Special Education (SPED)

Courses

SPED 2128. Assistive Technology and Universal Design for Learning. 3 Credit Hours.

This course will provide students with an extensive background regarding the various types and uses of assistive and accessible technology and how the principles of Universal Design for Learning apply to the inherent flexibility of technology as a pathway toward attainment of educational goals.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Majors: Early Childhood Education, Special Education.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Undergraduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 2231. Introduction to Inclusive Education. 3 Credit Hours.

This course examines Special Education practices in relation to the history of the field, current laws governing the education and employment of individuals with disabilities. A focus on the categories of disabilities will include an examination of teaching strategies and accommodations that are used in meeting the needs of diverse learners.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 3187. Integrated Literacy and Special Education Practicum. 3 Credit Hours.

This integrated practicum experience will provide opportunities for students to apply theoretical models and research-based instructional strategies in the area of literacy to middle grades students in inclusive classrooms. Focus will be placed on developmental, cognitive, physical, social, behavioral, processing and learning needs of students and how these needs relate to comprehending written text, specifically for students having disabilities. Particular emphasis will be focused on ways to connect information from the co-requisite literacy methods course and apply this knowledge to students with disabilities in the middle grades classroom. Differentiated instruction, response to intervention, appropriate curricular modification, and authentic assessment related to appropriate instructional decision-making are themes that run throughout this learning experience. NOTE: Background clearances required.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: MGRE 3196, MGRE 3296.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

Pre-requisites:
(MGRE 4108|Minimum Grade of C-|May not be taken concurrently)
AND (MAES 3145|Minimum Grade of C-|May not be taken concurrently)
AND (SPED 4109|Minimum Grade of C-|May not be taken concurrently)

SPED 3201. Effective Instructional Strategies for Young Students with Mild to Significant Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is an introduction to effective instruction and strategies for teaching students with mild to significant disabilities from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The purpose of this course is to identify and understand specific evidence-based strategies that will positively impact student success particularly in the inclusive setting and across additional educational settings.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Concentrations: Special Education.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Undergraduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 3287.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
SPED 2231|Minimum Grade of C-|May not be taken concurrently.

SPED 3211. Effective Instructional Strategies for Young Children with Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is an introduction to effective instruction and strategies for teaching students with disabilities across birth to fourth grade. The purpose of this course is to identify specific strategies that will aid in student success in the inclusive setting. Emphasis will be placed on strategies and activities specific to pre-kindergarten and elementary students, collaboration and communication strategies among professionals, technology in the classroom, and ways in which to address family participation and diversity in today's classroom.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
SPED 2231|Minimum Grade of C-|May not be taken concurrently.

SPED 3287. Practicum for Diverse Learners. 3 Credit Hours.

Practicum experience that provides opportunities for students to apply theories of learning and development.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Concentrations: Special Education.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Undergraduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 3201.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

Pre-requisites:
SPED 2231|Minimum Grade of C-|May not be taken concurrently.

SPED 3312. Methods and Curriculum for Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.

An examination of the assessment and remediation processes required in the education of individuals with moderate to severe disabilities. A special focus is the developmental and ecological assessment of this population and how this information can be used to develop instructional programs. NOTE: Students must register concurrently for SPED 3312, 3332, and 3487.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 3332, SPED 3487.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 3332. Assessing and Teaching Students with Mild Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.

This course will examine the assessment and intervention in the academic subject areas of students with mild learning problems. An emphasis will be on the understanding of learning differences and how to teach learning strategies that can accommodate those with learning differences. NOTE: Students must register concurrently for SPED 3312, 3332, and 3487.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 3312, SPED 3487.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 3487. Practicum in Special Education. 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite for Special Education students with no background in education. Practicum meets half days during the regular semesters and full days in the summer. Must be admitted to the Certification program. NOTE: Students must register concurrently for SPED 3312, 3332, and 3487.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 3312, SPED 3332.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

SPED 4103. Classroom Management and Positive Behavior Support. 3 Credit Hours.

This course provides an in-depth presentation of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) and its application in classroom systems to prevent challenging behavior and academic failure. Infused throughout the course will be intervention strategies that will allow for the accommodation of all children in the general-education system. The emphasis of the course will be proactive, constructive strategies that prevent, rather than react to, classroom difficulties.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Concentrations: Special Education.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Undergraduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
SPED 2231|Minimum Grade of C-|May not be taken concurrently.

SPED 4105. Assessment in Early Childhood Special Education. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is field-based and is designed to provide students with an understanding of assessment theory, the purposes of assessment and specific assessment techniques as they relate to the education of children with special needs. Emphasis will be placed both on how assessment is used to identify children with disabilities as well as how assessment can be used to plan and monitor the effectiveness of instructional practices as they relate to student learning and development in the classroom. A problem-solving approach will be employed. Students will be provided with the opportunity to apply the knowledge learned in the course in the classroom through 20 hours of field experience. NOTE: Background clearances required.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 4196.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 4106. Literacy Instruction for Young Children with Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.

The focus of this course is to provide an understanding of how to identify and provide interventions for children who are having difficulty learning to read. This course begins with focusing on problems that may arise with the development of foundational literacy skills that include oral language development, phonological sensitivity, recognition and discrimination of print, and knowledge of letters. The course then focuses on problems that arise as children begin to learn to crack the code and begin identifying words. Finally issues regarding fluency and comprehension are addressed. The goal of the class is provide classroom teachers with strategies to understand a) the types of reading difficulties that children with special needs may experience and b) the various research-based intervention strategies that could be used to facilitate children's learning to read. Emphasis will be placed on understanding theories and interventions that surround literacy development for children in Pre-Kindergarten to grade 4 settings, with an additional exploration of how language and literacy are impacted by diversity, various disabilities and atypical behaviors. An equally important theme will be how to actually implement this knowledge in inclusive classrooms through appropriate assessment practices, research validated literacy interventions, developmental reading programs, evidence-based instructional practices, and content area materials. Other integral parts of literacy and language development, and writing, such as text production, spelling, and composition, co-teaching, collaboration with paraprofessionals and other related support staff, spoken language, communication skill development through assistive technology, and universal design in inclusive classrooms will be examined at the instructor's discretion. NOTE: Background clearances required.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 4105.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 4109. Educating Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is an introduction to effective strategies for teaching students with disabilities across age levels and content areas. Additional skills (e.g, study skills and self-determination) will be thoroughly discussed to demonstrate how these critical skills could be taught across content areas. The purpose of this course is to identify specific strategies that will aid in student success in the inclusive setting. Emphasis will be placed on evidence-based strategies and activities specific to elementary students, technology in the classroom, and ways in which to address diversity in today's classroom. This course has a field-based component which is designed to provide students with an understanding of assessment theory, the purposes of assessment and specific assessment techniques as they relate to the education of children with special needs. Emphasis will be placed both on how assessment is used to identify children with disabilities as well as how assessment can be used to plan and monitor the effectiveness of instructional practices as they relate to student learning and development in the classroom. A problem-solving approach will be employed. Students will be provided with the opportunity to apply the knowledge learned in the course in the classroom. NOTE: Background clearances required.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: MGRE 4108.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 4196. Literacy Instruction for Young Children with Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.

The focus of this course is to provide knowledge of a developmental language framework for pre-service early childhood and elementary-grade teachers that will be the foundation for effective literacy instruction for struggling readers in inclusive settings including students with a wide range of abilities and disabilities. Emphasis will be placed on understanding theories and interventions that surround language acquisition and literacy development for children in Pre-Kindergarten to grade 4 settings, with an additional exploration of how language and literacy are impacted by diversity, various disabilities and atypical behaviors.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 4105.

Course Attributes: WI

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 4331. Community Resources and Collaboration in Special Education. 3 Credit Hours.

This course will examine the conceptual foundation for collaborative interactions and activities in special education settings. An emphasis will be on the collaborative process necessary for IEP development and implementation including the transition process. Additionally resources at the local, regional and national levels for special education services will be identified.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: EDUC 4801.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.