Exceptionalities

Course Description

An examination of four major types of learners: students with disabilities, English learners, students with gifts and talents, and students at risk. Explores how these groups of learners can best be served in general education using effective instructional strategies, including accommodations, modifications, and differentiated instruction.

Learning Outcomes

• Integrate and apply comprehensive knowledge of atypical development associated with various disabilities and risk factors e.g. visual impairment, autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, etc., resilience and protective factors e.g. attachment, temperament and their implications for learning, including access to visual communication and visual language. Candidates describe the different exceptionalities served in public schools.
• Integrate and apply skills needed to ensure that the intervention/instructional environment is appropriate to each student’s specific chronological age, developmental differences, disability and other special needs
• Describe the different service delivery models for students with exceptionalities and give the advantages and disadvantages of each.
• Integrate and apply ability to develop and implement strategies and best practices (which are appropriate for students with diverse strengths and needs) to include (a) differentiated lessons, (b) instructional sequences.
• Integrate and apply an understanding and acceptance of differences.
• Describe the role of school personnel in inclusion — including both general and special education teachers.
• Integrate and apply the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively to a wide variety of people, including but not limited to individuals with disabilities and other special needs, their families and / or primary care givers, general and special education teachers, related service personnel and administrators, members of trans-disciplinary teams, and other professionals. Candidates describe effective methods of collaborating and consulting with parents and other school personnel in the school setting.

Requirements

Professionalism: Candidates are expected to: conduct themselves in a responsible manner that reflects ethics, honor, and good citizenship; abide by the regulations of the University. It is the candidates’ responsibility to maintain academic honesty and integrity, and to manifest their commitment to the mission of the University through their conduct and behavior; demonstrate the dispositions expected of teachers. The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) is charged by law with evaluation of the moral character and fitness of all persons who wish to teach or perform certified services in the public schools. Every person who is an applicant for, or who now holds, any credential, certificate, permit, or license authorizing service in California public schools is answerable to the CCTC and the Committee of Credentials for his or her fitness related conduct. California Laws and Rules Pertaining to the Discipline of Professional Certificated Personnel; willingness and ability to accept the challenge of reading texts and research concerning teaching and learning; willingness and ability to listen with an open mind to the ideas and informed opinions of others; willingness and ability to express ideas in clear, concise, correct English. Acknowledge that in accordance with National University policy, more than three absences from discussions excused or unexcused, will result in a less than satisfactory grade.

Written Assignment Expectations: All assignments completed are to be font size 12, double spaced with student name and date indicated; written in standard English following APA guidelines, error free in sentence construction, grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Late Work: Guidelines for late work are as follows: all assignments are due at date indicated unless prior permission has been given to the candidate and no credit will be given for that assignment, with prior permission late work may be accepted and may receive a deduction of 20% in the grade.