Standard

R State Standard £ Institutionally Developed College: NA

ECE 2260 - Characteristics of Young Children with Exceptionalities
Course Description
This course prepares child care providers and paraprofessionals with knowledge and skills in the area of physical and motor impairments, talented and giftedness, intellectual and cognitive disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, communication disorders in speech and language, autism spectrum disorders, visual impairments, deaf and hard of hearing, health impairments, and multiple disabilities.
Competency Areas	Hours
Physical & Motor Impairments	Class	5
Gifted/ Talented	D. Lab	0
Intellectual & Cognitive Disabilities	P. Lab/O.B.I.	0
Emotional & Behavioral Disorders	Credit	5
Communication Disorders in Speech & Language
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Visual Impairments
Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Health Impairments
Multiple Disabilities

Prerequisite:	ECE 2010
Corequisite:

Course Guide

Competency	After completing this section, the student will be able to:	Hours
		Class	D.Lab	P.Lab/ O.B.I.
PHYSICAL & MOTOR IMPAIRMENTS		5	0	0
	Identify “established conditions” presenting with a variety of physical disabilities.  (ie. CP, MD, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, etc.).
	Identify characteristics associated with neurological system impairment (brain, spinal cord, nerves) vs. musculoskeletal system impairment (muscles, bones, joints).
	Identify typical adaptive equipment that may be employed including assistive technology devices and technological services.
	Examine classrooms using guidelines and standards which address/regulate “accessible” and “barrier-free” environments.
	Integrate information into program planning to prevent, alleviate, or compensate for movement dysfunction.
GIFTED/ TALENTED		2	0	0
	Develop examples of curriculum content acceleration and enrichment.
	Explore methods of identification and measurement
	Identify ways of adapting the learning environments (inclusion, grouping, flexible pacing, special courses, & acceleration).
	Examine giftedness as it relates to creativity and talent.
INTELLECTUAL & COGNITIVE DISABILITIES		10	0	0
	Identify skills to be included in the life-skills curriculum that relates to a child with severe and profound mental disability.
	Explore features of evaluation/ assessment practices and alternative methods of assessment.
	Identify routines, teaching methods, and materials that work to incorporate skills learning into the lives of children with intellectual or cognitive disabilities.
	Identify typical adaptive equipment that may be employed including assistive technology devices and technological services.
	Modify activities for non-disabled children to accommodate children with intellectual or cognitive disabilities and build on existing levels of competency.
	Recognize role of cultural differences in individual circumstances.
	Identify possible causes of intensity of disability and necessary degrees of support.
	Discuss ethical issues related to quality of life and right to education.
	Describe how intellectual and cognitive disabilities are defined and classified.
	Examine early intervention strategies and educational adaptations.
	Demonstrate the most effective approaches for presenting information to children with learning disabilities.
EMOTIONAL & BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS		5	0	0
	Describe how emotional disorders and behavioral disorders are defined and classified.
	Identify techniques and measurements used to recognize and assess children with emotional and behavioral disorders.
	Develop behavior management strategies used to prevent or manage inappropriate behavior in young children.
	Develop strategies which help children learn to manage their own behavior.
	Identify “established conditions” presenting with a variety of emotional and behavioral disorders.
	Identify dysfunctional differences between LD/ ADHD and BD.
COMMUNICATION DISORDERS IN SPEECH & LANGUAGE		5	0	0
	Design sample lessons that would build communication skills and language development.
	Identify the specific differences in language deficit and speech/language disorder.
	Describe the major categories of speech/language disorders.
	Examine an array of teaching/play strategies that would build communication skills and language development.
	Identify typical adaptive equipment that may be employed including assistive technology devices and technological services.
AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS		2	0	0
	Identify the types of collaboration necessary to provide early intervention for young children with autism and related disorders.
	Examine typical characteristics of autism and related disorders.
	Identify theories as to the possible causes of autism and related disorders.
	Discuss methods of intervention and teaching strategies to use with children with autism.
	Describe methods for determining the most effective intervention and teaching strategies to use with children with autism.
VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS		3	0	0
	Design sample classrooms that would encourage participation and group play conducive to autonomy and self-esteem.
	Identify causes of vision loss and impairment.
	Examine how a visual impairment impacts the learning and development of the young child.
	Discuss how education for children with visual impairments should be different from that of sighted children and how it should be the same.
	Explore accommodations and assistive technology that can be used with children with visual impairments.
	Develop methods of intervention and teaching strategies to use with children with visual impairments.
DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING		3	0	0
	Examine the relationship between hearing and language development.
	Explore Deaf culture and the Deaf community and the role they play in the education of children who are deaf.
	Identify communication options available for children who are deaf.
	Identify characteristics associated with congenital vs. acquired hearing loss.
	Identify typical adaptive equipment that may be employed including assistive technology devices and technological services.
	Describe the types of manual languages and the systems to transcribe them.
HEALTH IMPAIRMENTS		10	0	0
	Discuss ethical issues related to quality of life and the right to education.
	Identify the teacher’s role with children that are medically fragile and technology-dependent.
	Identify presenting symptoms of varying health impairments (asthma, juvenile diabetes, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, AIDS, FAS, etc).
	Identify the teacher’s role in working with medical equipment (ie. tube feeding, IV, catheter, colostomy, oxygen dependent, etc).
	Identify ways to adapt the learning environment to accommodate children with health impairments.
	Examine collaboration of services and review policies for handling medical procedures and emergencies.
MULTIPLE DISABILITIES		5	0	0
	Examine assistive technology assessments in determining the child’s needs (functional use, mobility, communication, etc.).
	Develop methods of intervention and teaching strategies to use with children with multiple disabilities.
	Identify ways to adapt the learning environment to accommodate children with multiple disabilities.
	Identify the types of collaboration necessary to provide early intervention for young children with multiple disabilities.
	Identify and describe teaching options which are designed to facilitate the success of children with disabilities in the regular educational classroom.

Suggested Resources

Print	California Department of Education (1996) Project EXCEPTIONAL Vol 1. Sacramento, CA. 0-8011-1256-7
	California Department of Education (1996) Project EXCEPTIONAL Vol 2. Sacramento, CA. 0-8011-1257-5
	Hallahan, D.P. & Kauffman, J.M. (2006) Exceptional Learners10th ed. Pearson Education. 0-205-44421-0
	Gargiulo, R. & Kilgo, J. (2005) Young Children with Special Needs 2^nd ed. Delmar 9781401860820

Posted: 1/08/09