Tuesday, February 17, 2015 – Jacksonville, Florida – With the ever increasing numbers of individuals being diagnosed with Autism (1:68 Children, CDC 2014), there’s little doubt that more Certified Autism Specialists are needed than ever.  Recently, the leading autism certification organization in the country, the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), announced that their Certified Autism Specialist Program has been approved for accreditation from the US Department of Veterans Affairs.  This approval means the US Veterans Administration will now pay 100% for the certification of any Veteran, Veteran Spouse or dependent who chooses to enroll in the IBCCES Autism certification program using their GI Bill benefits.  Clearly, this delivers great value to Veterans transitioning to the civilian workforce by providing the funding to learn a set of skills and become certified in an area where there are currently more than 10,000 open positions.

“The civilian job market is more competitive today than ever,” commented Lida Citroën, a personal branding specialist and Principal of LIDA360, who works extensively with transitioning veterans.  “Having certifications that show deep knowledge and expertise can set one job candidate apart from others. Former military members who seek to work in fields such as healthcare, civilian police, firefighting and even in education benefit from credentials that highlight their specialized training in working with people with autism such as offered by IBCCES.”

According to IBCCES, the certification is very popular among educational professionals like Special Education Teachers, Special Education Directors, School Psychologists, Behavior Specialists, School Counselors, Classroom Teachers, Principals, and School Nurses along with licensed professionals in a wide range of areas including Law Enforcement, Firefighters, First Responders, Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, BCBA and ABA Professionals, Physical Therapists, Clinical Social Workers, RN Nurses, and Recreational Therapists.  All of these vocations work directly with individuals with Autism and the Autism Specialist Certification allows Veterans and Veteran Spouses a valuable way to set themselves apart in an often very competitive job market.

Experience has shown certifications such as this to be a game changing element to a successful transition to the civilian workforce. Military leaders responsible for transitioning Veterans back into the workforce strongly promote the value to Veterans and Veteran Spouses of pursuing this kind of certification, which shows they have gone above and beyond licensing standards in their chosen vocation to make their resumes as appealing as possible to potential employers.

Christopher T. Ford, Founder and CEO of the National Association of Veteran-Serving Organizations (NAVSO), recently remarked, “Certifications like this are a perfect tool for Veterans to use to eliminate any barriers related to transition and reintegration. They demonstrate that the Veteran has gone above and beyond to get specialized training that will directly apply to the civilian workforce and offers an opportunity for Veterans and dependents to continue serving our Nation in a new and powerful way.”

IBCCES is recognized as the leader in Autism Certification and is credited with established the standards used across the industry for a Certified Autism Specialist. No other Autism certification is considered to carry as much universal recognition or weight as the IBCCES certificate.

For more information, be sure to visit http://www.certifiedautismspecialist.com.

About IBCCES:

IBCCES establishes industry standards and governs credentialing programs used by professionals in the fields of healthcare and education.

In 2001, IBCCES first established the industry standards for a Certified Autism Specialist. Our industry leading standards are now used by organizations all over the world to ensure the highest quality of care and training for professionals in the field of Autism.

Our board of professionals, including BCBAs, researchers from leading universities, state level Special Education Directors, as well as clinicians in the fields of mental health, Speech and Language Pathology, School Psychology, Occupational Therapy, and parents, review and updates these standards each year to ensure they reflect the latest research and comply with current laws and regulations for professionals in the field of Autism.  Our online auditing system tracks approved continuing education providers as well as variety of compliance requirements, associated disciplinary actions and more.

Contact us via email at info@ibcces.org or call our toll-free number for details: 877-717-6543.

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