Understanding Autism
By the end of this course, your teachers will be able to:
- Recognize how autism shows up across the spectrum, including differences in social communication, sensory processing, and behavior.
- Explain the three levels of support needed and where the former Asperger's diagnosis fits within them.
- Understand why autism often looks different in girls, and why so many girls are diagnosed late or missed entirely.
- Speak and write about autistic students with accurate, respectful language.
- Use practical strategies that support autistic children and teens through the school day.
Understanding ADHD
By the end of this course, your teachers will be able to:
- Explain ADHD as a brain-based difference in attention and self-regulation, which changes how they read a student's behavior.
- Distinguish the inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined presentations.
- Notice the less visible signs, such as time blindness, task paralysis, and hyperfocus, that are easy to mistake for a student not trying.
- Understand why ADHD often looks different in girls and why many people reach adulthood without a diagnosis.
- Recognize the strengths that come with ADHD alongside its challenges.
8 Best Strategies for Working with Neurodivergent Individuals
By the end of this course, your teachers will be able to:
- Use a six-second wait time and one-step instructions so students have time to process.
- Frame requests with first-then sequencing to lower anxiety and increase cooperation.
- Use concrete, literal language and adjust where they position themselves to support connection.
- Prepare students for changes with advance transition warnings.
- Build learning around a student's special interests to increase motivation and trust.
- Arrange the physical and sensory environment so the other strategies can work, and combine all eight into a consistent approach the whole staff can share.
Choose the Right Plan for Your School
Flexible licensing options to support your teachers and students.
- Effective Strategies for Working with Neurodivergent Individuals
- Understanding ADHD
- Understanding Autism
- Single Course Price $1,250
- Addon 5 Teacher Price $300
- Addon 5 Teacher Price $750
- Package Price $2,995
- Duration 365 Days
- Effective Strategies for Working with Neurodivergent Individuals
- Understanding ADHD
- Understanding Autism
- Single Course Price $2,295
- Addon 5 Teacher Price $300
- Addon 5 Teacher Price $750
- Package Price $5,995
- Duration 365 Days
- Effective Strategies for Working with Neurodivergent Individuals
- Understanding ADHD
- Understanding Autism
- Single Course Price $3,595
- Addon 5 Teacher Price $300
- Addon 5 Teacher Price $750
- Package Price $9,495
- Duration 365 Days
- Creating Sensory Inclusive Spaces
- Effective Strategies for Working with Neurodivergent Individuals
- Understanding ADHD
You can pay by credit card, check, or purchase order. Card purchases are activated immediately. If your district uses purchase orders, send us your PO, and we'll activate your teachers' access as soon as we receive it. We'll also send an invoice due within 30 days. We activate purchases by check once we receive payment. Your 12 months of access begin on the day your account is activated.
Quotes are valid for 60 days from the issue date. If we receive your purchase order after that, we're happy to send an updated quote.
Many districts use federal funds for teacher professional development, including Title II, Part A; Title IV, Part A; and IDEA. Our courses provide professional development for teachers who work with autistic students and students with ADHD, aligning with these programs' purposes. Your district's federal programs office determines whether a specific purchase qualifies, based on your district's plan and budget. We're happy to provide course descriptions, learning objectives, and a formal quote to support your request.
Yes. You can download our W-9 from this page for your vendor setup. If your school or district is tax-exempt, include your exemption certificate with your request form, and we'll keep it on file with your account.
We offer a full refund if you cancel before any course is accessed. After teachers have begun, unused seats can be refunded in groups of five. Seats that have been used are non-refundable.
No. Each seat is assigned to a named teacher, who receives a unique login. This allows us to issue a certificate of completion in each teacher's name and provide your coordinator with an accurate record of who has completed each course. If a teacher leaves before starting a course, you can reassign the seat to another member of your staff.
Yes. Aides, paraprofessionals, and other support staff can use a seat the same way a teacher does and receive a certificate of completion in their own name.
Our courses are designed for individual, self-paced learning, with each teacher accessing the material using their own login. If your district would like to show a course to a group, for example, on a PD day, please contact us before scheduling. Group viewing requires approval from the Spencer Institute and an additional fee. We'll work with you to arrange something that fits your plans.
You can add teachers at any time in groups of five. If adding seats would cost more than upgrading to the next license tier, we'll move you to the larger license instead, so you always pay the lower price.
Each school license covers one building. If more than one school in your district plans to participate, a district license is a better fit. We'll prepare a quote based on the number of schools and teachers.
Understanding Autism takes about 1.5 hours to complete. Understanding ADHD and 8 Best Strategies for Working with Neurodivergent Individuals each take about one hour. These times include the end-of-course quiz, and the hours are listed on each certificate.
Teachers have 12 months from the date your account is activated, and they can work through the material at their own pace.
Yes. Each teacher who completes a course receives a Certificate of Completion in their name. The certificate lists the course title, completion date, professional development hours, learning objectives, and the teacher's school or district. Each certificate includes a unique ID for verification.
Each state determines renewal credit, and many districts do as well. Each certificate lists the course hours and learning objectives, which is the information most districts need to approve professional development. If you're unsure how your state handles outside professional development, your district's licensure or professional learning office can provide that information.
The courses are designed for classroom teachers, special education staff, aides, paraprofessionals, and others at your school who work with autistic students and students with ADHD. The strategies apply across grade levels and are grounded in the situations teachers encounter during a typical school day.
Yes. Administrators considering a purchase can request a free preview seat to review the course materials before deciding.
Kevin Spencer, PhD, created the courses. He earned a master's in education and a PhD in special education. He holds professional certifications in neuropsychology, neuroscience, autism studies, and neurodiversity mental health training. He is an Associate Professor by Special Appointment in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a Fulbright Specialist, and the founder of the Hocus Focus and Magic Therapy frameworks, which are used in more than 2,000 hospitals, clinics, and schools across over 20 countries.
Your school or district coordinator has a dashboard that shows each teacher's progress and completion status by course, along with the number of seats remaining. You can download a completion report at any time for your PD records.
No. The courses are professional development for adults, and we do not collect any student information. The information we retain for each teacher relates to their enrollment: name, email address, course progress, completion status, and certificate. We do not sell personal information. Full details are available in our Privacy Policy at spencerinstitute.org/privacy-policy.
The courses run in any web browser and work on computers, tablets, and phones.
Have any further questions about? Contact Us