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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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