Practicum/Internship Placement Opportunities

The Els for Autism Foundation® can serve as a practicum site for students interested in obtaining their BCBA or BCaBA. In order to participate in the practicum program, you must enroll in a course through your university. Each university has slightly different requirements for the host practicum site, which can be discussed during the interview process. Below is a general outline of the experience offered via the TEAM Behavior Analysis practicum program.

• Completion of a supervision contract
• Weekly meetings with the supervising BCBA (minimum 5% of your time worked)
• Must work a minimum of 10 hours per week and a maximum of 35
• Attendance and participation at both staff meetings and client team meetings
• Required readings related to ABA and autism spectrum disorder
• You will be provided with experiences in using ABA principles in a variety of programs including 1:1 ABA therapy sessions, vocational training programs, and recreational activities

The Foundation can serve as a practicum site for students needing advanced practicum experience for their graduate school speech and language pathology program. In order to participate in the practicum program, you must enroll in a course through your university if  the Foundation has a signed agreement with your university department. Each university has slightly different requirements for the host practicum site, which can be discussed during the interview process. Below is a general outline of the experience offered via the TEAM Speech -Language practicum program.

• Observations of speech and language therapy sessions with clients across ages and across programs/settings
• Direct service treatment and assessment hours with pediatric or adult client populations in 1:1 therapy sessions, vocational training programs and recreational activities
• Clinical writing experiences
• Hearing screening opportunities as needed and as available
• Participation in research projects related to speech and language pathology as available per semester
• Weekly meetings with the supervising Speech-Language Pathologist
• Attendance and participation at both staff meetings and client team meetings
• Required readings related to speech language pathology and autism spectrum disorder

The Foundation can serve as a practicum site for students interested in obtaining their Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or Master of Social Work (MSW).  To participate in the practicum program, you must enroll in a course through your university. Each university has slightly different requirements for the host practicum site, which can be discussed during the interview process. Below is a general outline of the experience offered via the TEAM Social Work practicum program.

• Completion of a supervision contract
• Weekly meetings with the supervising MSW Field Instructor (minimum 5% of your time worked)
• Must work 27-hours per week.
• Attendance and participation at Staff meetings, Work Experience (WE) intakes, Family meetings, Roundtable Discussion Groups, Social Group.
• Required readings related to Social Work (SW), ABA and autism spectrum disorder

You will be provided with experiences in using SW principles in a variety of programs including: adult services programs, vocational training programs, recreational activities, and community resources.

The Foundation delivers and disseminates fitness and therapeutic arts programs developed for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The Foundation can serve as an internship site for college students looking for experiences working with individuals with ASD, during sports and recreation-based activities (e.g., golf, tennis, soccer, yoga, dance, theater, music). Internships opportunities are available during year-round afterschool programs, spring break camps, and summer camps.

The Foundation delivers and disseminates various educational, therapeutic, recreational, and life-enhancing programs for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  The Foundation can serve as an internship site for professionals looking for experiences working with individuals with ASD.  These internships can be available during year-round afterschool programs, spring break camps, and summer camps. The internship experience will provide access to training models and observations of best practices when providing intervention to individuals with ASD.  The experience does not necessarily provide clinical supervision. All interns will be assigned a supervisor.

The Foundation can serve as an internship for students in high school or college interested in nonprofit marketing and development.  Areas of focus may include:

Events: Assist in supporting the Foundation’s fundraising events including the Golf Challenge.  Tasks will vary but may include:

• Solicit local, regional and national businesses for auctions and raffle donations
• Assist in packing/shipping and/or receiving return shipments from events
• Maintaining/organizing the event storage room (located in lower school)
• Preparing and printing event signage, labels and other marketing materials used at events
• Support developing content for event presentations
• Donor Perfect support

Website: Basic understanding of WordPress is required and can be learned during the internship. Tasks will vary but may include:

• Assist with setting-up SEO on the elsforautism.org website and assist with website redirects
• Support website content updates

Testimonials: For use in future brochures, grant reports and on the elsforautism.org website, develop a set (number to be determined). Tasks will vary but may include:

• Interviewing testimonial candidates
• Writing the story, approximately 6-8 paragraphs, and get final approvals from the Marketing Manager

Press Clip Organization: Maintain the press clip file on the shared drive by scanning and organizing the existing clips and updating the binder of existing physical clips.

Social Media: Understand the Foundation’s social media goals and provide new and creative ideas to achieve and enhance the goals.

Campaign Support:  A campaign example is “Giving Tuesday”, the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. Tasks will vary but may include:

• Brainstorm campaign ideas
• Develop social media breakthrough ideas that are a financial success based on achievable, established goals

Photography: Take photos of campus activities for specific events and download and organize the photos to the Foundation’s shared drive.