I. Course Title: Characteristics of Students with Severe Disabilities
II. Course Number: EDSP 663
III. Credit Hours: 3 credits
IV. Prerequisites: Permission of instructor
V. Course Description: Provides knowledge and understanding of the characteristics and needs of individuals with severe disabilities. Serves as the foundational course for the licensure program in special education, adapted curriculum.
VI. Detailed Description of Content of the Course:
This course focuses on the academic, social, medical, and behavioral characteristics of individuals with severe disabilities and the impact these characteristics have on school, family, and life outcomes. The course examines etiology, contributing factors, identification process, and educational implications of these disabilities. Course topics may include:
VI. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course:
VII. Goals and Objectives of the Course:
Goals, objectives, and assignments in this class 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 Skills Items. Specialty sets included in this course cover competencies for the Individualized Independence Curriculum.
1. State the federal definitions of students with severe disabilities including students with autism, developmental delay, intellectual disability, traumatic brain injury, and multiple disabilities - including sensory, deaf-blindness, speech-language, orthopedic and other health impairments as an additional disability.
2. Describe the history and evolution of severe disability.
3. Describe the characteristics of individuals with severe disabilities whose cognitive impairments or adaptive skills require adaptations to the general curriculum and whose functional skills are significantly different from typically developing peers and therefore require adaptations to the general curriculum for an appropriate education. Describe how these characteristics below impact education, behavior, and social interactions.
4. Describe the impact of disability on self-determination and self-advocacy skills.
5. Describe historical and legal perspectives, models, theories, philosophies, and trends related to specific student populations.
6. Describe how educational environments impact students with severe disabilities.
7. Describe how to build strong parental connections and relationships for families with severe disabilities.
VIII. Assessment Measures:
Students will be assessed in multiple ways. These may include, but are not limited to:
Other Course Information: None
Review and Approval
4/14/94 Modified John E. Sycamore
4/01/98 Reviewed/recommended for revision Rachel Janney
8/7/01 Course number changed
3/16/05 Course title changed.
2/2020 Course Revision Elizabeth Altieri