Special Education Course

Lesson 1 • History and Evolution of Special Education

Traces the shift from exclusion to inclusion across major eras of special education. Establishes historical context that informs current legal and ethical obligations.

Lesson 2 • Roles of Special Education Professionals

Defines the responsibilities of special educators, paraprofessionals, and related service providers. Clarifies collaborative roles that students will occupy upon entering the field.

Lesson 3 • Rights-Based Framework in Education

Examines the rights of children with disabilities to equitable, quality education. Connects international conventions and national mandates to classroom-level responsibilities.

Lesson 1 • Theories of Learning and Exceptionality

Applies behavioral, cognitive, and sociocultural learning theories to students with disabilities. Grounds instructional design decisions in evidence-based theoretical models.

Lesson 2 • Typical Developmental Milestones

Reviews cognitive, language, social, and motor milestones from birth through adolescence. Establishes a baseline for identifying developmental delays and exceptionalities.

Lesson 3 • Atypical Development Across Domains

Examines how various disabilities disrupt typical developmental trajectories. Connects domain-specific delays to instructional implications addressed in later chapters.

Lesson 1 • Eligibility Determination and Referral Process

Outlines the multi-step referral, evaluation, and eligibility decision-making process. Prepares educators to participate effectively in multidisciplinary eligibility meetings.

Lesson 2 • Principles of Educational Assessment

Establishes core assessment concepts including validity, reliability, and bias. Provides the evaluative lens needed to select and interpret appropriate assessment instruments.

Lesson 3 • Informal and Classroom-Based Assessment

Introduces observation, portfolio, and curriculum-based measurement techniques. Equips teachers to gather ongoing data without relying solely on formal evaluations.

Lesson 4 • Interpreting Data for Instructional Planning

Translates assessment results into present levels of performance and instructional priorities. Bridges the assessment chapter to individualized planning covered next.

Lesson 1 • IEP Team Meetings and Family Collaboration

Prepares educators to facilitate productive, family-centered IEP meetings. Covers communication strategies that promote shared decision-making and trust.

Lesson 2 • Accommodations and Modifications

Distinguishes between accommodations that support access and modifications that alter content expectations. Students select appropriate supports aligned to each student's disability profile.

Lesson 3 • Transition Planning in the IEP

Addresses post-secondary transition goals for students approaching adulthood. Integrates vocational, independent living, and community participation planning into the IEP.

Lesson 4 • Writing Measurable Annual Goals

Teaches the SMART goal framework applied to academic, functional, and behavioral objectives. Students practice writing goals that are observable, measurable, and achievable.

Lesson 1 • Tiered Intervention and Support Systems

Introduces multi-tiered systems of support as a framework for matching instruction to need. Clarifies how special educators operate within Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention structures.

Lesson 2 • Explicit and Systematic Instruction

Covers the I-Do/We-Do/You-Do gradual release model and its application to skill-based learning. Particularly effective for students with cognitive, learning, and language disabilities.

Lesson 3 • Universal Design for Learning in Practice

Translates UDL's three principles into concrete lesson design decisions. Reduces barriers proactively so all students access grade-level content from the outset.

Lesson 4 • Literacy Instruction for Diverse Learners

Applies structured literacy and evidence-based reading interventions to students with disabilities. Addresses phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Lesson 1 • Functional Behavior Assessment

Teaches systematic FBA procedures to identify the function of challenging behavior. Accurate function identification is prerequisite to designing effective behavior intervention plans.

Lesson 2 • Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

Applies school-wide PBIS frameworks to create proactive, positive learning environments. Connects individual behavior plans to broader school-wide prevention systems.

Lesson 3 • Foundations of Applied Behavior Analysis

Introduces ABA principles including reinforcement, extinction, and antecedent-behavior-consequence analysis. Provides the theoretical base for all behavior intervention strategies in this chapter.

Lesson 4 • Behavior Intervention Plan Design

Guides students through writing a complete BIP based on FBA findings. Covers antecedent modifications, replacement behavior teaching, and consequence strategies.

Lesson 1 • Co-Teaching Models and Structures

Surveys six co-teaching models and the conditions under which each is most effective. Prepares special educators to negotiate roles and responsibilities with general education partners.

Lesson 2 • Managing the Inclusive Classroom Environment

Addresses physical arrangement, routines, and sensory considerations in inclusive settings. Ensures the environment supports diverse learners without singling out students with disabilities.

Lesson 3 • Peer-Mediated Learning Strategies

Introduces peer tutoring, cooperative learning, and classwide peer support as inclusion tools. Builds social capital and academic engagement for students with and without disabilities.

Lesson 4 • Principles of Inclusive Education

Defines inclusion beyond physical placement to encompass belonging, participation, and achievement. Challenges deficit thinking and builds an asset-based mindset toward disability.

Lesson 1 • Foundations of Progress Monitoring

Defines progress monitoring, its frequency requirements, and its role in special education accountability. Distinguishes it from annual assessment and connects it to IEP goal measurement.

Lesson 2 • Reporting Progress to Families and Teams

Prepares educators to communicate progress data clearly to families and IEP teams. Covers written reports, visual data displays, and family-friendly language.

Lesson 3 • Curriculum-Based Measurement Techniques

Teaches CBM probes for reading, writing, and math as efficient, reliable monitoring tools. Students administer, score, and graph CBM data to track individual student progress.

Lesson 4 • Adjusting Instruction Based on Data

Translates data analysis into specific instructional modifications and intervention changes. Closes the loop between assessment and teaching to maximize student growth.