Major: INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL EDUCATION

Course Code: 311

Credit Hours: 03

 

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

This course is designed for students to introduce exceptional children and to the field of Special Education. The aim behind this is that the students should know more about the concepts which are necessary for the understanding of special child. The course covers knowledge about special children, categories of exceptionalities, and special educational needs. It also includes historical roots of this discipline and recent developments made by different developed and developing nations. The main emphasis is placed on providing basic conceptual framework of the subject to the students.

 

ADVANCE ORGANIZER

When students complete this course, they will be able to answer the following:

1. What is special education and why do we have it?
   
2. Who receives special education in today's schools?
   
3. What is it like to be exceptional?
   
4. How do you react to people who are exceptional?
   
5. Explain the historical roots of special education.
   
6. What are the major ways in which special education services we delivered?
   
7. What is an individualized education program?
   
8. What is an individualized family service plan?
   

 

UNIT – 1:    Basic Concepts in Special Education

1. Concepts and Definition
   
   1. Disease, Disorder, Abnormal, Atrophy
      
   1. At-Risk, Impairment, Disability, Handicap
      
   2. Special Children, Special Education, Special Educational Needs
      
2. Categories of Special Children
   
3. Perspectives on Disabilities
   

• Psycho-medical Perspective
  
• Social Perspective
  
• Teacher Development Perspective
  
• Disability Perspective
  

 

UNIT – 2:    Origins of Special Education

1. People and Ideas
   
2. Growth of the Discipline
   
3. Professional and Parent Organizations
   
4. Legislation (USA, Japan, U.K., India).
   

 

UNIT – 3:    Special Education System

1. Segregation
   
2. Integration
   
3. Inclusion
   

 

UNIT – 4:    Current Trends and Issues

1. Integration
   
2. Inclusive Education
   
3. Early Intervention
   
4. Transition from School to Work
   
5. Labeling and classification
   
6. Assessment and Placement
   

 

UNIT – 5:     Service Delivery Model

1. Individualized Family Support Program (IFSP)
   
2. Individualized Education Program (IEP)
   
3. Individualized Transitional Plan (ITP)
   
4. Community Based Rehabilitation
   
5. A Continuum of Services
   

   Level 1:    Regular Classroom
   

   Level 2:    Special Education Teacher
   

   Level 3:    Itinerant Teacher
   

   Level 4:    Resource Teacher
   

   Level 5:    Diagnostic – Prescriptive Center
   

   Level 6:    Hospital or Homebound Instruction
   

   Level 7:    Self-Contained Class    
   

   Level 7:    Special Day School
   

   Level 9:    Residential School
   

 

Recommended Books:

 

1. Smith (1998). Introduction to Special Education (3^rd Ed.)Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
   
2. Ysseldyke (1991). Critical Issues in Special Education. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
   
3. Hallahan (1991). Exceptional Children (4^th ed.). Columbus:Merrill pub.Co.
   
4. Mitchell, D. (1999). Early Intervention Studies for young children with special needs. London: Chapman and Hall.