Neurodiversity Affirming Practices for Guiding Student Behavior, Markos, Spring 2026

Course Number:	EDX 5710 S59
Instructor:	Hannah Markos, M.Ed.
Location:	Online
Dates and Times:	March 24 - May 21, 2026. Weekly on Tuesdays from 3:15 - 4:15pm from March 24 - May 5. On two Thursdays (4/16 and 4/30), class will join full-day virtual workshops from 8:30am - 2:30pm. The remainder of the course takes place in an independent, online environment.
Credits:	3 credits
Tuition:	Set by and payable to VT-HEC

Course Description

Course Description:

This course will discuss the provision of neurodiversity-affirming behavior supports within a collaborative model. How can evidence based practices, with complex legacies and cultural meaning, be used with a neurodivergent lens and within the neurodiversity paradigm? The course will also address practices that enable students to more effectively engage in self-regulation and factors outside of intervention that can influence student behavior.

Audience:

Teachers & other professionals whose work impacts students from PreK to 12th grade and beyond with an earned Bachelor’s Degree.

Course Goals & Objectives

Course Goals:

Students will be familiar with a variety of behavior supports to use in educational settings. They will be able to critically analyze behavior practices and learn to set neurodiversity-affirming goals. In addition, they will be able to discuss the importance of self-regulation, and how these skills can be fostered within a variety of practices.

Course Objectives:

Learn to provide supports for regulation and arrange learning environments conducive to self-regulation

Correctly interpret data and use it to create a targeted, individualized student support plan that includes team and parent input, as well as the student when possible
Learn how to write meaningful, neurodiversity-affirming, socially valid behavior goals for IEPs
Analyze intervention practices to determine if they meet evidence-based guidelines
Discuss the science of Applied Behavior Analysis, its history in autism, current controversies, and future directions

Required Readings/Resources

Costs for required readings, if any, may not be included in the course tuition. Contact VT-HEC for more information.

Waddington, H., Minnell, H., Patrick, L., van Der Meer, L., Monk, R., Woods, L., & Whitehouse, A. J. (2023). Community perspectives on the appropriateness and importance of support goals for young autistic children. Autism, 28(2), 316-326. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613231168920 (Original work published 2024)

Allen, L., Mellon, L. S., Syed, N., Johnson, J. F., & Bernal, A. J. (2024). Neurodiversity-Affirming Applied Behavior Analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice.

Mathur, S., et al. (2024). Affirming Neurodiversity within Applied Behavior Analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice.

Lerner, M. D., et al. (2023). A Framework for Neurodiversity-Affirming Interventions for Autistic Children. Frontiers in Public Health / PMC.

Bambara, L. M., Dueñas, A. D., & Dwyer, P. (2025). Positive Behaviour Support and the Neurodiversity Perspective. International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support, 15(1), 4-22.

Other Suggested Readings/Texts: Other suggested readings will be provided to students in the VT-HEC Canvas course.

For additional course information

Hannah Markos

(802) 498-3350

For additional registration information

VT-HEC Team

This course requires registration with the Vermont Higher Education Collaborative (VT-HEC) first. Please click on the Register Now button below.