Autism Program Environment Rating Scale - Preschool/Elementary (APERS-PE) : User's Guide

The Autism Program Environment Rating Scale – Preschool/Elementary (APERS-PE) is an assessment used to evaluate the quality of educational programs for preschool/elementary students with autism.

The APERS-PE contains 62 assessment items organized in 10 domains (e.g., Learning Environments, Curriculum and Instruction, Family Involvement, etc.).

To complete the assessment, a trained APERS rater visits the school program.

The rater 1) reviews student records for 2-3 focal students with autism, 2) interviews school personnel and parents of the focal students, and 3) observes these students throughout their school day, taking notes throughout the process, before completing an electronic scoring tool.

The rater then shares the results with school personnel to use in improving program quality.