Master's Degree in Special Education

SPED 552. Inclusive Methods. 3 Credits.

The study of a variety of methods and materials for teaching and assessing children and youth with learning and behavior problems in the general education classroom.

SPED 511. Identification and Assessment of Young Children with Special Needs. 3 Credits.

A study of the principles and procedures for screening, identifying and evaluating young children with special needs. Emphasis will be placed on exposing students to available assessment instruments and providing opportunities for actual testing of preschoolers. Prerequisite: Admission to one of the master's programs in special education.

SPED 545. Assessment and Behavior Change Systems. 4 Credits.

This course will address the process of identifying behaviors targeted for change and the use of behavioral assessment techniques to identify and analyze behavior-environment relations for the purpose of developing successful, functionally-based intervention strategies. Students will learn a variety of methods for behavior assessment, interventions, analysis of interventions, experimental analysis, and interpreting outcomes including the use of practical behaviorally-based assessment tools such as checklists, rating scales, structured observation tools, and curricular assessments. F,S,SS.

SPED 542. Ethical and Professional Conduct for Behavior Analysts. 3 Credits.

This course introduces ethical and professional considerations relevant in the professional practice of applied behavior analysis as well as the ethical and disciplinary standards of the profession. Students will become familiar with the ethical and professional conduct and legal issues relevant to Board Certified Behavior Analyst-level practitioners, as well as the professional conduct consistent with the practice of applied behavior analysis. F,S,SS.

SPED 502. Braille Reading and Writing. 2 Credits.

In this course students learn: 1) to read and write the literary code of grade 2 braille and 2) to teach the literary code of grade 2 braille to students of all ages. Prerequisites: Must demonstrate proficiency in Braille Code I and Braille Code II, or, must enroll in Braille Code II and Braille Reading and Writing concurrently. S.

SPED 567. Assessment in Autism Spectrum Disorder. 3 Credits.

This course is a required course in a sequence of interdisciplinary courses focusing on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This course will address the entire process of program planning for students with ASD including screening, evaluative assessment, ongoing assessment, using assessment to guide intervention planning, and monitoring progress. Students will explore a variety of methods and tools commonly used with individuals with ASD; specifically, standardized assessments, checklists, rating scales, structured observation tools, and curricular based assessments. Its central focus is on assessing the ongoing needs and strengths of individuals with ASD in order to plan successful interventions in further differentiating instruction. S,SS.