SPED 363. INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL EDUCATION. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: ENGL 201.
Overview of definitions, causes, characteristics and educational approaches concerning students with disabilities and exceptional students.

SPED 399. SPECIAL STUDIES. 1-5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
Subjects vary according to faculty and student interest.

SPED 412. INTRODUCTION TO EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: SPED 363, or instructor permission.
Overview of trends and services related to providing intervention for young children with disabilities (ages 0–8) and their families.

SPED 415. ADVOCATING FOR FAMILIES OF YOUNG CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: SPED 412.
This course provides content related to the field of early childhood special education. It is helpful to have a strong understanding of the field of early childhood special education when in a position to advocate for families with young children with special needs. This course is specifically designed for students who are not pursuing teacher certification and likely to work with others in providing services to young children with special needs and their families.

SPED 420. PRINCIPLES OF BEHAVIOR FOR STUDENTS WITH EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: SPED 363 and admission to the Education program or declared a Special Education minor.
Overview of principles of behavior change and how they apply to students with exceptional needs.

SPED 421. CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION SETTINGS. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: SPED 363 and SPED 420 and admission to the Education program or have declared a special education minor.
Covers fundamental knowledge and experiences for assessing and developing effective management strategies in special education classrooms.

SPED 460. SPECIAL EDUCATION METHODS. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: SPED 363 and admission to the Education program or declared a special education minor or early childhood special education minor.
Overview of the primary instructional and behavior management techniques needed to work successfully with persons with special needs.

SPED 461. SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION FOR HIGH INCIDENCE DISABILITIES. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: SPED 363, SPED 420, SPED 460 and admission to the Education program.
This course will give students the knowledge and skills to implement evidence-based academic intervention programs that are used with students with high incidence disabilities to teach reading, writing, spelling, and math. Specifically, students will learn to teach with Direct Instruction curricula such as Reading Mastery, Corrective Reading, Connecting Math Concepts, and Corrective Mathematics and other evidence-based instructional programs.

SPED 462. METHODS FOR TEACHING STUDENTS WITH AUTISM AND SEVERE DISABILITIES. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: SPED 363, SPED 420, SPED 460 and admission to the Education program.
Covers instructional techniques used to teach skills to students with autism and severe disabilities.

SPED 465. METHODS AND ASSESSMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: SPED 412.
The purpose of this course is to provide students with information about the relationship between assessment and methods for instruction of infants and young children with disabilities. Students will review several early childhood assessment instruments and learn how to relate assessment to curriculum development in early childhood special education through intentionally planned, systematic procedures.

SPED 466. TRANSITION FOR STUDENTS W/DISABILITIES. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: admission to the Education program or permission of instructor.
This course provides students with knowledge of and strategies for implementing evidence-based practices to support students with disabilities in the major transitions across their schooling. This includes early intervention into pre-k and up through transition out of school into postsecondary adult roles (postsecondary education, employment, and independent living).

SPED 470. SPECIAL EDUCATION ASSESSMENT. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: SPED 363, SPED 420, SPED 460 and admission to the Education program.
Covers how to evaluate, interpret, select, develop and use formal and informal assessment tools specifically for students with special needs.

SPED 480. INCLUSIONARY PRACTICES AND COLLABORATION. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: SPED 363, SPED 420, SPED 460, SPED 470 (or concurrent with SPED 470) and admission to the Education program.
Covers information and skills needed to collaborate effectively with students, educators, parents and agencies to implement appropriate special education programs.

SPED 488. SPECIAL EDUCATION PRACTICUM. 3 Credits.

Notes: graded Pass/Fail; must be completed twice for a total of 6 credits.
Pre-requisites: permission of instructor.
Students observe and demonstrate effective teaching practices in a special education setting.

SPED 489. SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENT TEACHING. 16 Credits.

Notes: graded Pass/Fail.
Pre-requisites: SPED 490 and permission of instructor.
Provides the student with teaching experience in a special education setting.

SPED 490. SPECIAL EDUCATION CAPSTONE. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: to be taken the quarter before student teaching; permission of instructor required.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–senior capstone.
This course provides students with professional experiences and principles to guide their professional certification and practice in the field of SPED. The standards put forth by Council for Exceptional Children, WA professional competencies for SPED certification, and INTACTS will provide a framework for analyzing the professional issues applied, practiced, and discussed.

SPED 491. SENIOR THESIS. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: invitation of the instructor/advisor.
Satisfies: senior capstone university graduation requirement; replaces ITGS 400 as a senior capstone experience.
Directed research resulting in a formal write-up. Limited to those students for whom research experience will be helpful in obtaining entrance to graduate school.

SPED 495. EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. 1-12 Credits.

Notes: graded Pass/Fail.
Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean (interview required).
Individual learning and career development course with an off-campus internship contract coordinated through the Internship Program.

SPED 496. EXPERIMENTAL COURSE. 1-18 Credits.

SPED 497. WORKSHOP, SHORT COURSE, CONFERENCE, SEMINAR. 1-10 Credits.

SPED 498. SEMINAR. 1-5 Credits.

SPED 499. DIRECTED STUDY. 1-10 Credits.

Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
Directed Study.

SPED 500. FOUNDATIONS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: admission to the MEd Special Education program.
The purpose of this course is to give students an accurate, objective overview of: special education services; special education legislation; historical backgrounds; educational approaches; etiologies of disabilities; and characteristics of individuals with disabilities.

SPED 507. FUNDAMENTALS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION. 4 Credits.

This course provides an overview of special education services; special education legislation; historical backgrounds; educational approaches; etiologies of disabilities; characteristics of individuals with disabilities; key elements of the RTI/MTSS process; locating, researching, and selecting academic and behavioral evidence-based practices.

SPED 510. INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: admission to the MEd Special Education program and SPED 500 or taken concurrently with SPED 500.
The purpose of this course is to give students the knowledge of evidence-based teaching methods that support the inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Students will learn about the big ideas of instruction in reading, writing, math and spelling. They will gain an understanding of principles of explicit instruction and specific strategies to differentiate instruction for students with disabilities included in the general education classroom.

SPED 515. MANAGING STUDENT BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL INTERACTION SKILLS. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: SPED 500 or concurrent with SPED 500.
The purpose of this course is to give students the knowledge of the principles of behavior and experience assessing behavior and developing effective management strategies in classrooms. Students will learn vocabulary and methods for explaining behavior and promoting positive social behavior. Students will study a range of topics from principles of reinforcement and punishment to methods of analyzing the effectiveness of an intervention.

SPED 517. SOCIAL/BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONS AND STRATEGIES. 4 Credits.

This course provides fundamental knowledge and experiences for understanding human behavior in general and classroom behavior in specific. Principles of behavior will be discussed at length along with school-wide and classroom-based management systems.

SPED 527. TEACHING STUDENTS WITH MILD/MODERATE DISABILITIES. 4 Credits.

This course will give students the knowledge and skills of evidence-based teaching methods and academic intervention programs that are commonly used with students with mild/moderate disabilities to teach reading, writing, spelling, and math. This includes use of explicit instruction, differentiated instruction, and specific academic intervention programs.

SPED 530. SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION FOR HIGH INCIDENCE DISABILITIES. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: SPED 500 or concurrent with SPED 500.
The purpose of this course is to give students the knowledge and skills to implement evidence-based academic intervention programs commonly used with students with disabilities to teach reading, writing, spelling and math. Students will learn about the research base for these programs and gain practice teaching with them.

SPED 537. TEACHING STUDENTS WITH SEVERE DISABILITIES/AUTISM. 4 Credits.

This course will focus on instructional strategies, including modifications and accommodations, for students with severe disabilities and autism. This will include Standards-Based IEPs, Evidence-Based Practices, Progress Monitoring, and Alternate Assessment, working with related service providers, and meeting student’s physical, sensory, and health care needs.

SPED 539. SPECIAL TOPICS. 1-15 Credits.

Special Topics.

SPED 540. SPECIAL EDUCATION ASSESSMENT, DIAGNOSIS AND EVALUATION. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: SPED 500 or SPED 500 concurrently.
The purpose of this course is to give students the knowledge and skills to evaluate, interpret, select, develop, and use formal and informal assessment tools specifically for individuals with special needs. Students will gain an understanding of the professional and legal guidelines that must be followed when assessing students in the process of special education service delivery.

SPED 547. ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION AND DATA-BASED DECISION MAKING. 4 Credits.

This course will focus on the assessment, diagnosis, and evaluation of students for special education services, which includes the knowledge and skills to evaluate, interpret, select, develop, and use formal and informal assessment tools to make decisions about special education services delivery.

SPED 550. SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION FOR LOW INCIDENCE DISABILITIES. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: SPED 500 or SPED 500 may be taken concurrently.
The purpose of this course is to give students the knowledge and skills to implement instructional techniques and skills for working with children and youth who have severe disabilities. This course will include information on how to evaluate, plan and implement community-based interventions based upon current best practices and philosophical priorities within the field. The focus will be on techniques and strategies that lead to independent and generalized behaviors.

SPED 557. SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW, IEP DEVELOPMENT AND COLLABORATION. 4 Credits.

This course will give students the knowledge and skills to participate in the writing of legally compliant Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), including transition IEPs, that reflect best practices in the field of special education. Collaboration with students, educators, parents, and community agencies in this process will be emphasized.

SPED 560. INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: SPED 500 and SPED 540.
The purpose of this course is give students the knowledge and skills to participate in the writing of legally compliant Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities that reflect best practices in the field of special education. Knowledge of legal requirements and how to collaborate with students, educators, parents and community agencies in this process will be emphasized.

SPED 570. SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: SPED 500 or SPED 500 may be taken concurrently.
The purpose of this course is to give students the knowledge and skills to teach young children with disabilities in the public school system. Students will learn about the unique needs of young children and approaches to providing interventions for young children with disabilities. Students will learn to plan, implement and evaluate developmentally and individually appropriate curricula and intervention techniques.

SPED 607. SPED INTERNSHIP I. 2 Credits.

Notes: graded Pass/No Credit.
Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
The purpose of this three-session internship course is to facilitate the development of your program-required portfolio as well as to ensure you meet State of Washington Professional Educator Standards Board Endorsement Competencies required for state certification.

SPED 608. SPED INTERNSHIP II. 2 Credits.

Notes: graded Pass/No Credit.
Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
The purpose of this three-session internship course is to facilitate the development of your program-required portfolio as well as to ensure you meet State of Washington Professional Educator Standards Board Endorsement Competencies required for state certification.

SPED 609. SPED INTERNSHIP III. 2 Credits.

Notes: graded Pass/No Credit.
Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
The purpose of this three-session internship course is to facilitate the development of your program-required portfolio as well as to ensure you meet State of Washington Professional Educator Standards Board Endorsement Competencies required for state certification.

SPED 610. SPECIAL EDUCATION PORTFOLIO. 4 Credits.

Notes: should be taken at the end of the program.
The purpose of this course is for the student to prepare reflections and evidence to document her/his knowledge and competence in the Washington State Special Education Competencies for an add-on endorsement in special education as established by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB). The student provides a formal presentation of her/his electronic portfolio as a culminating experience in the program.