Introduction to Special Education

Catalog description

This course provides childhood pre-service teachers with knowledge and practice in special education so that they will be able to support and instruct students with disabilities in their general education classrooms. The course will explore the historical and philosophical foundations of special education, characteristics of students with disabilities, and the impact of special education law and research on referral, classification, placement, and instruction. Through research, simulation, and fieldwork students will learn to access disability-related information, develop an understanding of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP), and be able to plan instruction in accordance with a student's individualized needs and strengths. This survey course is designed to be taken in the fall of the junior year following admission to the School of Education and requires one full day per week of field-based work in a school setting.