Francis Marion University President Fred Carter says the university’s multi-categorical special education/autism studies bachelor’s degree program will be a big help to the Pee Dee region. File/Chris Day/Staff
The special education/autism studies bachelor’s degree incorporates special education, school and clinical psychology programs, speech and language pathology courses and occupational therapy programs, which will be the first multiple discipline special education/autism studies bachelor’s degree program in South Carolina, Francis Marion University President Fred Carter said.
Students in this degree program will graduate with a special education teaching certificate and have the coursework to become a board certified assistant behavioral analyst. The graduates will be able to pursue careers in teaching or as counselors working with children or adults diagnosed with autism at hospitals or clinics.
Whatever direction the graduates choose, they will help South Carolina improve the diagnosis and treatment of children and adults with autism, which is becoming a bigger and bigger issue in the United States.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1 case of autism spectrum disorder per 150 children in 2000. In 20 years, the ratio had surged to 1 in 36 8-year-old children in the United States. The CDC estimates more than 5 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with the disorder.
The Palmetto Partnership of All 4 Autism Executive Director Jessica Brown said Francis Marion University’s special education/autism studies bachelor’s degree will provide more opportunities for students in Exceptional Education programs and provide more counselors to help those with autism spectrum disorder in clinics and hospitals.
The organization talks with families who are desperate to find services several times a week, Brown said. And the need for more counselors is obvious. There are only two autism counseling services in the Florence area, and they don’t have enough counselors to provide services to every child or adult who needs them.
The interdisciplinary courses provided in Francis Marion University’s new bachelor’s degree program will increase the number of graduates with the skills to pursue careers in teaching or counseling. Both areas are underserved in the Pee Dee, she said.
More than 90% of students enrolled at Francis Marion University have roots in the Pee Dee, which means graduates from this bachelor’s degree program are more likely to stay in the Pee Dee.
Francis Marion University’s special education/autism studies bachelor’s degree program wouldn’t be possible without the interest of state Rep. Nathan Ballentine, chairman of the House Ways and Means Higher Education subcommittee, and state Sen. Ronnie Cromer, chairman of the Senate’s Higher Education subcommittee.
When Francis Marion University took its usual budget to the state Legislature, it didn’t include money for the special education/autism studies degree. Carter said Ballentine asked him to identify programs the university wanted to add to its offerings. Carter told Ballentine about the need to provide support for children with autism in the Pee Dee. He also mentioned the bachelor’s degree program.
When the House completed Francis Marion University’s budget, it included $500,000 in recurring funds for autism studies. Next, Cromer asked about the $500,000 for autism studies in the university’s budget. After Carter explained the need for an autism studies program, Cromer told him he didn’t think $500,000 would be enough. When the Senate approved the university’s budget it included another $500,000 in recurring funding.
Clearly, state lawmakers understand the need for the special education/autism studies bachelor’s degree and funded the program, which wouldn’t be possible without Ballentine’s and Cromer’s support.
Everything aligned at the right time for Francis Marion University to launch its special education/autism studies bachelor’s degree. It’s a promising step that should improve the quality of education for children with autism and help fill the void in counselors in clinics and hospitals around the state.
This content was originally published here.