3 semester credits
Special educators must understand each category of exceptionality as well as the abilities and needs of individual learners. In this course, education professionals examine the characteristics and instructional implications of specific learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, other health impairments, and giftedness. They explore accommodations and modifications for students with exceptionalities and consider how to foster effective and positive relationships with all stakeholders to support student success. In their field experience, education professionals apply course content by completing a child study project, in which they conduct an intensive case study of a single student with exceptionalities in a K–12 classroom.