Does Montana require autism training for school staff? What Montana law asks, and where outside training fits
The short answer
In the parts of Montana's education code we searched (Title 20, chapters 1, 4, 5 and 7 of the Montana Code Annotated 2025), we found no requirement for school staff to complete autism training. A state special education rule, ARM 10.16.3346, lets an IEP include aversive treatment procedures only when, among other conditions, the IEP team includes a person trained and knowledgeable about positive behavioral interventions, aversive treatment procedures and nonaversive alternatives for de-escalation. Montana's Office of Public Instruction (OPI) runs the Montana Autism Education Project and lists free special education learning modules, including modules on autism, for Montana educators and paraeducators. For renewal of Class 1 and Class 2 teaching licenses and Class 3 administrative licenses, OPI lists 60 professional development units or an equivalent combination of units and college credits.
What we found
On October 29, 2026, we searched Title 20 (Education) of the Montana Code Annotated 2025 on the Montana Legislature's site. We read every section of chapter 1 (general provisions), chapter 4 (teachers, superintendents and principals), chapter 5 (pupils) and chapter 7 (school instruction and special programs, including special education) for autism, positive behavior, behavior intervention, challenging behavior, de-escalation, restraint, seclusion, paraprofessionals and staff development. Our search of these chapters found no requirement for school staff to complete autism or behavior training. We also read OPI's special education, autism project, paraeducator, professional learning and license renewal pages. We could not search the Administrative Rules of Montana as a whole. The special education rule on aversive treatment procedures, below, is quoted from OPI's own reproduction of it in Montana's Part B state application under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for federal fiscal year 2026.
MCA 20-4-302 permits a person employed or engaged by a school district to use reasonable and necessary physical restraint for specified purposes, including quelling a disturbance or protecting the pupil or others from physical injury. It makes using "more physical restraint than is reasonable or necessary" a misdemeanor. The section does not set a training requirement. Our course does not teach restraint, de-escalation or crisis intervention.
Source: MCA 20-4-302.
Related training rules for Montana school staff
Aversive treatment procedures in an IEP (ARM 10.16.3346). The rule begins: "Positive behavioral interventions based on the results of a functional behavioral assessment shall serve as the foundation for any program utilizing aversive procedures to address the behavioral needs of students." It defines aversive treatment procedures to include certain physical restraint and isolation time-out. On training, subsection (6) says "IEPs may include the use of aversive treatment procedures only when" three conditions are met, including:
"The IEP team includes a person trained and knowledgeable about best practices in the application of positive behavioral interventions, aversive treatment procedures and nonaversive alternatives for deescalation of behaviors"
Subsection (6) requires the IEP team to include this trained and knowledgeable person before an IEP may include aversive treatment procedures. The rule does not set training hours or name a provider. Our course does not teach restraint, isolation time-out, de-escalation or crisis intervention.
Source: ARM 10.16.3346, as reproduced by OPI in Montana's FFY 2026 IDEA Part B state application (PDF).
Educator license renewal. For Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 licenses, OPI's renewal page lists:
"60 professional development units (PDUs), or any combination of PDUs and semester/quarter college credits. Each semester credit is worth 15 PDUs, and each quarter credit is worth 10 PDUs."
The page does not name an autism or behavior topic for these classes.
The state's autism project. OPI describes the Montana Autism Education Project this way:
"The Montana Autism Education Project (MAEP) is a statewide initiative housed within the Special Education Professional Development Unit at the Montana Office of Public Instruction."
OPI says the project "offers comprehensive services including individual and classroom consultations, coaching and capacity building programs, professional development opportunities, conference scholarships, and a virtual library with resources, research, and field tools for educators." Ask OPI or your district about current sessions.
Free special education modules. On its Para Pathways page, OPI says:
"Professional Learning Modules in Special Education are available free to all Montana paraeducators, pre-service teachers, educators, and administrators."
OPI's list of modules for its special education technician track includes *Addressing Behavior of Students with Autism: A Teacher's Toolkit of Positive Intervention Strategies* and *Understanding the Unique Needs of Students with autism: Intervention Strategies for paraprofessionals*. OPI notes that "all courses beginning with code 35 with paraprofessional in the title are not eligible for Professional Learning renewal units."
Source: OPI license renewal; Montana Autism Education Project; Para Pathways Project; module list (PDF).
Where outside training fits
Our search of these statutes does not mean training is optional in every situation; the rule above and your district's own requirements also apply. On professional development, OPI says: "Whenever possible, Montana educators should attend professional development offered by OPI-approved providers, as their events are pre-approved and aligned with state requirements." It also says that "most school districts/schools are already approved OPI Professional Development Unit Providers and are able to issue and approve professional development activities from non-approved providers." We do not claim that our course meets any Montana requirement, earns professional development units, or counts toward license renewal. Before buying outside training for these purposes, ask your district or OPI how it evaluates outside courses.
Source: OPI professional learning.
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 Montana 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.