Course description
‘Special education’ means teaching that is tailored to meet the needs of learners with disabilities and challenges. This course teaches you the core elements of special education, including recent changes in educational legislation, particularly in the United States. We discuss the roles and responsibilities of teachers and trainers and explain how to develop an appropriate individual educational plan (IEP).
As a teacher or trainer, working with students with special needs requires specific skills and strategies to create and deliver effective programmes. This course describes the disabilities most frequently encountered in the classroom, which includes learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual disabilities, behavioural disorders, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. We describe each of these disabilities in detail and provide practical strategies to assist and teach students despite them.
This course suits teachers who would like to expand their skills and work with students with special education needs. It can also help parents of children with learning disabilities to understand their children’s special situations. We can show you how to develop educational plans that can open the world to children who would struggle in silence without such training.
Upcoming start dates
Training content
Module 1: Introduction to Special Education
Description: In this module you will learn how to correctly define special education and the main responsibilities of teachers who teach students with special educational needs. You will be introduced to the concept of least restrictive environment and how to modify assessments for students with special educational needs.
- Learning Outcomes
- Special Education and Legislation
- Teachers’ Responsibilities for Special Education
- The Individual Educational Plan
- The Value of Inclusive Education
- Categories of Disabilities
- Lesson Summary
Module 2: Learning Disabilities
Description: Learn how to correctly define learning disability and how to distinguish a learning disability from other types of disabilities. You will be introduced to strategies that can help students with learning disabilities.
- Learning Outcomes
- Introduction to Learning Disabilities
- Case Study: Assisting a student with a learning disability
- Lesson Summary
Module 3: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Description: This module introduces Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and behavioural signs exhibited by students. You will learn about the drugs that students with ADHD take to reduce their symptoms and practical problems associated with taking these drugs. The modules also describes strategies that a teacher can use to teach students with ADHD.
- Learning Outcomes
- Introduction to ADHD
- Teaching Students with ADHD
- Lesson Summary
Module 4: Intellectual Disabilities
Description: You will learn how to distinguish between an intellectual disability and a learning disability, and the strategies that teachers use when teaching students with intellectual disabilities.
- Learning Outcomes
- Introduction to Intellectual Disabilities
- Teaching Students with Intellectual Disabilities
- Lesson Summary
Module 5: Behavioural Disorders
Description: You will learn about potential types of triggers of inappropriate behaviour. You will be introduced to examples of problematic behaviour that a student with a behavioural disorder might display and strategies for teaching students with behavioural disorders.
- Learning Outcomes
- Introduction to Behavioural Disorders
- Teaching Students with Behavioural Disorders
- Lesson Summary
Module 6: Physical Disabilities and Sensory Impairments
Description: You will learn to recognise the signs of hearing loss and visual impairment and strategies for teaching students with hearing loss and visual impairment.
- Learning Outcomes
- Introduction to Physical Disabilities and Sensory Impairments
- Teaching Students with Hearing Loss
- Teaching Students with Visual Impairment
- Lesson Summary
Course assessment
- Assessment: Working with Students with Special Educational Needs Assessment
Certification / Credits
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Describe the fundamentals of special education
- Outline the most common disabilities encountered in the classroom
- Outline a basic individual education plan (IEP) for a student with special educational needs
- Identify strategies for teaching students with intellectual disabilities
- Identify the correct definition for a 'behavioural disorder'
- List three strategies for teaching students with hearing loss
- Describe three strategies for teaching students with visual impairment.
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