Special Education (SPE)

An introductory course to the field of exceptional children and youth. Introduces the major areas of exceptionalities and the characteristics of each, including neurodiversity; significant laws in the field of special education and their implications for schools and students; basic requirements for teachers, including those related to IEPs, student behavior, and planning instruction for students with exceptionalities

Foundations of Collaborative Education as well as various areas of exceptionality including cognitive impairments, behaviorally disordered, multiple disabled, learning disabled, gifted and talented, hearing impaired, visually impaired, autism spectrum disorder, speech and language disordered, and early education for students with disabilities.

Introduction to assessment, techniques appropriate in evaluating teaching/learning of exceptional students, legal considerations and development of Individualized Educational Programs. Requires Teacher Education Program eligibility.

Administrative processes for special education including Mastering the Maze, planning for classroom, Individualized Education Planning, Lesson Planning, SETS training, Introduction of Behavior Intervention Plans and Transition Plans.

This course will cover federal laws, rules, and regulations governing and/or impacting on programs for exceptional students, litigation cases that have impact on individual with exceptionalities, interdisciplinary collaboration with health care professionals and other agencies, the role other disciplines and agencies play in meeting the needs of children with exceptionalities, the needs and management techniques for students who have communicable diseases and medical diagnosis or who are considered medically fragile and the adverse effect of these conditions on learning and family functioning, medications, administration of medications, and school healthcare procedures, and professionalism and ethics in teaching individuals with exceptionalities. May be taken prior to achieving Teacher Education Program eligibility.

This course is designed to examine the many accessibility features within a computer as well as hand held devices. This course will also cover how to utilize accessibility features and applications to meet individual student needs within the school setting. Requires Teacher Education Program eligibility.

This course will center on the necessity of culturally responsive teaching beginning with the preparation of the prospective teacher. Students will determine the importance of including students' cultural references in all aspects of teaching while continually examining their own. There will be an emphasis on cultural and linguistic diversity and exceptionally. May be taken prior to Teacher Education Program eligibility.

Clinical Observation. In school observation of special education classrooms and inclusive general education classrooms for students with mild and severe disabilities. Requires Teacher Education Program eligibility.

Strategies for meeting educational needs of students with mild disabilities in elementary inclusive general education classrooms or special education classrooms. Includes collaboration, co-teaching, and response to intervention procedures. Requires Teacher Education Program eligibility.

This course focuses on strategies for math instruction for students with disabilities in K-12 general education and special education classrooms. Requires Teacher Education Program eligibility.

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of collaborative and co-teaching models and prepare them to implement these models in the inclusive setting. The course also covers student engagement, overview of course content standards and how to plan neurodiversity within the inclusive secondary classroom. Requires Teacher Education Program eligibility.

Corequisite: SPE 427. Prerequisite or Directed experiences in observation and participation in special education classrooms and general education classrooms (K-6) with students with mild disabilities. This course does not require Teacher Education Program eligibility.

Directed experiences in observation and participation in special education classrooms and inclusive general education classrooms (6-12) with students with mild disabilities. Requires Teacher Education Program eligibility.

Strategies for meeting the educational needs of students with mild disabilities in elementary and secondary inclusive general education classrooms or special education classrooms. Includes collaboration, co-teaching, and response to intervention procedures.

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of collaborative and co-teaching models and prepare them to implement these models in the inclusive setting. The course also covers student engagement, overview of course content standards and how to plan for neurodiversity within the inclusive secondary classroom.

Introduces major sign systems used by the deaf. Students acquire basic sign vocabulary of 750 words and idiomatic expressions.

Continues acquisition of sign vocabulary and focuses on development of ASL and Pidgin skills.

This course will include accommodations and modifications to the instructional program to assist students with severe disabilities to succeed. Topics covered will include assistive technology, self-contained and resource room models, extended standards, task analysis, physical management, lifting, wheel chair maintenance, ambulation, positioning, and communication skill development, including AAC. Requires Teacher Education Program eligibility.

This is a weekly seminar that focuses on Autism Spectrum Disorder. It consists of a series of seminars on major topics related to ASD such as: historical timeline, diagnosis and assessment, advocacy, current research and statistics, behavioral interventions, classroom supports and services, transition and it covers the lifespan. Requires Teacher Education Program eligibility.

Corequisities: RDG 305, SPE 423, and SPE 442. Instruction of classroom strategies for teaching communication skills to students with low-incidence disabilities. Included will be how to assess existing communication abilities of students with severe disabilities, and instruction on how to integrate use of aided and unaided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to include finger spelling, sign language, gestures, body language (total communication), augmentative and alternative communication systems and voice output communication aids (VOCAS), both low-tech and high-tech. Requires Teacher Education Program eligibility.

Corequisite: SPE 340. Prerequisite or Examines inclusive teaching, planning for neurodiversity in the classroom, behavior management, applied behavioral analysis, functional assessment, positive behavioral support and behavior intervention.

Practicum in Low Incidence/Severe Disabilities. Directed experiences in observation and participation in special education classrooms for students with severe disabilities. Seminars will be held in conjunction with this course.

Practicum in Low Incidence/Severe Disabilities. Directed experiences in observation and participation in special education classroooms for students with severe disabilities in secondary school settings. Seminars will be held in conjunction with this course. Requires Teacher Education Program eligibility.

Directed experiences with K-12 students in self-contained special education classrooms designed for severe disabilities. Requires Teacher Education Program eligibility.