Given the empirically validated success of behavioral intervention based on applied behavior analysis for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities, the demand for knowledgeable and skilled paraprofessional teaching staff is very high. Unfortunately, there currently exists a widely recognized shortage of such practitioners. This paper describes the development of an online training program aimed at preparing paraprofessionals for face-to-face training and supervision, as part of a solution to the growing demand. The focus of the program has been on moving beyond traditional online pedagogy, which has limited interactivity. Instead, the approach to teaching fundamental knowledge and implementation skills in behavioral intervention methods incorporates first-person simulations, typical of live mentor/mentee training. Preliminary program evaluation data are also described.

Most states in the U.S. require that early intervention (EI) providers receive ongoing professional education and training. Unfortunately, few education and training programs exist for busy professionals who find it difficult to travel to attend traditional face-to-face classes. An alternative to traditional education is Internet-based online learning. This article describes the development and evaluation of an online learning course entitled Transition Planning from Early Intervention to School. Designed for professionals who provide EI services to children with developmental disabilities and their families, the course is available anytime, anywhere and is fully self-contained, which means it does not rely on an instructor for course delivery. Thirty EI professionals completed a field evaluation of the course in which they completed three modules on topics related to transition planning in EI. Learning was assessed through changes in pretest to posttest scores. Course satisfaction and usability were assessed using a Likert-type survey. Participants increased their pretest to posttest scores by an average of 43% and reported moderate to high overall satisfaction.

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