Contemporary ideas and current mandates are redefining both teaching and learning. Teachers' responsibilities are changing. Teaching all children requires expertise in theory, practice, and advocacy. Ability, disability, development, reflective practice, family, and the law are included in this program. The early experiences of young children with special needs can have a dramatic impact on their success as learners. The goal of the Early Childhood Special Education program is three-fold:
- The first is to provide teachers with knowledge of the development and assessment of young children with Special Needs (birth through grade 2).
- The second is to provide teachers with expertise in intervention strategies, including impromptu modification, adaptation, differentiation, response to intervention (RTl), and guiding positive behavior.
- The third is to prepare teachers to advocate for children, families and our profession. An eclectic knowledge base with dynamic leadership qualities plays significant roles in preparing special education teachers to meet the needs of all children with disabilities and their families.
This certificate program provides rigorous academic course work to develop the knowledge and skills needed for success as teachers/service providers for young children with disabilities. Coursework is coupled with hands-on practiced field observations and student teaching experiences that put ideas into action.