Does South Carolina require autism training for school staff? What South Carolina law asks, and where outside training fits
The short answer
In the South Carolina education statutes and State Board of Education regulations we searched, we found no requirement for school staff to complete autism training. A State Board regulation does require every instructional paraprofessional to take part in preservice and inservice training programs for instructional paraprofessionals, without naming topics or hours. Certified educators renew their five-year professional certificate by earning at least 120 renewal credits, under the state's Certificate Renewal Plan.
What we found
On October 29, 2026, we read the chapters of Title 59 of the South Carolina Code of Laws on general provisions, the State Board of Education, school funding, teachers, teacher certification, special education and pupils (chapters 1, 5, 10, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 33, 36 and 63), along with all of the State Board of Education's regulations (Chapter 43 of the South Carolina Code of Regulations), on the South Carolina Legislature's site. We searched them for autism, positive behavior, challenging behavior, behavior intervention, de-escalation, restraint, seclusion and paraprofessionals. In the sources we searched, autism appears in pupil funding weights, a definition of medically necessary services, and special education eligibility and transportation rules; we found no autism-specific staff training requirement. We found no statute or State Board regulation on restraint or seclusion training in those chapters.
Related training rules for South Carolina school staff
Paraprofessional training (S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 43-209). The regulation lists the qualifications and duties of instructional paraprofessionals. Among them, instructional paraprofessionals must be at least 18, must have at least a high school diploma or state equivalency certificate, and:
"All instructional paraprofessionals must work under the direct supervision of a certified teacher."
The same list requires all instructional paraprofessionals to participate in preservice and inservice training programs for instructional paraprofessionals. The regulation does not set the topics, hours or provider for that training. It also says that "Each teacher of trainable, orthopedically, emotionally, or visually disabled pupils in a self-contained classroom model shall have a paraprofessional full time, provided that the class has a minimum membership of four pupils."
Certificate renewal (S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 43-55). "An educator's professional certificate is valid for five years and expires on June 30 of the expiration year." An educator employed in a position that requires certification "must maintain verification of having earned a minimum of 120 renewal credits during the certificate's five-year validity period." Renewal credits may be earned through professional activities that directly relate to the educator's professional growth and development plan, support the goals of the employing educational entity, and promote student achievement. The regulation names no autism or students-with-disabilities content.
Source: S.C. Code of Regulations, Chapter 43 (Regs. 43-55 and 43-209); S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 63; S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 33.
Where outside training fits
Regulation 43-209 does not say who provides paraprofessional preservice and inservice training or how outside courses are counted. Regulation 43-55 sends renewal credit questions to the Certificate Renewal Plan approved by the State Board. We do not claim that our course satisfies any South Carolina requirement, counts toward paraprofessional inservice training, or earns renewal credits. Before buying outside training for any of these purposes, ask your district or the South Carolina Department of Education how it evaluates outside courses.
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 South 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.