SED 220 - Special Education: An Overview

(3 credits)

45 lecture hours
Prerequisites: ENG 101
The field of special education and the population it serves are introduced. The history of special education is discussed. Federal and State regulations are emphasized. Each exceptionality is presented in terms of group characteristics, accepted category definitions, causes of disorder, and developmental assessment and identification techniques. The course focuses on the need for early identification of special children and the ways in which these children can be identified. The physical and psychosocial needs of special children and the effects of their exceptionalities on their families, teachers, and peers are presented. Students are introduced to appropriate educational techniques and to individualized instructional approaches in the special education setting.