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Special Education 465

I. Course Title: Individualized Supports and Specialized Care of Students with Significant Disabilities

II. Course Number: EDSP 465

III. Credit Hours: 3 credits

IV. Prerequisites: EDSP 464

V. Course Description:

Provides an understanding of the unique physical, sensory, communication, and health and medical needs of students with significant disabilities, how these needs impact the educational program, how special education and related services are delivered, and how to design academic, functional and behavioral instruction and adaptations to meet those needs.

VI. Detailed Description of Content of the Course:

This course provides an understanding and application of service delivery for students with significant disabilities and their unique care needs, including the ability to identify the physical, sensory, communication, health and medical needs of students with significant disabilities and understand how these needs impact the educational program; an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of related services and support staff working in a collaborative setting and the process and procedures related to initiating a related service request; and knowledge of instruction that blends and incorporates academic, functional, communication and behavioral goals and objectives, while integrating positioning, self-help, feeding, grooming, sensory, and toileting programs into the instructional delivery.

VI. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course:

Class lecture and assigned readings
Discussion activities and assignments
Application activities and assignments
Individual and/or small group activities
Individual and/or small group presentations
Research-based writing activities and assignments
Video and other multimedia learning tools
Field Trips, as appropriate

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 Independence Curriculum.

Upon successful completion of this course, the course participant will be able to:

Describe the impact of the unique physical, sensory, communication, and health and medical needs of students with significant disabilities on development, academics, behavior, and social interaction and engagement.
Discuss the medical diagnoses and medical terms associated with students with significant disabilities, and the specialized health care interventions that may be required and review evaluation reports written by medical professionals and therapy professionals in order to understand and communicate their impact on the student’s functioning in school and community settings, and to determine the need for medical and related services as part of the IEP for students with significant disabilities.
Discuss and evaluate the range of augmentative and alternative communication devices and systems/assistive technology available for individuals with significant disabilities, and identify an appropriate low tech communication stragegy or system based on the needs of the individual student.
Apply knowledge of typical physical and sensory development of children to the development of adapted learning experiences, environments and equipment for students with significant disabilities with atypical physical and sensory development and functioning.
Write educationally relevant IEP goals and objectives that address individual physical, sensory, communication and/or medical needs and that also enhance academic success, and develop lesson plans that blend and incorporate the academic, functional, communication and behavioral goals and objectives, while integrating positioning, self-help, feeding, grooming, sensory, and toileting programs into the instructional delivery.
Design physical or sensory management plans that incorporate positioning and handling strategies and assistive technology.
Identify and use evidence-based strategies for instruction and adaptations to address physical, sensory, communication, and health and medical needs.

VIII. Assessment Measures:

Assessment measures may include, but are not limited to the following:

Using a case study, design a physical or sensory management plan with assistive technology.
Using a case study, develop a communication plan and provide a rationale for supporting assistive technology that matches the individual’s physical and/or sensory needs.
Given a detailed mock IEP, design lesson plans that blend and incorporate the academic, functional, communication and behavioral goals and objectives, while integrating positioning, self-help, feeding, grooming, sensory, and toileting programs into the instructional delivery.
Homework and in-class assignments

Review and Approval

August 2020