Course: SPED 504MS. Teaching Learners with Moderate/Severe Disabilities (3)
Prerequisite: Admission to Preliminary Education Specialist Credential Program in Moderate/Severe Disabilities. This course is the first of the four specialization courses candidates in Moderate/Severe disabilities take and as such, serves as the course that provides a strong foundation for subsequent methodology classes. Topics include definition and identification of students with moderate to severe disabilities; federal legislation pertinent to this population; educational theories guiding practice and how these theories have changed over time; appropriate assessment practices and tools and educational approaches recommended for this group of learners. Planning and adapting to meet the needs of students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds is infused throughout the course. Emphasis is placed on understanding the prevailing recommended practices in the field of severe/moderate disabilities as endorsed through contemporary research.