Special Education Teacher Course

Lesson 1 • Categories of Disability and Eligibility

Introduces federally recognized disability categories and eligibility criteria. Prepares teachers to understand referral and evaluation processes.

Lesson 2 • Disability Models and Frameworks

Compares medical, social, and educational models of disability. Grounds instructional decision-making in a strengths-based, person-first perspective.

Lesson 3 • Legal and Ethical Foundations

Examines the regulatory requirements governing special education eligibility, rights, and services. Connects legal obligations to daily classroom and IEP responsibilities.

Lesson 4 • History and Evolution of Special Education

Traces the shift from exclusion to inclusion across key historical periods. Establishes the context needed to understand current mandates and practices.

Lesson 1 • Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Covers adaptive behavior, cognitive functioning, and developmental trajectories for students with intellectual disabilities. Links profile data to functional curriculum planning.

Lesson 2 • Low-Incidence and Multiple Disabilities

Introduces sensory, physical, and complex multiple disabilities that require specialized supports. Expands teacher awareness of diverse service needs beyond high-incidence categories.

Lesson 3 • Autism Spectrum Disorder Profiles

Describes the range of social, communicative, and sensory characteristics across the autism spectrum. Prepares teachers to individualize supports based on profile variability.

Lesson 4 • Learning Disabilities in Depth

Examines the cognitive and neurological bases of reading, writing, and math disabilities. Connects profile characteristics to targeted instructional responses.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Special Education Assessment

Establishes foundational concepts of validity, reliability, and bias in assessment. Frames assessment as an ongoing, multifaceted process rather than a single event.

Lesson 2 • Formal and Standardized Assessment Tools

Reviews norm-referenced and criterion-referenced instruments used in eligibility and planning. Teaches score interpretation including standard scores, percentiles, and age equivalents.

Lesson 3 • Progress Monitoring and Data Interpretation

Builds skills for collecting, graphing, and interpreting ongoing student performance data. Enables teachers to make timely instructional changes based on trend analysis.

Lesson 4 • Functional Behavioral Assessment

Teaches the process of identifying the function of challenging behavior through data collection. Provides the foundation for designing effective behavior intervention plans.

Lesson 1 • IEP Components and Legal Requirements

Identifies each required IEP component and its regulatory purpose. Establishes the standard for compliant, student-centered IEP documentation.

Lesson 2 • Writing Measurable Goals and Objectives

Teaches the structure of SMART goals tied directly to present levels and assessment data. Ensures goals are observable, measurable, and instructionally actionable.

Lesson 3 • Accommodations and Modifications

Distinguishes between accommodations and modifications and their appropriate application. Guides teachers in selecting supports that maintain rigor while removing barriers.

Lesson 4 • IEP Meetings and Team Collaboration

Develops skills for facilitating productive, family-centered IEP meetings. Strengthens collaborative communication among all team members including parents and related service providers.

Lesson 1 • Universal Design for Learning in Practice

Applies UDL principles of multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression. Guides teachers in designing flexible lessons that proactively reduce barriers for all learners.

Lesson 2 • Functional and Life Skills Curriculum

Addresses instruction in daily living, vocational, and community skills for students with significant disabilities. Connects functional curriculum to meaningful adult outcomes.

Lesson 3 • Evidence-Based Reading and Literacy Instruction

Applies structured literacy and explicit phonics instruction for students with reading disabilities. Builds teacher fluency in delivering systematic, sequential literacy interventions.

Lesson 4 • Principles of Specially Designed Instruction

Defines specially designed instruction and distinguishes it from general differentiation. Establishes the link between IEP goals, assessment data, and instructional design.

Lesson 1 • Tiered Behavior Support Systems

Explains the three-tier PBIS framework and how each tier addresses different levels of need. Positions the special educator as a key implementer of Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports.

Lesson 2 • Structured Classroom Environment Design

Covers physical arrangement, routines, schedules, and visual supports that prevent behavior problems. Connects environmental design to reduced anxiety and increased student independence.

Lesson 3 • Crisis Prevention and De-escalation

Teaches recognition of escalation cycles and evidence-based de-escalation techniques. Prepares teachers to respond safely and restore learning after behavioral crises.

Lesson 4 • Applied Behavior Analysis Fundamentals

Introduces core ABA concepts including reinforcement, extinction, and stimulus control. Provides the behavioral science foundation for all subsequent behavior support strategies.

Lesson 1 • Co-Teaching Approaches and Structures

Describes six co-teaching models and the conditions under which each is most effective. Builds practical skills for planning and delivering instruction with a general education partner.

Lesson 2 • Continuum of Service Delivery Models

Maps the full continuum from full inclusion to self-contained settings and explains decision criteria. Prepares teachers to advocate for appropriate placements based on individual student needs.

Lesson 3 • Supporting Students in General Education

Provides strategies for embedding accommodations and supports within inclusive classroom routines. Ensures students with disabilities access grade-level content without stigma or isolation.

Lesson 4 • Building a Collaborative School Culture

Addresses systemic factors that enable or hinder inclusive practice at the school level. Equips teachers to contribute to a culture of shared responsibility for all learners.

Lesson 1 • Conflict Resolution and Due Process

Prepares teachers to navigate disagreements with families through mediation and procedural safeguards. Reduces adversarial outcomes by building proactive communication practices.

Lesson 2 • Culturally Responsive Family Engagement

Examines cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic factors that shape family participation in special education. Builds strategies for equitable, trust-based family partnerships.

Lesson 3 • Community and Agency Partnerships

Identifies community resources and interagency collaboration strategies that extend student support beyond school. Connects teachers to networks that strengthen transition and family outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Effective Communication with Families

Develops skills for delivering clear, jargon-free communication about student progress and services. Covers written, verbal, and digital communication formats appropriate for diverse families.