Students examine historical foundations of special education, including legislation; review components necessary for effective service delivery; and develop an understanding of the role of collaboration and consultation with parents, school personnel and other professionals.

Examines the concept of disability in a variety of community settings. Drawing on classic and contemporary readings in psychology, sociology and special education, the course will couple conceptual and historical understanding of disability with first-hand service-learning experiences in the community. Students will develop a plan in several phases that encompasses principles of Universal Design for Living/Learning (UDL) to study and participate in community-based activities.

Receptive and expressive skills in American Sign Language. Examination of the causes of deafness, characteristics of deaf education, and aspects of the culture of the deaf community.

Designed to give an understanding of the needs of all types of exceptional children.

Intermediate level receptive/expressive skills in American Sign Language. Aspects of the culture, history, and research perspectives of the deaf community.

Examines research and practice relevant to the education of individuals with disabilities.

Educational practices regarding inclusive education in the schools for students with and without disabilities.

This course is designed for elementary education majors to prepare for teaching students with disabilities in elementary classrooms. The course examines the legal requirements for general education teachers in the public schools including best practices for participating in the Individual Education Program (IEP) team process, and understanding Response to Intervention (RTI) as a approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs. Information is provided on the characteristics of students who have been identified as having high incidence disabilities (e.g., learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, speech and language delays, emotional or behavioral disorders, and other health impairments). The course then provides information on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, instructional suggestions to include students with disabilities in the general classroom, co-teaching and methods for integrating technology and assistive technology to benefit all students.

Use of positive behavior supports to promote both classwide and individual student behavior skills through function-based behavior assessment, establishing classroom expectations, and examining common misbehaviors that often result in learning loss.

Assessment procedures for infants and young children with disabilities, birth through age eight.

Examine and apply empirical research aligned to current trends and areas of investigation in the field of students with significant support needs.