Does Missouri require autism training for school staff? What Missouri law asks, and where outside training fits
The short answer
In the Missouri statutes and state education department materials we reviewed on October 29, 2026, we found no requirement for school staff to complete autism training; we could not review the Code of State Regulations. For paraprofessionals assisting with special education and related services, Missouri's State Plan for Special Education requires orientation and initial training before they work with a student, including information about their students' disabilities and basic principles of behavior modification; it also sets at least 15 hours of training within six months of hire and at least 10 hours in each later school year. Separately, Missouri law requires each school district, charter school and publicly contracted private provider to have a policy requiring personnel who use seclusion or restraint to complete annual training in the specific techniques that entity uses.
What we found
On October 29, 2026, we read the full text of the education chapters of the Revised Statutes of Missouri (Chapters 160, 161, 162, 163, 167, 168, 170 and 171) on the Missouri Revisor of Statutes site, searching for autism, positive behavior, behavior intervention, de-escalation, paraprofessional and restraint. We found no section that requires teachers, paraprofessionals or other school staff to complete autism training. The one autism section we found, § 161.825 ("Bryce's Law"), deals with scholarships and a list of resources for parents, not staff training. We also read the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (DESE) special education and paraprofessional pages. We were not able to read the Code of State Regulations online for this review.
Related training rules for Missouri school staff
Paraprofessionals in special education. Missouri's State Plan for Special Education, Regulation VIII: Personnel Standards, published by DESE, says:
"Public agencies must provide each paraprofessional, including those who hold a teaching certificate, with the orientation and initial training necessary for the individual to perform the duties associated with the work assignment prior to working with the student."
At a minimum, that training must include information and experiences related to the types of disabilities of the students the paraprofessional will work with, basic principles of behavior modification, basic instructional techniques (such as demonstration, modeling, cueing, reinforcement and correction), and other areas as necessary. The same section adds:
"Paraprofessionals, including those who hold a teaching certificate, shall receive a minimum of fifteen (15) hours of training within six (6) months of hire and a minimum of ten (10) hours of training yearly in subsequent school years."
The section appears under the heading "Use of Paraprofessionals" and begins: "Missouri allows paraprofessionals who are appropriately trained and supervised to be used to assist in the provision of special education and related services to students with disabilities."
Source: Regulation VIII: Personnel Standards, Missouri State Plan for Special Education (DESE).
Restraint and seclusion training. Each school district, charter school and publicly contracted private provider must have a policy requiring the following under RSMo § 160.263.5(2):
"Personnel who use seclusion or restraint shall annually complete mandatory training in the specific seclusion and restraint techniques the school district, charter school, or publicly contracted private provider uses under this section"
The same subdivision requires all school district, charter school and publicly contracted private provider personnel to review the policy and procedures on seclusion and restraint every year. Our course does not teach restraint, de-escalation or crisis intervention.
Source: RSMo § 160.263.
Teacher certificate hours. Under RSMo § 168.021, holders of a four-year initial professional certificate generally must complete thirty contact hours of professional development; part-time holders of a certificate under § 168.021.1(4) have a proportional-hours requirement. Holders of a career continuous professional certificate generally must complete "fifteen contact hours of professional development per year which may include hours spent in class in an appropriate college curriculum," subject to the statute's exemption. The statute does not name autism or behavior as a required topic for these hours.
Source: RSMo § 168.021.
A state webinar on behavior. DESE posts a five-part Paraprofessional Webinar Series. Part 5, Behavior Management, lists paraprofessionals and teachers as its intended audience, and its page says: "This session will provide information about developing a basic understanding of the function of behavior, identifying the ABC’s of behavior, and recognizing vulnerable decision points." No price is shown on the page. See Part 5-Behavior Management on the DESE site and the Paraprofessional Resources page.
Where outside training fits
Under the State Plan, public agencies must provide the required orientation and initial training; the section does not say which outside courses, if any, count toward the 15-hour or 10-hour requirements. For teachers on a career continuous professional certificate, § 168.021 says: "The requirements of this paragraph shall be monitored and verified by the local school district which employs the holder of the career continuous professional certificate." Before buying outside training for any of these purposes, ask your district, or DESE, how it evaluates outside courses. We do not claim that our course meets any Missouri requirement, counts toward paraprofessional training hours or certificate professional development hours, or replaces restraint and seclusion training.
What our Intro to ABA Level 1 course covers
The Intro to ABA Level 1 course teaches methods and techniques of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for parents and caregivers, teachers, paraprofessionals and behavior technicians who work with a child every day. Topics include what autism is, what ABA is, pairing, errorless teaching and prompting, and active student responding. Complete the course and pass its 40-question final exam with a score of at least 80%. Completing this course earns a Special Learning certificate of completion. That certificate is not a continuing education (CE) certificate. It is basic training in ABA methods for daily practice, not a professional credential. We do not claim Missouri state approval or continuing education credit for this course.
A paraprofessional who took it wrote: "I want to learn everything I can to help my student succeed in the public school system. I found Special Learning's ABA level 1 course so fascinating and inspiring."
Two ways to start
- For one person: try the first two sessions free for 7 days; account creation is required, with no payment information requested. The full course costs $199, paid once, with no subscription or recurring charge. Activate your license code within 90 days of purchase; the published completion window is 10 weeks after activation. You may request a later start date, no later than three months after purchase. Start the free sessions
- For your district's staff: tell us how many people need training and when, and we will send a quote; each participant who completes the course and passes its 40-question final exam with a score of at least 80% earns an individual certificate of completion. Ask for a school quote
Last reviewed: October 29, 2026.