• How Does the Autism Practicum Course Enhance the College Experience?
• Information for Students Currently in High School Who Will Be Attending Meredith College
• Information for Students Currently Enrolled at Meredith College
• Information for College Students Not Attending Meredith College
• Working Part-Time for the Autism Program
• Students Enrolled in the Course at Meredith

How Does the Autism Practicum Course Enhance the College Experience?
The Autism Practicum is one of the very few hands-on clinical courses an undergraduate student can experience. The graded course enhances college resumes for those wishing to attend graduate school or work in the field with individuals with special needs or children. Autism Practicum (Psy 342A) qualifies for the experiential learning thread for the Meredith College general education requirements. The course provides exceptionally useful teaching guidelines for those students pursuing careers in special education, speech pathology/therapy, occupational therapy, rehabilitation therapy and counseling.

Students Currently in High School Who Will Be Attending Meredith College
Any student taking courses at Meredith College may enroll in Psychology 342A, which is the Autism Practicum course. The only pre-requisite is to have taken Psychology 100. Therefore, first semester freshmen cannot enroll in the Autism Practicum course without receiving special "exception" permission from the Program Director and the Psychology Department Head. Current high school students who have an interest in autism or working with young children who have special needs, are welcome to come observe the program by contacting Meredith Autism Program Director Kathryn Dove at (919) 760-8022 and making an appointment.

Students Currently Enrolled at Meredith College
Any Meredith College student, part-time or full-time, from any major, may enroll in the Autism Practicum course as long as she has completed Psychology 100. Any exception to this pre-requisite must be approved by the Program Director and the Psychology Department Head. Students interested in taking the Autism Practicum course, Psychology 342A, are encouraged to come to the Meredith Autism Program, located in the basement of Ledford Hall, to observe current students working with the children. To observe the Meredith Autism Program, you must set up an appointment with a staff member of the Meredith Autism Program. All staff members can be found in the basement level of Ledford Hall. Any student interested in working with a special needs population, teaching in the public school system, or developing unique hands on skills for working with children, is encouraged to enroll in this course.

For more information on taking the Autism Practicum course and for course requirements, please click here.

College Students Not Attending Meredith College
Students enrolled at Peace, St. Augustine's Colleges, St. Mary's School, NC State and Shaw Universities may enroll in the Autism Practicum Course (Psy 342A) for credit through the Cooperating Raleigh Colleges program. Though Meredith College students receive a grade for this course, some CRC colleges/universities give only a pass/fail grade. Please contact your college or university registrar office for more information.

Working Part-Time for the Autism Program
Any student who has completed one semester of the Autism Practicum coursework (Psy 342A), is eligible to work for pay when classes are not in session (Spring Break, Summer, Christmas Break, etc). The Autism Program maintains temporary full-time and part-time paid positions during the summer months (May-August). All paid positions must be pre-approved by the director.

Contact Us:
If you would like to talk to a MAP staff member about the possibility of taking the Autism Practicum course or working for the MAP, please contact us. You may also set up a time to take a tour of our facility and observe students doing sessions with our clients.

We are located in the basement of Ledford Hall.

Kathyrn Dove:

Email: colek@meredith.edu
Phone: (919) 760-8022

Students Enrolled in the Course at Meredith:
Students who wish to gain hands-on clinical experience and training in working with children with autism can register for the Autism Practicum course (PSY 342A) through the Meredith College Department of Psychology. Students must register for two or three credit hours.

Two credit hours equal seven hours per week of practicum experience (six hours of one-on-one teaching and a one hour team meeting). Three credit hours equal ten hours per week of practicum experience (nine hours of one-on-one teaching and a one hour of team meeting). Though it is important to have 2-3 hour blocks of time available, your sessions will be worked around your semester class schedule. Students may take the course for credit for more than one semester.

Some of the one-on-one teaching takes place in the child’s home. Those who do not have a car can still take the course as long as they notify a MAP staff member after registering for the course. All team meetings take place on the Meredith College campus. Psychology 100 is the only pre-requisite for the course and a student may have a major other than psychology to take the course.

Consultants and experienced students will train students during the first two-to-three weeks of classes. Students are offered a course in Infant/Child CPR and First Aid through this course.
Students must submit a copy of their weekly schedule (including work, clubs, extracurricular activities, etc.) to of the Meredith Autism Program office prior to the start of classes. A student cannot be assigned to a case until her schedule has been received. Teaching sessions with the children can take place anytime between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and occasionally on weekends.

Syllabus for Autism Practicum (Psy 342A)