Special Education (SPED)
Courses
SPED 3301. CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. 3 Hours.
This course focuses on the characteristics of students with mild disabilities and their (a) related academic and social outcomes, and (b) implications for assessment and intervention. The course is specifically designed for students who seek certification in teaching children with mild disabilities, to include children who are defined by Federal and state regulations as experiencing learning disabilities (LD), intellectual disability (ID), emotional and/or behavioral disabilities (EBD), and attention deficit disorders/hyperactivity disorders (ADD/ADHD).
SPED 3302. APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS FOR TEACHERS. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to present students with applied behavior analysis strategies and tactics to ensure they are able to make effective instructional decisions and to evaluate the results of those decisions. Procedures covered in class include those to accelerate, decelerate, and maintain student academic and social behavior. Application of learning theory, measurement procedures, and verification of functional relationships will be emphasized. Knowledge of current significant research in Applied Behavior Analysis will be facilitated through research readings.
SPED 4301. STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING INDIVIDUALS WITH HIGH INCIDENCE DISABILITIES: READING AND WRITING. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to prepare future special educators to plan and provide content area instruction to elementary and secondary students with mild disabilities in reading and writing. Course content will include information on assessment, curriculum and instruction, and the professional role as a teacher of students with mild disabilities.
SPED 4302. COLLABORATIVE PRACTICES AND TRANSITION PLANNING IN SPECIAL EDUCATION. 3 Hours.
The purpose of this course is to learn about the concepts, tools, and strategies considered essential for effective collaboration and teamwork. Methods of collaborating and consulting with other professionals in the field of education and family members of students with disabilities will be discussed. Transition planning and collaborative interagency issues related to transition will be examined. Context, process, and content of collaborative school consultation will be presented.
SPED 4303. ADVANCED CONTENT AREA STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING INDIVIDUALS WITH HIGH INCIDENCE DISABILITIES. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to prepare future special educators to plan and provide content area instruction to elementary and secondary students with mild disabilities across the content areas. Course content will include information on assessment, curriculum and instruction, and the professional role as a teacher of students with mild disabilities.
SPED 4304. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY. 3 Hours.
This course will address the use of technology in special education, including microcomputers, interactive video, auditory and visual enhancement, and other adaptive devices with individuals experiencing disabilities including learning disabilities, intellectual impairments, sensory and physical impairments. Current developments and research findings concerning rehabilitative, adaptive, and learning technologies applied to needs of individuals with learning, intellectual, physical, or sensory disabilities will also be addressed. Topics include selection and evaluation, instructional and administrative applications, and personal productivity tools.
SPED 4601. PRACTICUM IN SPECIAL EDUCATION. 6 Hours.
This course is designed to provide practical opportunities for the pre-service candidate to develop skills in assessment and instruction of individuals with severe disabilities. In addition to providing direct services, an important component of the practicum is to collaborate with both classroom and school staff regarding all aspects of service provision. Finally, general professional protocol is emphasized in this course including dependability, attitude, and communication skills (both written and spoken).
SPED 5301. CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. 3 Hours.
This introductory course focuses on the characteristics of students with mild disabilities and their (a) related academic and social outcomes, and (b) implications for assessment and intervention. The course is specifically designed for students who seek certification in teaching children with mild disabilities, to include children who are defined by Federal and state regulations as experiencing learning disabilities (LD), intellectual disability (ID), emotional and/or behavioral disabilities (EBD), and attention deficit disorders/hyperactivity disorders (ADD/ADHD). Graduate level students' understanding will be assessed and measured through additional readings and assignments designed to encourage deeper thinking regarding classroom level interventions for students with disabilities.
SPED 5302. APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS FOR TEACHERS. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to present students with applied behavior analysis strategies and tactics to ensure they are able to make effective instructional decisions and to evaluate the results of those decisions. Procedures covered in class include those to accelerate, decelerate, and maintain student academic and social behavior. Application of learning theory, measurement procedures, and verification of functional relationships will be emphasized. Graduate level students' understanding will be assessed and measured through the direct application of concepts in the field and a written functional behavioral assessment inclusive of a behavior intervention plan.
SPED 5303. COLLABORATIVE PRACTICES AND TRANSITION PLANNING IN SPECIAL EDUCATION. 3 Hours.
This course focuses on the concepts, tools, and strategies considered essential for effective collaboration and teamwork. Methods of collaborating and consulting with other professionals in the field of education and family members of students with disabilities will be discussed. Transition planning and collaborative interagency issues related to transition will be examined. Graduate students will facilitate a mock ARD and transition planning meeting.
SPED 5304. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to prepare future special educators to plan and provide specialized instruction to elementary and secondary students with mild disabilities in reading, writing, mathematics, and across the content areas. Course content will include information on assessment, curriculum and instruction, and the professional role as a teacher of students with mild disabilities. Graduate students will demonstrate mastery of evidence-based practices for students with disabilities by teaching a lesson.
SPED 5305. ADVANCED LEARNING DISABILITIES. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to teach the definitions, characteristics, theories, and etiologies of students with specific learning disabilities. Students will analyze definitions of specific learning disabilities from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and professional learning disability organizations. Students will also analyze research describing the nature and characteristics of learning disabilities and how to best serve these students in an educational setting.
SPED 5306. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY. 3 Hours.
This course will address the use of technology in special education, including microcomputers, interactive video, auditory and visual enhancement, and other adaptive devices with individuals experiencing disabilities including learning disabilities, intellectual impairments, sensory and physical impairments. Students will examine current developments and conduct research concerning rehabilitative, adaptive, and learning technologies applied to needs of individuals with disabilities.
SPED 5307. SPECIAL EDUCATION LEGAL AND POLICY ISSUES. 3 Hours.
This introductory course will discuss historical legal foundations of special education and the present legal and policy challenges facing the field. Course content will include information on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act. Students will also understand how important rules from the court system have interpreted laws governing special education and how current policies and issues could impact special education.
SPED 5308. ADVANCED INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to teach the definitions, characteristics, theories, and etiologies of students with intellectual disabilities. Students will analyze definitions of intellectual disabilities from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and professional intellectual disability organizations. Students will also analyze research describing the nature and characteristics of intellectual disabilities and how to best serve these students in an educational setting.
SPED 5309. THE NEUROSCIENCE OF TYPICAL & ATYPICAL LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT. 3 Hours.
This course will examine the many levels of language including phonetics, phonology, semantics, syntax and pragmatics from both functional and neuroscientific perspectives. This will be closely tied to language acquisition and early language development. The focus on the pre-reading years will provide a solid basis for further study of literacy-related skills and overall learning. Sub-skills and precursors of reading will be examined from a neurological point of view and applied to researching reading difficulties as well as the teaching and learning in the classroom. Course offered as EDUC 5362 and SPED 5309; co-list credit will be granted only as one.
SPED 5310. ADVANCED BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS. 3 Hours.
This course will cover advanced principles, concepts, and practices related to educating students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders and other IDEA disabilities categories with behaviorally related characteristics. Emphasis will be on school-based services, including advanced instructional and behavioral interventions for improving academic, social, and behavioral outcomes, as well as mental health and juvenile justice services.
SPED 5311. CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to equip teachers with practical assessment strategies for students with a wide range of disabilities. Course content will include standardized norm-referenced assessments, curriculum-based assessment, curriculum-based measurement, and other progress monitoring strategies. Students will create various assessment tools and plans to collect meaningful instructional data from students with disabilities.
SPED 5312. SPECIAL EDUCATION PRACTICUM. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to engage students in multiple field-based activities such as, direct observations, functional-behavior assessments, data-based instruction and decision making, and research as part of an independent practicum experience. At the conclusion of the practicum, students will be assessed on a written product and presentation (e.g., portfolio, research poster). Prerequisite: All other courses in program sequence; requires approval.
SPED 5313. SINGLE SUBJECT RESEARCH. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to provide students an introductory overview of single subject research methodology. Course content will include quality indicators of single subject research that can lead to identifying effective interventions. Students will design and implement a single-subject experiment.
SPED 5314. CURRENT TOPICS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to discuss current events in special education with a focus on both practice and research. Students will think critically about intended and unintended consequences of various policy and practice issues. Specific topics for the course will be influenced by current policy concerns, problems of practice, and student interests.
SPED 5315. MULTI-TIERED SYSTEM OF SUPPORT. 3 Hours.
This course will focus on multi-tiered system of support frameworks for integrating instruction, evidence-based interventions, and assessments to meet the academic and behavior needs of all students. Specific frameworks such as, response to intervention and positive behavioral interventions and supports will be emphasized as systems for prevention of disabilities and identification of students with learning disabilities and emotional and behavioral disorders.
SPED 5316. ADVANCED APPLIED BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to present graduate students in special education with applied behavior analysis strategies and tactics to ensure they are able to make effective instructional decisions and to evaluate the results of those decisions in accordance with the master's degree program and initial and advanced licensure standards. This course is intended for students with foundational knowledge of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Students will be required to plan, implement, and evaluate an applied behavior analysis project with a student in an educational setting.
SPED 5317. AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS. 3 Hours.
This course focuses on the characteristics and issues encountered by individuals who experience autism spectrum disorders. Students will analyze definitions of ASD provided by IDEA, DSM-V, and professional organizations. Emphasis will be on characteristics, school-based and post-secondary supports, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), and assistive technology.
SPED 5318. MEDICAL AND PHYSICAL MANAGEMENT OF STUDENTS WITH MULTIPLE DISABILITIES. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to provide students with an examination of how the medical and physical needs of students affect a teacher's design of instruction. The medical and physical aspects of a wide variety of orthopedic, musculo-skeletal and sensory disorders, as well as the educational models of intervention and service delivery for individuals with multiple disabilities will also be discussed.
SPED 5319. METHODS OF TEACHING STUDENTS WITH MODERATE/SEVERE DISABILITIES AND AUTISM. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to prepare future special educators to plan and provide specialized instruction to elementary and secondary students with moderate/severe disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Course content will include information on assessment and evidence-based instructional practices for academic, functional, adaptive, and behavioral skills. Students will demonstrate mastery of evidence-based practices for students with moderate/severe disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders and receive feedback on the implementation of these practices.
SPED 5320. CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDENTS WITH SEVERE DISABILITIES. 3 Hours.
This course focuses on the characteristics and issues encountered by individuals who experience severe and profound levels of intellectual disabilities. Characteristics addressed include learning, behavioral, social-emotional, and communicative abilities. Special emphasis is placed on implementing evidence-based practices and empirically supported treatments.
SPED 5601. CLINICAL TEACHING. 6 Hours.
Supervised and directed clinical teaching in student's targeted area of certification. The student will be assigned full time for the Independent School District calendar. Required seminars provide students with theory to integrate and apply during clinical teaching. Students will apply theory and research to practice through daily teaching and interaction with students, major assignments, and data analysis of practice.