SPE/300 - Orientation to the Exceptional Child

Course Description

This course explores the federal and state requirements for special education and the assessment and evaluation process for determining special education eligibility. Emphasis is placed on the characteristics of exceptional learners and methods for differentiation, accommodation, and modification of instruction and assessment to meet student's needs. Lesson planning, inclusion and student engagement, and collaborative practices will also be examined.

This undergraduate course is 5 weeks.

PLEASE NOTE:
Attendance and participation are mandatory in all university courses, and specific requirements may differ by course. If attendance requirements are not met, a student may be removed from the course. Please review the Course Attendance Policy in the Catalog for more information.

This course is not available for enrollment to residents of Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, New York, Wisconsin, Wyoming and individuals who reside outside the United States.

Course Objectives

Week 1

• Identify historical perspectives and current practices of exceptional children.
• Define inclusion.
• Assess inclusion opportunities in classrooms and schools.
• Examine terminology, acronyms, and language used in exceptional learning.
• Analyze definitions of exceptional learners.
• Analyze the federal, state, and local legal structures governing programs for students with exceptionalities.
• Examine public policy and its effect on educational issues regarding students with exceptionalities.
• Evaluate the effect of public policy on classroom practices.
• Discuss major laws and principles that address student and parent rights pertaining to student placements.

Week 2

• Identify the characteristics, prevalence, causes, and identification processes associated with low-incidence exceptionalities and high-incidence exceptionalities.

Week 3

• Identify the characteristics and needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students.
• Explore procedures for initiating special education services.
• Explain service delivery options for students with an IEP.
• Define related services for special education students.

Week 4

• Analyze instructional strategies used in adapting learning activities to individual students’ needs.
• Analyze strategies for adapting classroom management to individual students’ needs.
• Provide examples of assistive technology that can be used with exceptional students.
• Identify different types of collaboration approaches.
• Explain the key components of effective professional collaboration.

Week 5

• Determine appropriate assessment techniques needed to evaluate exceptional learners.
• Describe how to differentiate assessment of gifted and talented students.
• Define how to use technology to assess exceptional learners.
• Examine the RTI process used to determine students’ abilities and functioning levels, including identifying exceptional learners.
• Describe the referral, evaluation, and placement processes.
• Identify support services, personnel, community resources, and agencies available to provide educational resources.

Disclaimers

The University of Phoenix reserves the right to modify courses.

Although our continuing education for teacher’s courses are accepted by some state agencies in the United States toward teacher certifications and endorsements, this may not be the case in all states or foreign jurisdictions. If you plan to use courses for certification or endorsement, please check with your own state agency and your school district for applicability. Continuing education for teachers’ courses is not eligible to apply to degree programs at University of Phoenix. These courses are not eligible for federal financial aid.

Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student’s choice.

While widely available, not all programs are available in all locations or in both online and on-campus formats. More information about eligibility requirements, policies, and procedures can be found in the catalog or please check with a University Enrollment Representative.