Academic and Behavioral Strategist (ABS)

With an ABS license, you are authorized to provide evaluation and specially designed instruction to eligible children and youth with disabilities from kindergarten through age 21 who have a range of mild to moderate needs in the areas of academics, behavior, social, emotional, communication, and functional performance. These students come from the primary disability areas of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), developmental cognitive disability (DCD), emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD), other health disorders (OHD), and specific learning disabilities (SLD). With your ABS license, you are not prepared to serve needs beyond those that are considered moderate in these disability areas.

With your ABS license, you may work in collaboration with, but not replace the expertise and services of those who serve children and youth with a disability in the areas of: blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, deaf­blind, speech and language impairment, physical impairments, traumatic brain injury, and severely multiply impaired. For these children and youth, a teacher with the academic and behavioral strategist (ABS) licensure would need to refer to an educational professional with expertise, certification, or specific special education licensure. This teacher is required to collaborate and consult with families, other classroom and special education teachers, and specialized service providers in designing and implementing individualized education program plans.