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EDSP 672

I. Course Title: Characteristics of Learners with Disabilities who Access the General Education Curriculum, K-12

II. Course Number: EDSP 672

III. Credit Hours: 3 credits

IV. Prerequisites: EDSP 361 or EDSP 651

V. Course Description: 

This course provides educators an understanding of characteristics and the learning and behavioral support needs of students with disabilities who are accessing the general education curriculum at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, including students with specific learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, emotional and behavioral disabilities, other health impairments, traumatic brain injury, developmental delay, autism, multiple disabilities and orthopedic impairments. Students will understand how the experiences of individuals with disabilities can impact families, as well as how disabilities may affect the individual’s ability to learn, interact socially, and live as fulfilled, contributing members of their communities.

VI. Detailed Description of Content of the Course:

The course allows educators to understand how disabilities can interact with the domains of human development and how educators can use this knowledge to respond to the varying abilities and behaviors of individuals with disabilities. This course examines key topics such as cognitive functioning, including attention, memory, and critical thinking, and the impact of cognitive characteristics of learning; language development and related skills; social development; emotional and behavioral regulation; and medical aspects. Students in this course will understand how students may differ in these domains, which are impacted by the nature and level of severity of the disability as well as by factors related to age/developmental level, and cultural/ethnic and socioeconomic background, and how these factors may affect participation in the general education curriculum.

Course concepts will address:

  • Physical, social, psychological, behavioral, academic, and medical characteristics of students with disabilities and how these characteristics impact student learning.
  • Characteristics and effects of the cultural and environmental milieu of the student with disabilities.
  • The impact of disabilities on reading, academic skills, critical thinking, and social skills.

VI. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course:

Readings, lecture and online modules, discussions, analysis of case studies, writing assignments and other application activities, which may include presentations.

VII. Goals and Objectives of the Course:

Goals, objectives, and assignments address the Virginia Department of Education regulations for preparing educators and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Initial Preparation Standards and Specialty Set Knowledge and Skill Items. Specialty sets included in this course cover competencies for the Individualized General Curriculum and Individualized Independence Curriculum.

Having successfully completed this course, the student will be able to:

  1. Describe the differing ways of learning of individuals with disabilities including these from culturally diverse background.
  2. Describe the psychological and social-emotional characteristics of individuals with disabilities.
  3. Describe the impact of sensory impairments and their impact on learning and experience.
  4. Describe the impact of physical and health disabilities on individuals, medical aspects of conditions affecting individuals with disabilities, the impact on families and society, and explain the common etiologies.
  5. Provide educational implications of various disabilities, including the impact of disabilities on reading, auditory and information processing, academic skills, critical thinking, and social skills.
  6. Identify characteristics and effects of the cultural and environmental milieu of individuals with disabilities and their families. Discuss issues in definition and identification procedures for students from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, the influence of family systems and the role of families in supporting development. Discuss variation in beliefs, traditions, and values across and within cultures and how these cultural perspectives influence relationships among families, schools, and communities as related to instruction for students with disabilities.
  7. Describe the impact of learners' attitudes, interests, and values on instruction and career development.
  8. Identify research-supported strategies, appropriate levels and types of support and/or adaptations, including technology, to address the needs of individual students.

VIII. Assessment Measures:

Assessment measures may include, but are not limited to:

  1. Exams
  2. Participation in class discussions
  3. Case study analysis
  4. Demonstration of knowledge of research-supported strategies

Other Course Information: None

 

Review and Approval

11/6/2002 New Course Alice Anderson

10/1/2008 Revised Kenna M. Colley, Brenda-Jean Tyler, Debora Bays

8/15/2019 Revised Brenda-Jean Tyler, Leslie Daniel

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