Special Education Courses
Courses
Special Education: Historical and Legal Basis. This course emphasizes the historical and legal issues pertaining to special education with specific attention paid to the evolution of federal law, policy, and litigation and its influence on promoting social justice and educational equity for students with disabilities and their families. The course centers on the landmark Supreme Court cases across Section 504, ADA, and IDEA , alongside the civil and disability rights movements in U.S. history, that have shaped legal and institutional schemes of special education services.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
This courses focuses on contemporary national, state, and regional trends related to educating students with disabilities who are culturally and linguistically diverse with emphasis on students who are English learners. Students will conduct a case-study in their community that explores the relationship between school and community.
Applications in Bilingual Special Education. This skills-based course will focus on providing instruction to bilingual and diverse students with disabilities. This course will address the foundations of bilingual and multicultural education, the development of culturally responsive individualized education programs, and teaching methods that promote equity and inclusion through school-family-community partnerships.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Early Childhood Bilingual Special Education. This course focuses on evidence-based practices for young bilingual children with disabilities and their families. Developmental domains such as language, motor, social, cognitive development, and emergent literacy with an emphasis on implementation of instructional strategies, managing and understanding child behavior, within the context of bilingual family involvement will be addressed.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Prerequisite(s): (SPED 5320 w/B or better)
This course focuses on alternative classroom assessments for students with low incidence disabilities. Six alternative assessment methods: naturalistic, focused, performance, portfolio, dynamic, and curriculum-based language will be discussed. Additionally, clear guidelines for linking assessment results with intervention and providing effective collaboration with others will be covered.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Focuses on the foundations of high quality social-emotional learning assessments (e.g., screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring) and evidence-based interventions within multi-tiered systems of support (e.g., Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3) for students with disabilities who have high intensity mental health needs. Keywords: special education, school counseling, well-being, behavior.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Focuses on field-based applications of high quality social-emotional learning assessments (e.g., screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring) and evidence-based interventions within multi-tiered systems of support (e.g., Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3) for students with disabilities who have high intensity mental health needs. In addition to a weekly seminar, scholars will receive supervision and mentorship to successfully complete their field-experience in PK-12 public school settings. Keywords: special education, school counseling, well-being, behavior.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
0 Lecture Hours
3 Other Hours
This course will provide a comprehensive overview of the developmental and functional aspects of motor development in low incidence disabilities. This course will also provide professionals with the essential knowledge for understanding intervention strategies, specialized motor equipment, motor therapy, and adapted physical education programs.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Assessment: Disability and Cultural/Linguistic Factors. This course will focus on issues related to the assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse students who have disabilities or are referred for special education. Topics related to disproportionality, multi-tiered systems of support, and the selection and implementation of valid, reliable, non-biased, and culturally responsive assessments will be discussed.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Learning Theories Across the Lifespan (3-0) Analysis and application of learning theories, including cognitive, behavioristic, social and emotional learning processes in human development, with special emphasis on children and adolescents. Restricted to majors: DIAG, EDAD, GUID, SPED. Prerequisite: SPED 5320 with a grade of "B" or better.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Prerequisite(s): (SPED 5320 w/B or better)
Interventions for Students with High-Incidence Disabilities. This course focuses on the role of the special educator in providing services to students with high incidence disabilities (e.g., learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). Incorporates strategies in evidence-based practices, collaborative planning and teaching, and implementation of curricular adaptations.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Collaboration in Bilingual Special Education. This course overviews current research and practice on collaborating with diverse stakeholders (e.g., families, interpreters, related service providers, general educators, administrators, government agencies, community organizations) to support bilingual students with disabilities in early intervention, grade school, and transition settings. Topics related to family engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, co-teaching, school/community asset mapping, and teacher/leadership models will be discussed.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Special Topics in Special Education (3-0). Selected topics for graduate students and teachers in special areas. May be repeated when topic varies. Restricted to majors of SPED and DIAG.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Prerequisite(s): (PREQ ERROR)
Current topics in Early Intervention (B-8) for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Young Children and Families An in-depth exploration of current topics related to culturally and culturally and linguistically diverse young children birth through 8 who have or are at-risk for developmental delays or disabilities will be covered in this course. Specifically we will cover nationally recognized issues pertaining to leadership, teaming and collaboration, assessment, transition, culturally responsive practices, and instruction and how these issues are reflected in local settings that serve young children and their families.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
15 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
15 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Behavior Intervention for Young Children (B-8) Promoting social emotional development in young children birth to age eight, and address challenging behaviors. The first teacher competency domain includes nurturing relationships and responsive caregiving as the foundation for children’s development. The second domain is creating high quality environments as the context of the development of those relationships. The third domain involves targeted strategies and supports for promoting social emotional development and growth. The fourth teacher competency domain includes individualized inverventions that provide treatment to children with persistent challenges.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
15 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
15 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Early Invterv. Strategies for Spec Pop (B-8) This course focuses on the intervention techniques and strategies for children from birth to eight years of age who have disabilites of who are at risk of having developmental delays. Evidence-based strategies, ecological and family approaches, cultural and linguistic practices are introduced , as well as disability definitions, assessment practices, and practical methods for providing interventions to support the development and learning of infants, todlers, preschoolers, and primary age students in speacial education and inclusive settings.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
15 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
15 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Atypical Childhood Development (B-8) Specific curricular strategies in developmental domains such as language, motor, social concept development, and emergency literacy. Typical and atypical child development and information on specific types of disability including children with multiple disabilities. Recommended practices in the field, family concerns and experiences,individualized program planning for children, implementation of instructional strategies, managing and understanding child behavior, and the involvement of families in their children's programs.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
15 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
15 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Research and Application for Early Intervention: B-8 This course serves as the culminating experience for students pursuing the Early Intervention certificate. Students will produce a scholarly product in the form of an Early Intervention Professional Digital Portfolio that reflects the integrations of their knowledge, skills, and experiences in the field. Throughout the course, students will communicate regularly with faculty to track progress and discuss their project.
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. This course focuses on the theory and application of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and provides an in-depth examination of functional behavioral assessment and behavioral intervention planning based on academic, social, cultural context. The course will emphasize applying PBIS principles and techniques for students with disabilities from bilingual and diverse backgrounds.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Current Trends and Issues in Addressing Challenging Behaviors (3-0) Focuses on the theories and methods for promoting behavioral change for students with challenging behaviors. This course will address current research and best practices in behavioral interventions and support.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Teaching Reading, Writing, and Mathematics to Learners with High Incidence Disabilities (3-0) This course provides information on assessment of learners with mild disabilities who have reading, math, and/or writing difficulties; includes information on strategies for all three academic areas. Prerequisite: SPED 5320 with a grade of "B" or better. Restricted to majors of SPED and DIAG.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Prerequisite(s): (SPED 5320 w/B or better)
Interventions for Students with Low Incidence Disabilities. This course focuses on interventions for students with low incidence disabilities (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities, sensory impairments, multiple disabilities), including assessment, program development, teaching methodology, and design of learning environments; focuses on increasing access to inclusive educational and community settings.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Language Disorders and Augmentative Communication This course provides an overview of the foundations of language acquisition for understanding language and communication problems in students with low incidence disabilities. Formal and informal assessment and intervention techniques and strategies for facilitating language and communication skills will be emphasized. Additionally, augmentative and alternative communication systems in fostering communication will be provided.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Capstone in Special Education. This course is the culminating experience of the M.Ed. in Special Education. This course will require students to develop a philosophy of teacher-leadership and develop a project in their local community or school to directly impact students, educational professionals, families, and/or community stakeholders. Earning a grade of "pass" in the capstone course is a degree requirement for graduation.
Department: Special Education
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours