KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY
Department of Special Education
SPU 201 Cognitive Development of Diverse Learners in a Standards Aligned System
I. Course Description:
This course, designed for general education teachers, surveys the development and provision of special
education services to individuals with disabilities in an inclusive environment. Additionally, the
identification and characteristics of different types of disabilities will be discussed along with effective
collaboration procedures and current classroom management procedures for pre-kindergarten to eighth
grade students. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.
II. Course Rationale:
Current educational trends indicate an increase in including children with disabilities in the general
education classroom. Consequently, general education teachers are being required to accommodate their
classrooms using methods that were previously the exclusive domain of special education
teachers. Embracing these trends and responding to federal and state mandates requiring children with
disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment, this class targets to provide general education
teachers with competencies necessary to successfully educate children with disabilities in their
classrooms.
III. Course Objectives/ Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
Objectives
Standard
KU
Concept
1. Demonstrate an understanding of and ability to plan for:
type, identification and characteristics of different types
of disabilities, as well as effective, evidence-based
instructional practices and adaptations.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the legal rights and
PDE
CEC
I, I.3
II.1,5
II.C1a
1a-b,h,j
2a,f,
7b, k
8a, k-l
II.
II.C1b
CC1K5
GC1K1
CC2K6
CC4S3
GC4S1
GC4K3
CC1K2, 6
GC1K4
CC8K2
GC8K2
II.C1c
CC1K5
GC1K7
CC2K3
CC6K1-3
7i
9e,i,m
II.C2a
CC1K1
CC3K5
GCK1
CC4S1
GC4S11
CC5K1-3
2g
7i,n
8j
1d
4b
8j
CC1K1
1e
responsibilities of the teacher for special education
referral, evaluation, and the rights and procedural
safeguards that students are guaranteed.
III., III.1
3. Demonstrate an understanding of possible causes and
implications of overrepresentation of minorities in special
education so as not to misinterpret behaviors that
represent cultural, linguistic differences as indicative of
learning problems.
I.,I.3
4. Delineate how individuals acquire and process
information
5. Design learning environments to facilitate encoding,
storage and retrieval of knowledge and information for
memory, attention, perception, action, and problem
solving.
6. Describe the developmental patterns of change, physical,
cognitive, and psychosocial areas that have been
I.
II.C2ai
I.3
II.C2aii
INTASC
9f,j,o
identified for each stage of development.
7. Specify the experiences that children need from birth to
age eight to prepare them to learn, read, and succeed in
school.
8. Identify early interactions with adults and peers, the early
childhood education teaching methods and curricula, and
comprehensive early childhood interventions that support
learning and development, specifically in domains that
prepare children from diverse backgrounds for
kindergarten and the early grades.
9. Recognize patterns of normal physical development
milestones and how patterns of students with disabilities
may be different and plan effectively for possible
accommodations and/or modifications, which may be
necessary to implement effective instructional practices.
10. Initiate, maintain, and manage positive social
relationships with a range of people in a range of
contexts.
11. Recognize areas of development for students with
disabilities and plan effectively for: interpersonal
processes, forming and maintaining relationships
(including parent-child, caregiving, peer, friend, sibling),
and attachment models and their effects on learning.
12. Identify effective co-planning and co-teaching strategies.
13. Identify collaborative consultative skills and models (i.e.
II.C2aiv
I., I.3,
II.5, III.1
II.C2av
I.
II.C2b
CC2K1-2, 5-6
GC3S1
CC4S3
CC7S1
1d-f
2h
7b,i-k
8k
I.2
II.C2c
CC5S1, 7
CC10S3
3n,q-r
10c,e
I., II.
II.C2ci
CC1K1
CC2K1-2
CC5K5
1d
2h
3b, h, o
7i-j
8m
I.2
IV.A2
IV.E3,8
VII.F, H
II.A8
IV.E16
V.A7
VII.G
I.C1
V.A8,12
V.C9
CC7K1
GC10K4
7a, e, m, o
10b
CC10K1,4
CC10S4
GC10K2
7a, e, m, o
9c
10a-e
CC2K2
GC3S1
CC7S2
CC10S2
CC4S6
GC4S8
GC7K2
GC10S4
1c, k
10a-b
CC1K7
CC2K4
CC7S3
GC8K3
CC10K2
CC10S5-6
CC1K8, 10
CC3K3-4
CCK9-10
CC9S6
CC10K1
CC10S3-4, 10
1k
3a, k, n
7o
10m
I.2
understanding role on the IEP team, teaming, and parallel
teaching).
14. Identify instructional level of students through
I.,I.2
collaboration with members of the IEP team.
15. Understand the role of the general educator as part of the
I.
team for transition planning across transition points (i.e.
preschool to school entry, grade level to grade level,
school to school, to post school outcomes).
16. Demonstrate an understanding of the meaningful roles
I.
that parents and students play in the development of the
student’s education.
17. Demonstrate sensitivity in multicultural and economic
and family communication and meaningful participation
I.A.9
III.L-M
IV.A18
VII.E
VIII.A-J
III.E
IV.B12
VII.A
III., III.1
I.B4-6
VII.I
I.2
VI.C
VII.A-I
perspectives in order to encourage parent participation.
18. Demonstrate an understanding of how to support student
CC2K1
CC1K1
CC5K1
GC4S3
CC1K1
CC3K5
CC7K1
I.
1d-f
8j
1d-f
2e, h-j
7i
10m
1c
10a, c-e
1k
2k
9e, i, m
10b, d, q
1k
3n, q
10d, q
into the student’s educational program.
IV. Assessment:
Assessment of each teacher candidate’s level of accomplishment with reference to the course objectives
will be based upon a subset of the following:
Reflective journal
Objective tests
Writing assignments
Group and individual presentations
Midterm examination
Active participation in class and in discussions
Final examination
V. Course Outline
I.
II.
Legal rights and responsibilities
A. IDEIA
B. Challenges to IDEIA
C. Gaskin case
D. special education referral and evaluation
E. parental rights
F. student rights
Identification and characteristics of learning disabilities
A. specific reading, math disabilities
B. attention deficit disorders
C. evidence-based instructional practices and adaptations
III. Identification and characteristics of emotional and behavioral disorders
A. DSM IV classifications
B. Asperger, autism, PDD
C. effective, evidence-based instructional practices and adaptations
IV. Identification and characteristics of mental retardation
A. mild, moderate, severe
B. effective, evidence-based instructional practices and adaptations
V.
Diversity in special education
A. cultural heritage
B. gender
C. race
D. effective, evidence-based instructional practices and adaptations
VI.
Preparing students for academic success
A. PSSA assessment
B. accommodations
C. instruction in content areas
D. types and differences of various scholastic assessments
E.
use of formal and informal assessments for instructional
planning
VII.
Designing learning environments
A. psychological student variables
B. developmental variables
C. disability accommodations
D. behavioral and physical developmental milestones
in learning
VIII
Principles in domains of social competence as they affect learning
A. competence deviance theory
B. cognitive dissonance theory
C. perceptions by teachers and other students
IX
Principles influencing academic and social behavior
A. cognition
B. perceptual difficulties
C. aggression
D. oppositional defiance
E. learned helplessness
X.
Positive behavior interventions and functional analysis of behavior
A. FAB process
B. identifying functions of behaviors
C. linking assessment to intervention
XI.
Collaborative models and roles of the IEP team
A. collaboration theory
B. professionals on the MD team
C. developing a comprehensive IEP
XII.
Supporting family involvement in the educational process
A. family influences
B. maximizing parental participation
C. family structure
D. conflict resolution
Instructional Resources
Alberto, P.A. & Troutman, A.C. (2007). Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers (7th ed.). Upper Saddle
River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
Batshaw, M.L., Pellegrina, L, and Roizen, N.J. (2007). Children with disabilities. Baltimore: Paul H.
Brookes Publishing.
Deno, S., Fuchs, L., & Marston, D. (2001). Using curriculum-based measurement to establish growth
standards for students with learning disabilities. The School Psychology Review. 30(4), 507-524.
Dettmer, P., Thurston, L. P., & Dyck, N. (2002). Consultation, collaboration, and teamwork for students
with special needs (4th eds.) Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Drasgow, E., & Yell, M. (2001). Functional behavior assessments: Legal requirements and challenges.
The School Psychology Review 30(2), 239-251.
Friend, M., & Cook, L. (2000). Interactions: Collaboration skills for professionals (3 rd ed.). New
York: Longman.
Heward, W.L. (2008). Exceptional children. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson.
Faltis, C. (2000). Join fostering: Teaching and learning in multilingual classrooms (3rd
ed.).
Columbus, OH: Merrill.
Fisher, D. (1999). Inclusive high schools: Learning from contemporary classrooms.
Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Fuchs, D., Fuchs, L., Thompson, A., Svenson, E., Yan, L., Otaiba, S., Yang,
N.,McMaster, K.,
Prentice, K., Kazdan, S., & Saenz, L. (2001). Peer-assisted
learning strategies in reading:
Extension for kindergarten, first grade, and high
school. Remedial and Special Education, 22(1). 1521.
Gargiulo, R. (2006). Special education in contemporary society: An introduction to exceptionality (2nd
ed.). Belmont, CA: Thompson Wadsworth.
Goldbart, J., & Marshall, J. (2004). "Pushes and pulls" on the parents of children who use AAC. AAC:
Augmentative & Alternative Communication, 20(4), 194-209.
Grant, C. A. & Gomez, M. L. (2000). Campus and classroom: Making schooling
multicultural
(2nd ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill.
Moore-Brown, B. J., Montgomery, J. K., Bielinski, J., & Shubin, J. (2005). Responsiveness to
intervention: Teaching before testing helps avoid labeling. Topics in Language Disorders, 25(2),
148-167.
Salend, S.J. (2008). Creating inclusive classrooms: Effective and reflective practices (6th ed.). Upper
Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
Turnbull, A, Turnbull, R, Wehmeyer, M. (2007). Exceptional lives: special education in today’s schools
(5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
Revised 6/2012