MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

EDU 215D – THE EXCEPTIONAL LEARNER

Instructor: Dr. Ijey Nwachuku Office Hours: By Appointment

Online Course Phone: (860) 343-5814

Credits: 3 Semester: Summer 2008

E-mail: Use Webct mail. When WebCt is down use inwachuku@mxcc.commnet.edu

COURSE TEXTBOOK

Allen, K. E. and Cowdery, G. E. (2009). The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education. (6^th ed.). Thomson, Delmar Learning, United States.

RECOMMENDED PRACTICE BOOK

Gibb, G. S. and Dyches, T. T (2007). Guide to Writing Quality Individualized Education Programs. (2^nd ed.). Pearson, Allyn and Bacon, Boston

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The study of the exceptional learner or special needs child. Emphasis is on the history, laws, concepts, practices, and terminology used by professionals in the field. Educators are assisted in understanding the needs of students with exceptionalities and helped to identify the characteristics, issues, and instructional considerations for students with disabilities.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Trace society’s changing attitudes towards children with disabilities
Discuss inclusion in terms of early development
Describe types of programs where inclusive early childhood services are provided
Describe essential elements of an inclusive programs for children from birth to 8 years of age; examine laws that impact young children with disabilities and their families; explore strategies for teaching children with disabilities
Distinguish between developmental sequences and developmental milestones for typical and atypical children; identify and examine causes, prevalence, and classifications of disabilities among various groups.

· Define giftedness in young children and explain the contributing factors.

Discuss the correlation between poverty and developmental disabilities in young children from different cultural backgrounds.

· Examine why it is inappropriate to use terms like mentally retarded, emotionally disturbed, or learning disabled in reference to young children

Define the concepts of family uniqueness and how this concept affects teachers’ practices in early childhood education.
Outline the major requirements of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) with emphasis on cultural differences.
Draw up a format for holding conferences with parents/families of children with disabilities; including planning and follow-up. Students will role play sensitive issues involved with parents conferences e.g. language, education, culture, socio-economic differences.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS/GRADING GRID/DESCRIPTION GRADING

A	Weekly Student Activity Discussion Topics/Questions (10 points each including introduction week)	100 points
B	Field Internship (25 hours, IEP, Final Report) Completed 25 hours of observation/participation Individualized Education Plan/Program Final written report	150 points 150 points 150 points
C	1^st Test (50 multiple choice questions each 3 points) 2^nd Test (50 multiple choice questions each 3 points)	150 points 150 points
D	Final Exam (50 multiple choice questions each 3 points)	150 points
	Total	1000 points

COURSE REQUIREMENTS/DESCRIPTION

Weekly Student Activity Discussion Topics/Questions:

¨ Each week, each student is expected to choose one topic from the Student Activities listed in any of the chapters covered that week.

¨ Each student should then respond to the assigned weekly Student Activity.

¨ You are required to post your response early to allow others to critique it.

¨ Your discussion responses will reference your reading from your text and other resources used.

¨ Each student should at least critique one other students’ responses.

¨ All discussion assignments are due at 11:59pm on the dates indicated in course outline.

¨ Incomplete work and posting will be penalized (i.e. minus 5 points after the posting deadline). It is your responsibility to complete your final posting on the discussion board on/before the deadline.

NOTE: All final discussion questions responses must be posted on discussion board

for the rest of the class to read but will be graded by instructor.

Field Internship/Individual Field Work presentation:

Each student must spend 25 hours in observing a child in a Special Education program/Center to conduct IEP (observe an Exceptional Child and Plan an IEP for that child). This child can be from your own classroom/program or another. Each IEP processes/steps must be completed using the example in your course textbook or from the recommended text/instructor can supply if needed.

Each student is expected to keep journal on the whole field work experience including the child they are observing. At the end you should submit a reflection and summary of at least 5 pages of typed double spaced field experience/reflection report (Please this should not be the narrative of what the child or class did but your own opinion and whole experiences for the 25 hours). You are expected to submit this with your completed I.E.P. report/form. Steps and other information regarding the I.E.P. will be discussed. The project will be graded as follows:

I. Completed 25 hours of observation/participation---------------------150 points

II. Individualized Education Plan/Program--------------------------------150 points

III. Final written report--------------------------------------------------------150 points

NOTE: No child’s real name should be used. Every information is confidential and only for class purposes. A copy of your report may be shared and/or given to the special education teacher /coordinator of the school/program. Each student is expected to develop a workable and usable IEP on the child they observed.

Two Tests/Final Exam: There will be two tests and a final examination.

Total # of points Letter Grade

950 – 1000 A

900 – 949 A-

870 – 899 B+

830 – 869 B

800 – 829 B-

770 – 779 C+

730 – 769 C

700 – 729 C-

670 – 699 D+

630 – 669 D

600 – 629 D-

0 – 599 F

COURSE FORMAT

I will assume that students must complete all the weekly readings, journal, assignments, tests, and exams by the due dates.

OUTLINE

DATE TOPICS/CHAPTERS/ASSIGNMENTS

6/9/08 Course Site Navigate and get to know the different tools on Vista and

on Vista OPENS tell us who you are

Week 1 Chapter 1: An Inclusive Approach to Early Education

6/17-6/22/08 Chapter 2: Federal Legislation: Early Intervention and Prevention

Assignments: Student Activities chapters 1 & 2

Obtain Course Textbook

Week 2 Chapter 3: Inclusive Programs for Young Children

6/23-6/29 Chapter 4: Normal and Exceptional Development

Assignments: Student Activities chapters 3 & 4

Week 3 Chapter 5: Developmental Disabilities: Causes & Classifications

6/30-7/6 Chapter 6: Sensory Impairments: Hearing and Vision

Assignments: Student Activities chapters 5 & 6

FIRST TEST – chapters 1-6 (OPEN ALL WEEK & DUE 7/6/08 by

11:59pm).

Week 4 Chapter 7: Physical Disabilities and Health Problems

7/7-7/113 Chapter 8: Learning and Behavior Disorders

Assignments: Student Activities chapters 7 & 8

Week 5 Chapter 9: Partnership with Families

7/14-7/20 Chapter 10: Assessment and the IFSP/IEP Process

Assignments: Student Activities chapters 9 & 10

Week 6 Chapter 11: Characteristics of Effective Teachers in Inclusive Programs

7/21-7/27 Chapter 12: The Developmental-Behavioral Approach

Assignments: Student Activities chapters 11 & 12

SECOND TEST - chapters 7-12 (OPEN ALL WEEK & DUE 7/27 by

11:59pm).

Week 7 Chapter 13: Arranging the Learning Environment

7/28-8/3 Chapter 14: Facilitating Self-Care, Adaptive, and Independence

Skills

Chapter 15: Facilitating Social Development

Assignments: Student Activities chapters 13, 14, & 15

Week 8 Chapter 16: Facilitating Speech, Language, and Communication

8/4-8/10 Skills

Chapter 17: Facilitating Pre-academic and Cognitive Learning

Assignments: Student Activities chapters 16 & 17

All Individual Field Internship components due – 8/9/08

Week 9 Chapter 18: Managing Challenging Behaviors

8/11-8/14 Chapter 19: Planning Transitions to Support Inclusion

Assignments: Student Activities chapters 18 & 19

FINAL EXAM – chapters 13-19 (OPEN ALL WEEK & DUE 8/14 by

11:59pm).

ADA ACCOMMODATION STATEMENT

“ Students with physical or learning disabilities who may require accommodations are encouraged to contact the Counseling Office. After disclosing the nature of the disability, students are urged to discuss their needs with individual instructors. This should be done at the beginning of each semester. Instructors, in conjunction with appropriate college officials, will provide assistance and/or accommodations only to those students who have completed this process.”

INFORMATION REGARDING ACADEMIC ETHICS AND CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR: “At Middlesex Community College we expect the highest standards of academic honesty. Academic dishonesty is prohibited in accordance with the Board of Trustees” Proscribed Conduct Policy in Section 5.2.1 of the Board of Trustees’ Policy Manual. This policy prohibits cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration on assignments, unauthorized access to examinations or course materials, plagiarism, and other proscribed activities. Plagiarism is defined as the use of another’s idea(s) or phrase(s) and representing that/those idea(s) as your own, either intentionally or unintentionally.” (Board of Trustees’ Policy 5.2.1)

References

Abikoff, H. (1991). Cognitive Training in ADHD children: Less to it than meets the eye. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 24,205-209

Adelman, H. S. (1994). Intervening to enhance home involvement in schooling. Intervention in School and Clinic, 29 (5), 276-284

Agran, M. & Wehmeyer, M.L. (1999). Teaching problem solving to students with mental retardation. Washington, D.C. American Association on Mental Retardation.

Akshoomoff, N. (2000). Neurological underpinnings of autism (Vol 9). Baltimore: Brookes.

Alber, S. R., & Heward. W. L. (1997). Recuit it or lose it! Training student to recruit contingent teacher attention. Intervention in School and Clinic, 5, 275-282

Algozzine, B., & Kay, P. (eds.). (2002) Preventing Problem Behaviors: A handbook of successful prevention strategies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

American Foundation for the Blind. (2000). Position paper on the inclusion of students with visual impairments. www.afb.org

Berney,T.P. (2000) Autism: An evolving concept. British Journal of Psychiatry, 176, 20-25

Best, S.J. (2001). Physical Disabilities. In J.L. Bigge, S.J. Best, & K. W. Heller, Teaching individuals with physical, health, or multiple disabilities. (4^th ed.), (pp. 34-64). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Best, S.J., Bigge, J.L., & Heller, K.W., (2001). Teaching individuals with physical, health, or multiple disabilities. (4^th ed.), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Browder, D.M., & Bambara, L.M. (2000).Home and Community. In M. E. Snell & F. Brown, (Eds), Instruction of students with severe disabilities. (5^th ed.). (pp 543- 589). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Clark, S. G. (2000). The IEP process as a tool for collaboration. Teaching Exceptional Children. 33(2), 56-66

Engleman, M.D., Griffin, H.C., Griffin, L.W., & Maddox, J. I. (1999). A Teacher’s Guide to communicating with students with deaf-blindness. Teaching exceptional children, 31(5), 64-70.

Frank, A. R., & Sitlington, P.L. (1993). Young adults with mental disabilities – Does transition planning make a difference? Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 35, 119-134.

Gallegos, A. & McCarty, L.L. (2000). Bilingual multicultural special education: An integrated personnel preparation program. Teacher education and special education, 23(4), 264-270

Gallivan-Fenlon, A. (1994). Integrated transdisciplinary teams. Teaching exceptional children. 26(30) 16-20

Gresham, F. (2001). Responsiveness to intervention: An alternative approach to the identification of learning disabilities. (Executive Summary). Paper presented at the LD summit, Washington, D.C. http://www.air.org/Ldsummit/paper.htm

Howard, V.F., Williams, B. F., Port, P.D., & Lepper, C. (2001). Very Young Children with special needs: A formative approach for the 21^st century (2^nd ed.). Upper Saddle River , NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Kame’enui, E.J., & Carnine, D.W., (1998). Effective teaching strategies that accommodate diverse learners. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Also see references in your course textbook and this course syllabus is posted on webCT-Vista for your use.

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Ijey Nwachuku

COURSE NUMBER/NAME: ECE 215 – Exceptional Learners

PURPOSE: Field Placement Time Sheet

DEPARTMENT: Early Childhood Education (Middlesex Community College)

STUDENT NAME___________________________________________________

SCHOOL__________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

DATE TIME DAILY ACTIVITIES OBSERVED/PARTICIPATED (JUST

list neatly ONLY all the daily activities observed and

participated in and do not describe what the children did

or did not).

TOTAL # OF HOURS:______________________

STUDENT'S SIGNATURE_________________________________

SUPERVISING

TEACHER'S NAME & SIGNATURE_________________________________________