Does North Carolina require autism training for school staff? What North Carolina law asks, and where outside training fits
The short answer
We found no North Carolina law or rule that requires school staff to complete autism training. The nearest duties are narrower. A school unit must give a teacher on a residency license professional development in the first year on that license, and the rule's main list of topics includes positive management of student behavior and the identification and education of children with disabilities. Unlicensed K-12 adjunct instructors under § 115C-298.5 and adjunct career and technical education instructors under § 115C-157.1 must complete preservice training in those areas before teaching.
What we found
On October 29, 2026, we read Chapter 115C of the North Carolina General Statutes (elementary and secondary education) and the State Board of Education's licensure rules in 16 NCAC 06C, on the General Assembly's and the Office of Administrative Hearings' official sites. We searched for autism, positive behavior, behavior intervention, challenging behavior and de-escalation, and we read the seclusion and restraint statute (G.S. 115C-391.1) and the teacher license renewal statute and rules. We also searched the State Board's other rules in 16 NCAC 06. We also read the Department of Public Instruction's Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities (amended March 2021).
We found no North Carolina law or rule that requires teachers, teacher assistants or other school staff to complete autism training, and no State Board rule that sets training hours or topics for teacher assistants. In the education statutes, autism appears in the definition of a child with a disability and in a scholarship program, not in a training requirement. The seclusion and restraint statute sets out when restraint and seclusion are allowed and how incidents are reported. It does not require staff to complete a training course. Its only training language is a statement of State policy: "Promote retention of valuable teachers and other school personnel by providing appropriate training in prescribed procedures, which address student behavior in a positive and safe manner." It also requires: "Each governing body of a public school unit shall provide copies of this section and all governing body policies developed to implement this section to school personnel and parents or guardians at the beginning of each school year."
Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-391.1; Chapter 115C.
Related training rules for North Carolina school staff
Teachers on a residency license. Under 16 NCAC 06C .0339(c), "The PSU shall provide the teacher with 10 days of professional development, within the teacher's first year on the license, that includes training on the following topics:" The list includes classroom management, starting with "Positive management of student behavior;", and "Identification and education of children with disabilities." The list's classroom management item also covers de-escalation and the legal use of seclusion and restraint. The rule gives the school unit an alternative: "The PSU may, in the alternative, satisfy the professional development requirements of Paragraph (c) by requiring the teacher to complete the following:" The alternative list includes training on positive management of student behavior and de-escalation, but does not list the identification and education of children with disabilities. Under the alternative, a school unit must give teachers holding a residency license, emergency license or permit to teach at least eight hours of training in items (d)(2) through (d)(5) before they begin teaching in the classroom. The school unit may provide all 10 days of professional development before the teacher begins teaching, or five days before and the other five during the teacher's first year on the residency license.
Source: 16 NCAC 06C .0339.
Adjunct instructors. A K-12 adjunct instructor who is not a licensed teacher must complete preservice training before teaching:
"If an adjunct instructor is not licensed as a teacher, the adjunct instructor shall complete preservice training, which may be offered through an educator preparation program or by a local school administrative unit, in all of the following areas prior to beginning instruction:"
The areas are "The identification and education of children with disabilities.", "Positive management of student behavior.", de-escalation, and the safe and appropriate use of seclusion and restraint. Adjunct career and technical education instructors have the same four areas: "An adjunct instructor must complete preservice training in all of the following areas prior to beginning instruction:"
Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-298.5; N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-157.1.
License renewal. A teacher with a continuing professional license renews it every five years. Under 16 NCAC 06C .0360(a), teachers in pre-kindergarten through grade 5 must complete eight CEUs: three in their license area, three related to literacy, and "Two general CEUs that are germane to the K-12 educational environment." Teachers in grades 6 through 12 complete four CEUs in their license area and "Four general CEUs that are germane to the K-12 educational environment." The renewal rules do not name autism as a required topic. Each school unit decides which activities count: "Each PSU shall adopt policies and procedures for ensuring that the activities completed for renewal credit by licensed professional educators in its employment meet the criteria set forth in this Section and are appropriate for each individual educator."
Source: 16 NCAC 06C .0360; 16 NCAC 06C .0363.
Teacher preparation. Educator preparation programs must include instruction in "The identification and education of children with disabilities." This requirement governs the content of educator preparation programs.
Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-269.20.
Where outside training fits
None of these rules requires a school unit to buy an outside course, and none names a provider, except that adjunct preservice training under § 115C-298.5 "may be offered through an educator preparation program or by a local school administrative unit". For license renewal, a teacher may earn CEUs through "Professional development programs.", and the school unit decides whether an activity is appropriate for the educator. Ask your school unit which training it requires and provides, and how it evaluates outside courses. We do not claim that our course satisfies any of these rules or earns CEUs toward license renewal. Our course does not teach restraint, seclusion, crisis intervention or de-escalation.
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 North Carolina 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.