Teachers' Professional License – Subject Test: Special Education (Autism): free practice test

Practice question Unit: General Principles of Special Education

1. A4, then 2, then 3, then 1

   Special schools came after institutional care, not before, and full inclusion is the latest stage, not one that precedes special classes.

2. B1, then 2, then 4, then 3

   Special classes in regular schools appeared after special schools, so they do not precede institutional care.

3. C2, then 4, then 1, then 3 ✓ Correct answer

   This is the sequence: institutional care first, then special schools and institutes, then special classes inside regular schools, then full inclusion.

4. D2, then 1, then 4, then 3

   Special schools and institutes preceded special classes in regular schools in the historical sequence.

Reference: ETEC Autism Teacher Standards (2020), Standard 6.17.1.1 (philosophy, concepts, policies and foundations of special education), indicator 2, p. 8

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Practice question Unit: General Principles of Special Education

1. APerinatal, then prenatal, then postnatal

   This order swaps the first two: alcohol exposure precedes birth, and the cord wrapping occurred during birth.

2. BPrenatal, then perinatal, then postnatal ✓ Correct answer

   Alcohol acts on the fetus in the womb, the oxygen deprivation happened at birth, and meningitis struck after birth.

3. CPrenatal, then postnatal, then perinatal

   This order swaps the last two: the cord wrapping occurred during birth, and meningitis at 18 months came after.

4. DPostnatal, then perinatal, then prenatal

   This order is fully reversed; meningitis at 18 months comes after birth, not before.

Reference: ETEC Autism Teacher Standards (2020), Standard 6.17.1.2 (general causes of disability, developmental characteristics and individual differences), indicator 1, p. 8

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Practice question Unit: Planning Instruction in Special Education

1. AThe first practises inclusive education and the second placement-only integration because the student in the first needs no extra support from the school

   The student in the first school adapts alone without support, which is not inclusion.

2. BBoth practise inclusive education because the student is in the general class in both cases

   Presence in the class alone is not enough; teaching and environment must adapt.

3. CThe first practises placement-only integration where the student adapts to the class; the second inclusive education where the class adapts ✓ Correct answer

   The key difference is that inclusion changes the school and class, while placement-only integration asks the student to change.

4. DBoth practise placement-only integration because inclusive education is only possible in dedicated schools

   Inclusive education is achieved in general schools when their practices adapt.

Reference: ETEC Autism Teacher Standards (2020), Standard 6.17.1.6 (the concept of inclusive education and its applications), indicator 1, p. 9

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Practice question Unit: Motivating and Supporting Learning in Special Education

1. AThe family is a member of the first team only, and the second team involves it in no decision about the student

   Family involvement does not decide the team type; either can include the family.

2. BThe first is for early intervention only, and the second is for secondary and transition stages only

   Both styles are used across several age stages and are not tied to one stage.

3. CSpecialists in the first work separately; in the second they meet to build a joint plan ✓ Correct answer

   Correct: coordination, sharing results, and a unified plan distinguish the interdisciplinary team from the separate work in a multidisciplinary one.

4. DThe first is limited to teachers, while the second includes only medical specialists with no teachers

   Membership is not the distinguishing criterion; the difference is in how members work and communicate.

Reference: ETEC Autism Teacher Standards (2020), Standard 6.17.1.8 (roles of consultation, teamwork and the team in special education), indicator 2, p. 10

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Practice question Unit: General Principles of Autism

1. AHis IQ is below 50 and repeated stereotyped movements appear in class

   No specific IQ is required for diagnosis, and stereotyped movements also occur in many people with intellectual disability alone.

2. BHis spoken language is very limited regardless of his general developmental level

   Limited language may stem from the intellectual disability itself, so it alone does not establish autism.

3. CHis social communication deficit is below what is expected for his general developmental level ✓ Correct answer

   Autism co-occurring with intellectual disability is diagnosed when social communication is below what is expected for the general developmental level, as observed in this student.

4. DSymptoms began before age three and persisted even after intensive training

   The timing of onset and response to training do not separate autism from intellectual disability.

Reference: ETEC Autism Teacher Standards (2020), Standard 6.17.2.11 (basic concepts in the field of autism spectrum disorder), indicator 1, p. 10; DSM-5 (APA, 2013)

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Practice question Unit: General Principles of Autism

1. AGrowing awareness of difference as social demands rise, raising anxiety risk ✓ Correct answer

   In adolescence many students become aware of how they differ from peers, anxiety and depression become more common, and they need social-emotional support.

2. BA decline in his intelligence caused by pressure from the curriculum

   Nothing indicates lower intelligence; he is academically strong and the issue is social-emotional.

3. CDisappearance of autism symptoms and the emergence of a new conduct disorder

   Autism symptoms do not vanish in adolescence; what appeared is anxiety arising from existing social difficulties.

4. DA result of parenting that lacked emotional warmth during childhood

   There is no scientific evidence that autism results from parenting style; the idea is wrong and harmful to families.

Reference: ETEC Autism Teacher Standards (2020), Standard 6.17.2.12 (familiarity with the characteristics and needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorder), indicator 1, p. 11; DSM-5 (APA, 2013)

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Practice question Unit: Planning Instruction for Students with Autism

1. AHe stops oral reading and limits the student to very short texts until comprehension improves

   Stopping a mastered skill wastes a strength and does not itself teach comprehension.

2. BHe builds on his fluent reading and adds graded comprehension questions with pictures and graphic organizers ✓ Correct answer

   This uses the strength (fluency) and targets the weakness (comprehension) with visual support and graded question difficulty.

3. CHe increases the number of texts read each day because comprehension improves automatically with more reading practice

   More reading alone does not build comprehension for this student; direct teaching of inference is needed.

4. DHe counts the literal answers as correct because they match the text and relies on them for assessment

   Literal answers reveal weak inference, and accepting them hides the student's learning need.

Reference: ETEC Autism Teacher Standards (2020), Standard 6.17.2.14 (knowledge of the foundations of planning for teaching students with autism spectrum disorder), indicator 1, p. 11; DSM-5 (APA, 2013)

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Practice question Unit: Planning Instruction for Students with Autism

1. ATelling him at the time of the lesson itself so that he does not worry early about the change

   Delaying the news leaves him unprepared and increases the chance of a meltdown at a sudden change.

2. BHiding the visual schedule that day and keeping the change a surprise

   Hiding the schedule removes the tool that gives him predictability, so anxiety rises.

3. CExplaining the change verbally once, when he enters the classroom in the morning

   A single verbal explanation may be misunderstood or forgotten, and relying on hearing alone weakens visual support.

4. DTelling him in advance in the visual schedule with a “change” symbol ✓ Correct answer

   Placing a change symbol in the schedule beforehand teaches him that activities can change and prepares him for the alternative in a visual way he understands.

Reference: ETEC Autism Teacher Standards (2020), Standard 6.17.2.15 (preparing the classroom learning environment for students with autism), indicator 2, p. 11

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Practice question Unit: Motivating and Supporting Learners with Autism

1. AHolding the drill without telling him in advance so that he gets used to the real situation and leaving the student to cope on his own

   Surprise increases his fear and may deepen the link between the bell and distress, without teaching the right behavior.

2. BA short illustrated social story describing the drill, why the bell rings and what is expected of him, read before the drill ✓ Correct answer

   A social story (Carol Gray) describes the situation from the student's perspective, explains why it happens and what is expected, reducing surprise and anxiety.

3. CExempting him from evacuation drills for the whole school year even if he is at school on the drill day

   Permanent exemption denies him an essential safety skill and does not address the cause.

4. DExplaining the safety rules orally to all students on the morning of the drill with no written or pictorial material for him

   A spoken group explanation ignores his need for individual, visual information given well before the event.

Reference: ETEC Autism Teacher Standards (2020), Standard 6.17.2.16 (familiarity with the foundations of teaching practices in the field of autism spectrum disorder), indicator 1, p. 12

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Practice question Unit: Motivating and Supporting Learners with Autism

1. APECS begins with exchanging the picture of a preferred item with a communication partner ✓ Correct answer

   Correct: the first PECS phase is exchanging a picture of a preferred item to receive it.

2. BTEACCH teaches only through repeated trials at the table

   Incorrect: TEACCH organizes the environment, schedule, and work system and is not limited to repeated trials.

3. CPRT rests on materials and reinforcers set by the teacher alone

   Incorrect: this program uses child choice and natural reinforcement in the situation.

4. DA social story teaches through reinforcement after every trial

   Incorrect: a social story explains a situation with text; it has no repeated trials and reinforcement.

Reference: ETEC Autism Teacher Standards (2020), Standard 6.17.2.18 (familiarity with international programs and evidence-based practices used in the field of autism spectrum disorder), indicator 1, p. 12; NCAEP (2020)

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