SPED - Special Education

SPED 2155 Nature and Characteristics of Children with Mild and Moderate Disabilities (3-0-3) Co-requisite: SPED 2156. Definitions, characteristics, causes, and possible preventions of mild and moderate disabilities. Issues regarding educational programming for children and youth with mild and moderate disabilities including assessment, identification, placement, and development of individualized education plans. Implications and accommodations for successful participation in the general education classroom and curriculum. Historical, legal, philosophical, social, learning, and cognitive aspects of mild and moderate disabilities, including the impact of cultural and linguistic diversity.

SPED 2255. Communication Arts and Language Development for Children with Disabilities (2-2-3)Prerequisites: SPED 2256 and Admission to Teacher Education or department approval. The interrelationships among strategies and concepts for the teaching of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Language development and the impact of disabilities on the acquisition of language and communication. Modifications and effective teaching strategies in communication arts and language for children and youth with disabilities. Field experience required.

SPED 2256. Introduction to the Exceptional Learner in General Education (2-2-3) For prospective and practicing teachers. Emphasis is placed on meeting the needs of learner with disabilities in general education programs. Required adaptations and modifications, and available resources and services for these learners are stressed. 30 hours field experience required.

SPED 2405. Classroom Practicum in Mild and Moderate Disabilities (0-4-2).Co-requisite: SPED 2155. Guided observation of individuals with mild and moderate disabilities within a classroom setting. Review of policies and procedures related to educational programming for mildly and moderately disabled children and youth. Emphasis on the roles and responsibilities of the special education teacher. (S/U Grading).

SPED 3155. Learning and Behavioral Characteristics of Students with Mental Retardation (3-0-3)Prerequisites: SPED 2256 and Admission to Teacher Education or departmental approval. Characteristics of children, youth and adults with mental retardation. Social, psychological, and educational implications of mental retardation. Historical and political perspectives will also be included.

SPED 3215. Assessment and Prescription in Special Education (3-0-3)Prerequisite: Departmental approval; Co-requisite: SPED 4215 and SPED 4405. The major focus of this course is understanding the relevance of assessment and prescription to the teaching of learners with disabilities.

SPED 3225. Teaching Mathematics in Special Education (2-2-3)Prerequisite: Admission to Teacher Education or departmental approval. Basic mathematical concepts including program development, methods, materials, and appropriate educational strategies and procedures for use with children and disabilities. Field experience required.

SPED 3275. Behavior Management for Students with Disabilities (2-2-3)Prerequisite: Admission to Teacher Education or departmental approval. This course deals with methods of managing classroom behavior and dealing with specific behavior problems. Classroom management strategies will be discussed and related to the establishment of a positive classroom climate. Diagnostic and prescriptive techniques will be applied to problems of aggression, conduct, withdrawal, hyperactivity, and distractibility.

SPED 3405. Program Practicum in Mental Retardation (0-2-1)Prerequisites: Admission to Teacher Education; Co-requisite: SPED 3155. This course provides students with guided observations of school and community agencies serving individuals with mental retardation. It provides an awareness of a continuum of special education placements and the role of non-school agencies serving persons with mental retardation and their families. (S/U grading).

SPED 3406. Classroom Practicum in Special Education (0-2-1)Prerequisites: EDUF 2116 and SPED 2256. This course provides students with the opportunity to work in an elementary, middle school, or secondary classroom with learners who have disabilities. It is intended to provide students with an awareness of the nature and needs of these pupils and the role of the teacher in working with such learner. (S/U grading).

SPED 4105. Technological Adaptation for Exceptional Learners (3-0-3) This course is designed to provide specific information, exposure, and experience related to a variety of ways that current and emerging technologies may be used to improve the education and lives of learners with disabilities.

SPED 4156. Teaching Students with Mental Retardation/Severe and Profound (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SPED 3215. This course develops specific skills in the assessment, prescription, implementation, and evaluation of educational programs for persons with severe impairments. Course content focuses on the areas of mobility, communication, sensorimotor development, self-help skills, cognition, and adaptive behavior.

SPED 4157. Nature and Characteristics of Students with Learning Disabilities (3-0-3) Prerequisite: SPED 2256. This course provides an introduction to the field of learning disabilities. Historical perspectives, definitions, service delivery systems, evaluation procedures, and major issues are examined.

SPED 4158. Nature and Characteristics of Students with Behavior Disorders (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SPED 2256. This course provides an introduction to the field of behavioral disorders. Historical perspectives, definitions, service delivery systems, evaluation procedures, and major issues are examined.

SPED 4159. Classroom Practicum in Severe & Profound Mental Retardation (0-0-1)Prerequisites: Prerequisites: SPED 2256 and Admission to Teacher Education; Co-requisite: SPED 4156. This course provides students with an opportunity to work in an elementary, middle school, or secondary classroom with learners who have severe disabilities. It is intended to provide students with an awareness of the nature and needs of these pupils and the role of the teacher in working with such learners. (S/U grading).

SPED 4215. Teaching Students with Mental Retardation/Mild and Moderate (3-0-3)Prerequisites: Admission to Teacher Education and SPED 3215; Co-requisite: SPED 4405. This course develops specific skills in the assessment, prescription, implementation, and evaluation of educational programs for persons with mild and moderate mental retardation. Emphasis is placed on implementation and evaluation activities. Additional topics include: service delivery systems, roles of teachers and ancillary personnel, legal requirements, and major issues confronting the field of special education.

SPED 4216. Teaching Social Studies and Science to Exceptional Learners (2-2-3).Prerequisite: Admission to Teacher Education. Historical and theoretical perspectives of teaching social studies and science to exceptional learners. Curriculum concepts, lesson planning and implementation, evaluation, strategies, materials, resources, and accommodations for effective social studies and science instruction with exceptional learners. Special emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches, diversity, inquiry learning, and collaboration across the disciplines. Field experience required.

SPED 4225. Collaboration and Consultation in Special Education (2-2-3)Prerequisite: Admission to Teacher Education. This course will provide an introduction to collaboration and communication skills needed by special educators as they work with other professions and parents. 

SPED 4236. Nature and Methods of Teaching Gifted Learners (3-0-3).Prerequisite: Admission to Teacher Education. Co-requisite: SPED 4406. Definition, characteristics, and identification of gifted children and youth. Historical foundations, legislation, and current issues related to gifted education. Effects of cultural diversity on the provision of appropriate services to the gifted. Impact of the gifted learner on the family. Program planning, curriculum models, and classroom accommodations. Instructional delivery, strategies, methods, and materials for gifted learners.

SPED 4245.  Methods and Materials for Teaching Children with Mild and Moderate Disabilities (3-0-3).Prerequisite: Admission to Teacher Education. Co-requisite: SPED 4407. Educational implications of mild and moderate disabilities, including accommodations for successful participation in the general education classroom and curriculum. Use of assessment in programming, curriculum, and instructional decisions for individuals with mild and moderate disabilities. Collaborative partnerships with professionals, families, and community agencies. Analysis and implementation of best instructional practices, strategies, methods, materials, and resources. Interventions for improving social, academic, learning, and behavioral skills of individuals with mild and moderate disabilities.

SPED 4405. Teaching Practicum in Mental Retardation (0-2-1)Prerequisites: SPED 2256 and Admission to Teacher Education; Co-requisite: SPED 4215. This course provides the student with a structured assignment working with a learner who is at-risk or has a disability. It is intended to enable the student to demonstrate skills in assessment and prescription and in the implementation and evaluation of a tutorial plan of instruction for a specific learner in a mainstream or self-contained setting.

​SPED 4406. Teaching Practicum in Gifted (0-4-2).Prerequisite: Admission to Teacher Education. Co-requisite: SPED 4236. Application of best practices in gifted education through field-based experiences. Participation in instructional planning, delivery, and evaluation with gifted children and youth. Emphasis on implementation of effective teaching strategies, methods, and resources with gifted learners. (S/U Grading).

SPED 4407. Teaching Practicum in Mild and Moderate Disabilities (0-4-2).Prerequisite: Admission to Teacher Education. Co-requisite: SPED 4245. Practical, hands-on experiences working with individuals who have mild and moderate disabilities. Special focus on the educational programming of individuals with mild and moderate disabilities, including best practices in instructional planning, implementation, and evaluation. Use of appropriate methods, materials, resources, and accommodations for individuals with mild and moderate disabilities within various school and community-based settings. (S/U Grading).

SPED 4485. Student Teaching in Special Education (0-40-10)Prerequisites: SPED 2256 and Admission to Teacher Education and Student Teaching. This final field experience is open only to special education undergraduate students who have completed all of their Special Education professional sequence requirements. It will consist of full-time student teaching in an appropriate educational setting serving students with disabilities. Students will participate in all phases of the school program to which they are assigned. (S/U grading) (Additional fee required.)

SPED 5205. Learning and Behavioral Characteristics of Children with Disabilities, Gifts, and Talents (2-2-3) Includes learning and behavioral characteristics of children with disabilities, gifts, and talents. Laws influencing special education and Georgia's guidelines for identification and alternative educational programs for exceptional children. Field experience required.

SPED 5225. Introduction to Severe Impairments (3-0-3)Prerequisites: SPED 2256. This course provides basic knowledge about individuals with severe mental , physical, emotional, and/or sensory disabilities. Biomedical, legal, sociological, and educational perspectives are examined. Special emphasis is placed on organization and management of educational programs, as well as assessment and instruction of pupils.

SPED 5285. Characteristics of the Preschool Child with Disabilities (2-2-3) Characteristics of the preschool child with disabilities, historical current development of the fields of early intervention and preschool services. Field experiences required.

SPED 5286. Teaching the Preschool Child with Disabilities (2-2-3) Information for the effective instruction of young children, birth through age five, with disabilities. Field experiences required.

SPED 6125. Managing Students with Behavioral Problems (3-0-3) This course examines the principles of behavior management as related to academic and nonacademic behaviors of learners with disabilities. General and specific methods for generating, strengthening, and maintaining desirable behavior and methods for weakening behavior are presented.

SPED 6145. Language Instruction for Children with Disabilities (2-2-3)Prerequisites: Department approval. Surveys instructional methods and materials used to teach speaking, listening, reading and writing, to children with disabilities. Emphasizes the teaching of study skills, thematic approaches, and improvement of memory.

SPED 6175. Lifespan Issues for People with Disabilities (3-0-3)Prerequisite: Department approval. Issues which affect individuals across the Lifespan; e.g. Health care, insurance, social integration, mobility.

SPED 6186. Nature and Characteristics of Children with Behavior and/or Emotional Disorders (3-0-3)Prerequisite: Department approval. Etiology of behavior and/or emotional disorders. Types of childhood behavior and/or emotional disorders. Identification procedures, eligibility requirements, educational issues, theoretical framework, specific program models, and strategies.

SPED 6187. Nature and Characteristics of Children with Specific Learning Disabilities (3-0-3)Prerequisite: Department approval. Definitions of "Specific Learning Disability", etiology of learning disabilities and their impact on the child's emotional development, academic performance, and social interaction.

SPED 6188. Learning and Behavioral Characteristics of Students with Mental Retardation (3-0-3)Prerequisite: Department approval. Characteristics of mental retardation. Social, psychological, and educational implications of mental retardation. Historic and political perspectives.

SPED 6189. Nature and Characteristics of Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities (3-0-3)This course is intended to provide a study of the characteristics and needs of children, youth, and adults with mild and moderate disabilities, including the history, current laws, and identification procedures, eligibility requirements, educational issues, theoretical framework, specific program models and strategies. The social, psychological, and educational implications of mild and moderate disabilities as well as the historical and political perspectives will be included.

SPED 6215. Teaching students with Mental Retardation (2-2-3) Materials and methods for teaching children with mental retardation including adaptations, modifications and accommodations in the general education classroom.

SPED 6265. Advanced Assessment of Exceptional Children and Youth (2-2-3) The emphasis of this course is on basic psychometric concepts related to theory and interpretation of test results and psychological reports. Special attention is given to the diagnosis of students based upon psychometric data. The selection of remedial education programs related to these test results as well as recent issues in testing are discussed. This course emphasizes the selection of standardized test batteries and norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessment techniques. 

​SPED 6269. Assistive Technology for Exceptional Learners. (2-0-2). This course is designed to provide specific information, exposure, and experience related to a variety of ways that current and emerging technology may be used to improve the education and lives of learners with disabilities. 

SPED 6285. Program Development and Curriculum for Gifted Learners (2-2-3)Prerequisite: Admission to Teacher Education or Department approval. Surveys all current successful strategies and programs being used to implement instruction to children and youth who are gifted. Field experience required.

SPED 6286. Methods and Materials for Teaching Children with Behavior and/or Emotional Disorders (2-2-3)Prerequisite: Department approval. Analysis of selected best practice strategies, methods, techniques and materials. Practice associating materials with appropriate methods. Application rehearsals, survey of classroom therapies. Practice use of classroom therapies.

SPED 6287. Methods and Materials for Teaching Children with Specific Learning Disabilities (2-2-3) This course examines several theoretical perspectives which attempt to explain why students with learning disabilities fail to learn. Within each perspective, the application of selected theories to the teaching of students with learning disabilities is addressed. Emphasis is placed upon the validity of interventions derived from each theory.

SPED 6288. Learning and Behavioral Characteristics of Gifted Learners (2-2-3)Prerequisite: Admission to Teacher Education or Department approval. Surveys definition, characteristics, and identification of the gifted. Examines the effects of cultural diversity with an eye toward the provision of appropriate services to gifted children and youth who are traditionally undeserved, disadvantaged, or disabled. Field experience required.

SPED 6289. Teaching the Gifted Learner (2-2-3)Prerequisite: Admission to Teacher Education or Department approval. Administrative and instructional intervention for gifted learners. Ability grouping, inclusion, enrichment, special classes, acceleration.

SPED 6295. Teaching Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities (2-2-3) A study of the application of research validated practices in the areas of educational placement, instructional and transitional planning, data management and materials utilization for students of school age who require intermittent and limited supports beyond those provided by regular education.

SPED 6416. Practicum in Behavior Disorders (0-6-3)Prerequisites: SPED 6186, SPED 6265, SPED 6286, and SPED 6306. This final field experience is open only for special education graduate students who have completed all of their special education endorsement requirements. It will consist of full-time teaching in an appropriate educational setting serving students with behavioral disorders. Students will participate in all phases of the school program to which the are assigned. (S/U graded).

SPED 6417. Practicum in Specific Learning Disabilities (0-6-3)Prerequisite: Department approval. This final field experience is open only for special education graduate students who have completed all of their special education endorsement requirements. It will consist of full-time teaching in an appropriate educational setting serving students with learning disabilities. Students will participate in all phases of the school program to which the are assigned. (S/U graded).

SPED 6418. Practicum in Mental Retardation (0-6-3)Prerequisite: Department approval. This final field experience is open only for special education graduate students who have completed all of their special education endorsement requirements. It will consist of full-time teaching in an appropriate educational setting serving students with mental retardation. Students will participate in all phases of the school program to which the are assigned. (S/U graded).

SPED 6419. Practicum in Mild and Moderate Disabilities (0-6-3) This final field experience is open only for special education graduate students who have completed all of their special education endorsement requirements. It will consist of full-time intern teaching in an appropriate educational setting, serving students with mild and moderate disabilities. Students will participate in all phases of the school program to which they are assigned. (S/U graded).

SPED 6785. Acquisition and Analysis of Special Education Information (3-0-3) This course is designed to provide an introduction to information processing techniques in special education. The course will present an information processing model emphasizing the initial components of that model, namely methods and techniques for locating, accessing, organizing and manipulating text and media source material as well as field-based information. Students will apply the model by analyzing information needs, accessing materials, and organizing information related to current issues and tends in the field of special education.

SPED 6786. Special Educator as User and Disseminator of Information (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SPED 6785. This course is designed to prepare the Special Educator to use information to form judgments, make decisions, substantiate positions, persuade others, and/or to demonstrate and explain to others. The process will be directly related to a variety of Special Education problems and/or issues identified with students' professional context. Students will learn to apply the processes through demonstration, guided instruction, small group activities, individual assignments, and class projects. Special Education content domains targeted by this course include parent relations, collaboration, community resources, advocacy, interdisciplinary concerns, classroom instruction, and in-service training.

SPED 6796. Trends and Issues in Special Education (3-0-3) This course is designed to provide in-depth exploration of current issues in the field of special education and in the various specific areas of exceptionality. Issues relating to the interface of general and special education will also be explored. Using skills acquired in SPED 6786, students will be expected to review, evaluate, and present information on the various topics considered.

SPED 6899. Independent Study (1-3 hours)Prerequisite: Department approval. An integrative directive study of a current, specific issue, problem, or other approved topic. May be repeated for credit.