What is Special Education?

Special education teachers work with children and youth with special needs. They design and modify instruction to meet students' academic and behavior needs. Emphasis on integrating students with special needs with their age peers requires a team approach. Special educators must be skilled at collaborating with other teachers, families and agencies; directing the work of instructional assistants; and organizing and implementing instructional experiences for several subjects with a wide age range of students.

What are the Career Opportunities?

Special educators have excellent job prospects. The Kentuckiana area has a significant shortage of qualified teachers for children receiving special education services. According to the Occupational Handbook, the need for special educators will increase by 21-35% in 1998-2008.

What is the Foundation of the Program?

The Special Education program is guided by the following beliefs:

• All students can learn, have strengths, and are worthy of respect and self-direction.
• Differences are normal and can be used as positive springboards.
• Powerful opportunities for growth and development are most likely to occur when the environment is nurturing, predictable, and takes into account internal and external factors.
• Prevention is as essential as compensation and remediation.
• A broad range of instructional options and services can be provided in a variety of physical settings and should be viewed as standard operating procedures.
• Assessing, labeling, and delivering services may produce intended as well as unintended consequences.
• School reform should meaningfully involve all stakeholders, with particular attention to affirming family and community members as decision-makers and collaborators.

What Will Students Learn at IUS?

IUS students will acquire the knowledge, skills and dispositions to be a high quality special educator, one who:

• Understands students' needs and contexts (i.e., interests, strengths, challenges, and experiences),
• Collaboratively plans and implements effective learning experiences (i.e., work with other teachers and family members so instruction is relevant, engaging, and not too hard or too easy), and
• Continuously assesses the effects of their professional choices (i.e., always looking for ways to improve their students' learning).

What Licensing Options Does IUS Have?

IUS has the following program options for students seeking a license in special education:

All three options yield an all-grade (K-12) Indiana Mild Intervention teaching license. It is closely aligned with Kentucky's Learning & Behavior Disorders. This license qualifies the holder to teach elementary and secondary education students who have one or more of the following disabilities: learning disabilities, emotional disabilities, mild or moderate mental disabilities, orthopedic impairments, other health impairments, autism spectrum disorder, or traumatic brain injury. This license does not qualify a person to teach "general education" at the elementary, middle school or high school level.