Autism Teacher

The Department of Neurology's New York Education Project (NYEP) is seeking an Autism Teacher that is energetic, flexible, and motivated and is needed to work full-time with an adult with autism. Teachers work on a multi-disciplinary team with specialists in autism, special education, speech-language pathology, fitness, art, and behavior analysis to address communication, academic, daily living, vocational, and leisure skills in home, educational, and community settings in and around New York City, Connecticut, and via Zoom. This position is primarily based in New York City, with some time in Connecticut, and possible travel to other domestic locations.

All team members are expected to contribute to program development by working together to create new educational, vocational, and social opportunities for this individual, and for a small group of others with related disabilities. The ideal candidate willingly accepts responsibility, takes initiative, can work autonomously, and sees tasks through to completion with creative approaches and a "can do" attitude. We are looking for a dynamic professional who wants to use their time and talent to evolve our effort in collaboration with the team to create and maintain new educational, vocational, and social activities for adults on the autism spectrum, particularly those at Level 3.

Individual must provide constant supervision to the client while maintaining the highest level of safety. The ideal candidate has some experience working with non-verbal Autistic adults in home programs, private school and community settings. Besides its primary purpose, the NYEP also offers select educational/social services to other adults with developmental disabilities. In addition, research aimed at improving the speech, language, cognitive control, and other functions of this population is also conducted at this location. The NYEP offices are located near Grand Central Station; the educational efforts are also conducted at two other sites on New York's Upper East Side and a flexible schedule is possible.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• Provide 1:1 assistance to an Autistic person which includes, but is not limited to, overseeing and supporting the client's daily routines, assisting with personal hygiene, preparing small meals and activities such as facilitating and, when appropriate, participating in the client's preferred leisure activities such as running, reading a book, watching a movie and occasional outings or social gatherings with the client's family and/or friends

• Maintain a log of all sessions.

• Record designated behavior data and implementation of designated behavior treatment plans/protocols.

• Assessment of individual learner needs, identification of corresponding measurable goals, and monitoring of learner progress, in order to meet designated goals.

• Creation and maintenance of educational materials for use in in-person and virtual (online) settings.

• Creation and implementation of individualized and differentiated lesson plans for learner in particular, but also for 1:1, 1:2, or small group instruction for use in in-person and virtual (online) settings.

• Management of behind-the-scenes details required for teaching designated skills, both in person and online.

• Monitoring of learner's health status at all times (e.g., notation of irregular food and drink consumption, informal tracking of energy/fatigue level, awareness of medical history and typical responses to various experiences, etc.).

• Transporting learner in Hopkins' vehicle as needed.

• Fulfill all pre- and post-session responsibilities (which includes setting up activities, cleaning up activities and the workspace, documenting all required reporting topics, observations, and data, among other tasks).

• Provide assistance in outdoors recreation activities as dictated by the client's schedule, including out-of-state travel, if required

Job Features

• Small, close-knit, and caring team with true team spirit - we share in each other's victories and knock down hurdles to success.

• Active and fun-filled days include frequent museum visits; dining out; attending major league sporting events; attending major concert events, Broadway performances, and festivals; regular time spent in Central Park and more!

• Opportunities to share your passions with our participants - lead an acting club, provide music lessons, lead sports meetups, grow a gardening group, spearhead mindfulness trips, organize volunteer projects - our participants thrive on new experiences and time spent together!

• Opportunities to collaborate on and/or initiate research projects relevant to our program's goals.

• All in-session meals provided.

• All in-session transportation costs covered; select commuting costs covered.

• Salary competitive for the New York market.

• Eligibility for comprehensive Johns Hopkins University employee benefits.

Physical Requirements

• Adherence to strict COVID-19 prevention protocols when required.

• Ability to travel within New York City, using public transportation, to various work and educational settings throughout the day.

• Sufficient physical fitness to keep up with the many physical aspects of the position, including the ability to lift and carry weights up to 10 lbs for moderate walking distances, climb stairs frequently and while carrying items, and/or using public transportation or taxicabs.

• Ability to stand, for observations, up to 45 minutes.

• Ability to perform observations in the community, while walking at least 2-3 miles with the subject(s) and other instructor(s), staff, or contractors in an urban or rural setting.

• Ability to ride a bicycle.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, Special Education, Speech Pathology, Social Work or related discipline required.

• Three years' experience working with non-verbal or minimally verbal autistic individuals with some experience with non-verbal adult learners with autism required.

• Knowledge of a variety of instructional strategies required.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom, as well as ability to learn additional skills related to computing and audio-visual equipment handling required.

• Valid driver's license required.

• Availability to work on a flexible schedule when needed (early mornings/evenings/ weekends/designated overnights), not to exceed standard waking workweek hours in a given week.

• Additional education may be substituted for required experience, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Psychology, Special Education, or related discipline.

• Specific training and experience in Special Education Instruction.

• Certification in CPR and First Aid (if not, it will be provided)

• Experience working with adults with autism in particular.

• Strong knowledge and comfort with the New York City environment.

• Moderate experience with running (4-5 miles at 10' pace)

• Interest and ability to participate in overnight camping, hiking and other outdoor activities and sports.

• Familiarity or comfort with learning to run net station, assist in the participant room with EEG net application, check for EEG impedance, use physiologic monitoring devices, monitor equipment in the lab for weekly studies, and run and monitor video camera surveillance.

Classified Title: Instructional Therapist

Job Posting Title (Working Title): Autism Teacher

Role/Level/Range: ACRP/03/MC

Starting Salary Range: Min $47,500 - Max $83,300 Annually ($65,400 targeted; Commensurate with experience)

Employee group: Full Time

Schedule: M-F 8:30 am - 5:00 pm

Exempt Status: Exempt

Location: New York

Department name: 10003516-SOM Neuro Cognitive Neurology

Personnel area: School of Medicine

Equal Opportunity Employer

Johns Hopkins University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. The university promotes affirmative action for minorities, women, disabled persons, and veterans.