The future of adaptive snowsports instruction depends on education models that reflect today’s teaching environments, student needs, and professional development trends. With that in mind, PSIA-AASI is beginning a multi-year effort to evolve the Adaptive Certification pathway. Below, we outline the reasons behind the shift, the benefits for instructors and programs, and how existing certifications will remain strong and valued.
In spring 2025, the Education Leadership Council (ELC) directed the Adaptive Taskforce to begin transitioning adaptive alpine and snowboard certifications to an assessment-based certificate (ABC) model. An assessment-based certificate is a type of credential that is more focused than a certification, license, or degree. ABCs provide formal recognition of skills after a structured learning experience.
The PSIA-AASI Adaptive ABC pathway will open the specialist track to a broader spectrum of skills and experiences, providing both educational opportunities and a chance to assess candidate abilities against the standard. It will combine the strengths of an educational event with the rigor of an assessment—focusing on skill refinement (not initial skill acquisition) and the application of those skills.
This approach will allow our members, member schools, and guests to benefit from more robust and nuanced events that directly address their knowledge and skill base. Keep reading for details on how this evolution is intended to better meet the needs and operational realities of schools, instructors, programs, and guests.
Current timeline (as of Fall 2025):
- There will be no changes to regional assessments for the 2025-26 or 2026-27 seasons.
- Development of the ABC model will take place this season (2025-26), with field testing and pilot projects occurring the following season.
- Progress reports and timeline updates will be communicated as they are made available.
What to expect:
- Adaptive certification will follow a path like Children’s and Freestyle Specialist programs—highlighting instructional competency across disciplines.
- A Level I certification in a primary discipline (alpine or snowboard) will remain a prerequisite for entry into the adaptive pathway.
- Incorporating education will not mean coaching a candidate to the standard; it will be an opportunity to enhance knowledge. Candidates will need to arrive prepared to meet the PSIA-AASI National Standards as they have already been outlined.
- This effort will take the five learning outcomes across the disciplines and consolidate them into manageable modules.
Why this change and why now?
We believe that this change recognizes the unique environment that many adaptive programs and instructors operate in and seeks to better serve those members—and thereby their students—with a more accessible, welcoming, flexible, and inclusive model for professional development. It also acknowledges that education staff, individual members, and member schools have been calling for more consistent and adaptable credentialing options.
Adaptive credentialing already builds on the core, certification-based disciplines of skiing and snowboarding. Rather than follow a restrictive and comprehensive path that is more time-consuming, expensive, and may not be entirely relevant or necessary, the forthcoming modular credentials will build upon each other. They will also allow instructors to gain expertise in specific areas (e.g., equipment types and disability categories) that are based on their interests and the needs of a particular adaptive snowsports program.
This approach will enable flexibility, especially for volunteer instructors and programs with limited training budgets; open opportunities for hybrid/digital education and assessment delivery; and emphasize learning outcomes and practical teaching skills across adaptive scenarios. It will also mirror modern professional development models such as micro-credentialling and trade school pathways.
This move is a modernization of snowsports credentialing that recognizes the realities on the snow and is intended to better serve PSIA-AASI’s key constituents: its member instructors and member schools.
Finally, this change is in alignment with strategic goal three from the 2016 PSIA-AASI Leadership Summit to consolidate, standardize, and align education and credentialing across disciplines.
PSIA-AASI maintains exacting standards for ABCs and adaptive will be no different. ABCs verify a skillset and are therefore just as valuable as a certification. The primary difference is more flexibility in learning and assessment. We hope this leads to increased interest in pursuing adaptive credentials.
What about instructors who currently have an adaptive certification?
At this time, we are still finalizing the details around how adaptive classifications will align with the new ABC model. Rest assured that members who hold an adaptive certification will be fully respected and thoughtfully integrated. We deeply value the skills, experience, and professionalism that come with adaptive credentials, and we are committed to ensuring that their status is maintained—not diminished—in any way. This transition is an opportunity to further elevate and clarify the recognition of existing qualifications.
These changes reflect a thoughtful evolution of adaptive credentialing—one that strengthens what already works while opening new doors for instructors, programs, and students. We’re committed to transparency throughout this process and will continue to share progress as the ABC model develops. Thank you for being part of a community that pushes adaptive snowsports education forward.