EDUC 2900 Introduction to Special Education
Description
Introduction to Special Education will teach students to recognize, understand, and guide children with special needs. Specific disabilities introduced in this course include Developmental Delay, Developmental Cognitive Delay, Autism, Physical and Sensory Disabilities, Learning and Behavior Disabilities. Introduction to special education services including: Federal mandates (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), and State Due Process mandates, early intervention, parent involvement, DSM-V diagnostic criteria, assessment methods and instructional methods such as Response to Intervention (RTI). One credit field experience (15 hours) is included.
Credits
3
Prerequisite
STSK 0090, STSK 0095 or STSK 1100 or placement by multiple measures
Topics to be Covered
1. Overview of the history of Special Education in the United States, including rationale for supporting special education.
2. Normal and exceptional development
3. Categorical qualifying disabilities: Developmental Disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Sensory Impairments, Physical Disabilities, Other Health Impairments, Specific Learning Disabilities, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
4. Managing challenging behaviors.
5. Federal Mandates – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Minnesota Due Process, Individualized Education Plan.
6. Assessment process.
7. Communicating with families and transition planning.
Learning Outcomes
1. Cite the history of special education in the United States.
2. Recognize the Federal Mandates a outlined in the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
3. Describe the characteristics of those disabilities that qualify for Special Education services under IDEA.
4. Determine appropriate educational activities for individuals with special needs.
5. Develop the ability to observe children and determine the child’s specific needs based on his or her disability.
6. Describe the Federal Mandates outlined in IDEA and the special education due process in order to determine eligibility.
7. Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate with educators, children and families.
8. Present the ability to effectively communicate with educators, children and families.
9. Identify appropriate activities in relation to the child’s specific disability.
10. Recognize and describe human diversity through exposure to specific disabling conditions of children, and the impact of such conditions on the child, family, and community.
11. Recognize and describe diversity in the ethnicity and culture of children with disabilities.
Credit Details
Lecture: 3
Lab: 0
OJT: 0
Transfer Pathway Competencies
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION TRANSFER PATHWAY OBJECTIVES
1. A teacher must understand how students learn and develop and must provide learning opportunities that support a student’s intellectual, social, and personal development. The teacher must: use a student’s strengths as a basis for growth, and a student’s errors as opportunities for learning (SEP 2.D)
2. A teacher must understand how students differ in their approaches to learning and create instructional opportunities that are adapted to students with diverse backgrounds and exceptionalities. The teacher must: know about areas of exceptionality in learning, including learning disabilities, perceptual difficulties, and special physical or mental challenges, gifts, and talents (SEP 3.B) understand that all students can and should learn at the highest possible levels and persist in helping all students achieve success (SEP 3.I) identify when and how to access appropriate services or resources to meet exceptional learning needs (SEP 3.N)
3. A teacher must be able to communicate and interact with parents or guardians, families, school colleagues, and the community to support student learning and well-being. The teacher must: understand student rights and teacher responsibilities to equal education, appropriate education for students with disabilities, confidentiality, privacy, appropriate treatment of students, and reporting in situations of known or suspected abuse or neglect (SEP 10.C) understand the concept of addressing the needs of the whole learner (SEP 10.D)
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION TRANSFER PATHWAY OBJECTIVES
Subp. 3. Standard 2, student learning: A teacher must understand how students learn and develop and most provide learning opportunities that support a student’s intellectual, social, and personal development. The teacher must
B. Understand that a student’s physical, social, emotional, moral, and cognitive development influence learning and know how to address these factors when making instructional decisions.
Subp. 4. Standard 3, diverse learners: A teacher must understand how students differ in their approaches to learning and create instructional opportunities that are adapted to students with diverse backgrounds and exceptionalities. The teacher must:
A. Understand and identify differences n approaches to learning and performance, including varied learning styles and performance modes and multiple intelligences; and know how to design instructions that uses a student’s strengths as the basis for continued learning;
B. Know about areas of exceptionality in learning, including learning disabilities, perceptual difficulties, and special physical or mental challenges, gifts and talents;
C. Understand how to recognize and deal with dehumanizing biases, discrimination, prejudices, and institutional and personal racism and sexism;
I. Understand that all students can and should learn at the highest possible levels and persist in helping all students achieve success;
K. Identify and design instruction appropriate to a student’s stages of development, learning styles, strengths\ and needs.
L. Use teaching approaches that are sensitive to the varied experiences of students and that address different learning and performance modes;
M. Accommodate a student’s learning differences or needs regarding time and circumstances for work, tasks assigned, communication, and response modes;
N. Identify when and how to access appropriate services or resources to meet exceptional learning needs;
Q. Develop a learning community in which individual differences are respected;
Subp. 5. Standard 4, Instructional Strategies: A teacher must understand and use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage student development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and performance skills. The Teacher must:
E. Demonstrate flexibility and reciprocity in the teaching process as necessary for adapting instruction to student responses, ideas, and needs.
Subp. 7. Standard 6, Communication. A teacher must be able to use knowledge of effective verbal nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom. The teacher must:
D. Know effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques;
F. Use effective listening techniques;
I . Support and expand learner expression in speaking, writing, and other media;
K. Use a variety of media and educational technology to enrich learning opportunities.
Subp. 9. Standard I, assessment. A teacher must understand and be able to use formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the student. The student must
C. Understand the purpose of and differences between assessment and evaluation.
F. Use assessment to identify student strengths and promote student growth and to maximize student access to learning opportunities.
G. Use varied and appropriate formal and informal assessment techniques including observation, portfolios of student work, teacher-made tests, performance tasks, projects, student self-assessments, peer assessment, and standardized tests;
H. Use assessment data and other information about student experiences, learning behaviors, needs, and progress to increase knowledge of students, evaluate student progress and performance, and modify teaching and learning strategies,
I. Implement students’ self-assessment activities to help them identify their own strengths and needs and to encourage them to set personal goals for learning;
K. Monitor teaching strategies and behaviors in relation to student success to modify plans and instructional approaches to achieve student goals;
L. Establish and maintain student records of work and performance.
M. Responsibly communicate student progress based on appropriate indicators to students, parents or guardians, and other colleagues.