and most promising practices that have been identified as critical to address the needs of individuals with autism.

Direct Support Professional refers to anyone directly supporting adolescents or adults in any service setting. Examples include but are not limited to: Day Support, Residential, Employment Staff, Respite or Personal Care Staff.