Course Content and Outcomes Guides (CCOG)

CCOG for ECE 234 archive revision 202204

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Effective Term:
Fall 2022 through Winter 2025

Course Number:
ECE 234
Course Title:
Children with Special Needs in Early Childhood Education
Credit Hours:
3
Lecture Hours:
30
Lecture/Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0

Course Description

Covers special education for young children (birth through age 6) with or at risk for disabilities. Identifies the requirements within early intervention including eligibility in the special education service system, defining meaningful inclusion and instructional strategies, and legislative mandates. Explores strategies based on best practices in home visiting /working with parents and including children with special needs in early care and education settings. Audit available.

Intended Outcomes for the course

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

  1. Identify the foundations of early intervention/early childhood special education.
  2. Incorporate developmentally appropriate practices into early childhood special education plans.
  3. Identify federal legislative mandates and best practices in working with families and early special education teams.

Course Activities and Design


 The course format includes lecture-discussion, films, resource speakers, and experiential
 activities.  Case studies provide opportunities to explore early intervention and early childhood special education issues in early care and education settings.

Outcome Assessment Strategies

ASSESSMENT
Student grades will be based on performance on:
 
  1. Written examinations covering the theoretical and applied
       information from lecture discussions, required reading,
       textbooks, audio-visual and classroom demonstrations, and classroom observations of programs serving children with disabilities and special needs.
  2. Completion of projects
  3. Classroom attendance and participation

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

  • Historical foundations of early childhood special education.
  • Terms, language, and legislative issues used in the field of special education.
  • Key characteristics from a range of conditions and disorders associated with children with disabilities and special needs.
  • Use of screening and assessment in identification of children with disabilities and special needs.
  •  IEP/IFSP as a classroom tool and as a way of assessing and supporting children's growth.
  • Characteristics and effective interventions for specific disabilities and special needs.
  • Resources including professional agencies, laws, etc. that the student can use in the workplace as well as other pertinent coursework.
  • Advantages and disadvantages of inclusion as defined by the families of those working with the children who have special needs.
  • Perspectives on ability.
  • How attitudes about disabilities are reflected in the larger society.