Courses

SPE 300 Survey of Special Education and Accommodation Strategies. Three hours. Prerequisite: Admission to PTEP. Characteristics of all exceptionalities, and educational and behavioral adaptations for exceptional children in the general education classroom. A practicum experience that acquaints students with exceptionalities is included. Offered each semester.

SPE 304 Methods and Technology in Special Education. Three hours. Addresses curriculum planning and selection of instructional tasks, with emphasis on making decisions that facilitate learning in students with disabilities.

SPE 326 Instructional Sign Language I. Three hours. Introduction to the culture of the deaf community and to the sign language continuum, providing a knowledge base from which students can communicate with the deaf and hard of hearing in the school setting.

SPE 374 Parenting Young Children. Three hours. Explores the role of families in the educational process and how professionals work with families. Offered fall semester.

SPE 414 Collaboration and Consultation. Three hours. Examination of the ways in which individuals interact with educational systems, communities at large, and each other to bring about appropriate educational services for students with special educational needs. Included are fundamentals of group process, human behavior and interaction, and motivation, as well as skills and knowledge necessary for successful collaboration and consultation with others concerned with education of students who present exceptional needs.

SPE 435 Behavior Management. Three hours. The course addresses the development of models for managing behavior, to help teachers prevent or deal with emotional conflict in the classroom.

SPE 471 Developmental Perspectives of Young Children with Disabilities. Three hours. A course introducing the field of early childhood special education, including its rationale and legal issues. Offered fall semester.

SPE 476 Assessment of Young Children. Three hours. Prerequisites: SPE 471 and admission to the teacher education program. Basic principles and practices involved in the assessment and evaluation of young children. Offered spring semester.

SPE 478 Methods of Teaching Young Children with Disabilities. Three hours. Prerequisite: SPE 471. Curriculum methodology materials and management technology for young children with disabilities.

SPE 479 Internship in Education of Young Children with Diverse Abilities. Twelve hours. Prerequisites: Completion of all methods courses, admission to the teacher education program, a minimum GPA of 2.5 for all work attempted, and a minimum GPA of 2.5 in the major. A semester of supervised teaching experience in classrooms for young children. Offered during the academic year only.

SPE 500 Introduction to Exceptional Children and Youth. Three hours. Introduction to programs and problems of children and youth who deviate from the norm in physical, mental, emotional, and social characteristics.

SPE 502 Advanced Behavior Management for Special Educators. Three hours. Prerequisite: SPE 435 or equivalent. Concepts and principles of behavior change and management; practical experience in developing plans to prevent and remedy behavior problems. Research project required.

SPE 506 Family Intervention with Exceptional Children and Youth. Three hours. Examination of the effects of an exceptional child on the family, and the various approaches to intervention with the family.

SPE 571 Education of Young Children with Disabilities. Three hours. An introductory course to the field of early childhood special education, including rationale, legal issues, and characteristics of children from birth through kindergarten.

SPE 573 Methods of Teaching Young Children. Three hours. Prerequisite: SPE 571 or permission of the instructor. Introductory study of methodologies, materials, and management techniques for all young children (birth through kindergarten). Emphasis will be placed on the development of literacy skills.

SPE 575 Seminar in Education of Young Children with Diverse Abilities. Three hours. Critique of factors in research of current issues and of trends in education for young children, birth through kindergarten.

SPE 576 Assessment of Young Children. Three hours. Prerequisite: SPE 571 or permission of the instructor. Selection, administration, and interpretation of assessments of young children (birth through kindergarten).

SPE 577 Practicum in Education of Young Children with Diverse Abilities. Three hours. Field-based experiences in a setting or settings in which the student has little or no experience. Placements are determined by the supervisor based on the student's prior experience, training, and/or career goals.

SPE 578 Methods of Teaching Young Children with Disabilities. Three hours. Prerequisite: SPE 571 or permission of the instructor. Use of curricula, materials, and management techniques for young children (birth through kindergarten) with disabilities.

SPE 579 Internship in Education of Young Children with Diverse Abilities. Three to nine hours. Prerequisites: SPE 573, SPE 577, and SPE 578. Intensive supervised teaching experience with young children with and without disabilities.

SPE 606 Topical Seminar in Special Education. Three hours. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. May be repeated for credit. Selected topics, review and critique of current literature, research problems, and methodology.

SPE 609 Practicum in Special Education. Three to six hours. Designed for advanced graduate students. Students practice effective supervision skills or college teaching skills under the direction of the course instructor.

SPE 611 Independent Study in Special Education. Three to nine hours. Intensive investigation of a specific aspect of special education, by one student under the supervision of a faculty member in the student's area of concentration.

SPE 612 Readings and Research in Special Education. Three to twelve hours. For doctoral students, an opportunity to initiate, develop, and successfully defend a dissertation topic dealing with a problem of magnitude in the field of special education.

SPE 613 Consultation Processing in Special Education Programs. Three hours. Training in human-relations techniques and administrative strategies designed to facilitate communication and interaction with individuals and groups in special education programming.