Who is Eligible:
To be eligible for certification, the applicant must have earned a minimum of a master’s degree in their profession and hold a state or national license, with all training hours and supervision requirements completed to be licensed for independent practice in the state they are licensed.
- Psychologists
- School Psychologists
- Counselors
- Social Workers
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Licensed Play Therapists
- Licensed Creative Arts Therapist
- Psychiatrists
- Psychoanalysts
- Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
- Registered Nurses
- Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA or BCBA-D)
- Physical Therapist
- Occupational Therapists
- Speech-Language Pathologists
Don’t see your profession listed here or are you a graduate student in a mental health or allied health program? You may qualify for certification as a Certified Autism-Informed Professional! Click here to learn more.
By applying for certification, the applicant agrees to adhere to Evergreen Certifications’ Professional Code of Ethics
Training Requirements:
A minimum of 18 hours of continuing education in specific autism topics.
Pre-approved, 3rd party trainings that meet the training requirements for ASDCS certification include:
- Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist Intensive Training (ASDCS) by PESI – Certification Included!
- Autism Certification Course: Strengths-Based CBT, Behavior, Sensorimotor, Social Strategies & More by PESI – Certification Included!
- Autism Specialist Certification 6-Month Immersive Cohort Training: What’s New and What’s Next in Supporting Neurodivergent Clients by PESI – Certification Included!
- Affirming Neurodiversity with Strengths- and Abilities-Based Interventions by PESI – Certification Included!
Wondering if a course meets the requirements for ASDCS certification? Submit a copy of or link to the course title, speaker, outline and learning objectives to info@evergreencertifications.com for review.
Please note that Evergreen Certifications does not offer continuing education, all training must be purchased directly through the accredited training organization. Training is not included in the certification fee.
Complete Clinical Hours:
The applicant must attest that over the course of their career, they have a minimum of 100 clinical contact hours with clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder traits and/or diagnosis.
Application Process:
For your initial 2-year certification, please complete the following steps.
- Complete a qualifying training
- Remit your initial application payment of 249.99 USD online
- Upload the following documents to your account:
- A copy of the candidate’s professional license
- Evidence of completion of qualifying training, in the form of a CE or completion certificate
- A completed ASDCS application form
Evergreen Certifications will certify applicants who meet the above requirements.
Please note: Certification does not imply endorsement of clinical competency. As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your profession’s standards.
Renewal Process:
To maintain ASDCS certification, a renewal is required after your initial 2-year certification. A 2-year renewal requires 12 clock hours of continuing education related to Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Sample ASDCS renewal trainings include:
- Autism in Children & Adolescents: Advancing Language for Conversation Fluency and Social Connections by PESI
- Autism Spectrum Meltdowns: Effective Interventions for Sensory, Executive Function and Social-Emotional Communication by PESI
- Certificate Course in Autism through the Spectrum by PESI
- The Complete Autism & Sensory Processing Disorder Toolkit by PESI
Renewal CE content cannot be the same content used for prior renewal or initial certification
Renewal Process
- Complete a qualifying training
- Upload the following documents to your account:
- A copy of the candidate’s professional license
- Evidence of completion of qualifying training, in the form of a CE or completion certificate
- Remit your ASDCS renewal fee of 149.99 USD online
Renewal training hours need to have been taken in the time since you were certified or last recertified.
Renewals are calculated from the date that your certification was issued. If you allow your certification to lapse for more than 2 years, you are no longer eligible to renew your certification and instead can reapply for certification
Timothy P. Kowalski - MA, CCC-SLP
Timothy P. Kowalski, MA, CCC-SLP is a licensed speech-language pathologist specializing in social-pragmatic communication deficits and internationally known expert on Asperger Syndrome. His Orlando practice has seen clients from Europe, South America and throughout the USA. He regularly consults to schools on best practices for students identified or suspected of having Asperger syndrome and provides school-wide district in-services. He is a guest lecturer at universities and colleges and is also a consultant for forensic cases involving Asperger syndrome. Mr. Kowalski has worked in a variety of psychiatric healthcare delivery systems including in-patient and outpatient psychiatric hospitals, sex-offender units, and school-based settings. He obtained his Master’s degree in Speech Communications from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from Southern Connecticut State College in New Haven. Mr. Kowalski is the author of eight books on Asperger syndrome and social difficulties: Understanding Emotions; Me, Myself and You; Asperger Syndrome Explained; Social-Pragmatic Success for Asperger Syndrome and Other Related Disorders; Are You In The Zone?, Conversational Effectiveness, My Playground Problem, The Source for Asperger’s Syndrome, and an article Assessing Social Communication in Asperger Syndrome.
Mr. Kowalski is the current President-Elect of the Florida Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and the Inter-American Teacher Network. He is the recipient of the 2020 “Outstanding Service Award” and the “2010 Clinician of the Year Award” offered by the Florida Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists and the FLASHA nominee for the ASHA Louis M. diCarlo Award for Recent Clinical Achievement. He also holds the “TEAMS 2000 Speech-Language Pathologist of the Year” award for his work with Autism in the four-countywide greater Orlando, Florida metropolitan area and has served on the Board of Directors for the Greater Orlando Chapter of the Autism Society of America and the Center for Independent Living in Central Florida. He regularly presents on a wide variety of issues relative to Asperger syndrome and social-pragmatics at national and international seminars.
Monica Osgood - Executive Director, Celebrate the Children/Profectum Foundation
Monica has worked with individuals with autism and other special needs and their families for over 30 years. She is Co-founder and Executive Director of the Celebrate the Children School (CTC) in Denville, NJ serving students from more than 70 school districts. CTC was the first school using the Developmental Individual Relationship-based (DIR-FCD) approach to be state-approved for students ages 3-21. Monica is also the Executive Director of the Profectum Foundation, a global online DIR-FCD training and certification resource for professionals and parents. Monica enjoys teaching others how to use the DIR-FCD Model in educational settings all over the world. Additional accomplishments include speaking engagements and participation in television, network specials, and news articles (including a TIME Magazine cover story in 2006) across the USA, Wales, and Amsterdam.
Sheetal Parikh - OTD, OTR/L, CAS
Sheetal Parikh OTD, OTR/L, CAS, is an Occupational Therapist with 19 years of experience working with children and adults in a variety of settings and with a variety of diagnoses. In the last 14 years, Dr. Parikh has primarily worked in the school setting with children and adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), sensory processing disorder (SPD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), genetic disorders, neurological disorders, and developmental delays. Dr. Parikh has also worked in a pediatric medical day care, adult rehabilitation hospital, acute care hospitals, sub- acute rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities, and home care.
Dr. Parikh is the founder and owner of SPOT Therapy, LLC, a company that specializes in providing Occupational and Physical Therapy services in public and private schools. Dr. Parikh is also an adjunct professor in the Masters and Doctorate Occupational Therapy programs at the University of the Sciences (USciences) in Philadelphia, PA.