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SPED/538

Special Education in Early Childhood

3 credits

Total credits

4 weeks

Course length

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Take this course on its own, or as part of a degree or certificate program.

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Please Note: Attendance and participation are mandatory in all University courses, and specific requirements may differ by course. If attendance requirements are not met, a student may be removed from the course. Please review the Course Attendance Policy in the Catalog for more information.

University of Phoenix reserves the right to modify courses. While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.

Course level: Graduate

This course helps prepare participants to support the development and learning of young and diverse students with special needs. Participants learn the basic foundations and principles of early childhood special education, including diagnosis and monitoring, ethics, and assessment. Best practices for classroom management, behavior modification techniques, and effective ways to communicate with families are also explored.

Please Note: Attendance and participation are mandatory in all University courses, and specific requirements may differ by course. If attendance requirements are not met, a student may be removed from the course. Please review the Course Attendance Policy in the Catalog for more information.

University of Phoenix reserves the right to modify courses. While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.

What you'll learn

Course skills and outcomes

  • Describe the history and principles of early childhood special education.
  • Analyze laws and policies that affect early childhood special education.
  • Identify factors that affect early childhood development and learning.
  • Explain evolving trends in early childhood special education.

  • Outline the process for service coordination and transition from an individual family service plan to an individualized education program.
  • Identify appropriate assessments and progress monitoring tools for students transitioning into an early childhood special education classroom.
  • Develop measurable goals and objectives for an individualized education program (IEP).
  • Identify developmentally appropriate instructional strategies that focus on a student’s needs and interests.
  • Determine techniques for classroom management that promote social and cognitive development of students in early childhood special education.
  • Describe methods to help students with emotional and behavioral challenges.
  • Develop a functional behavior analysis and behavior intervention plan.

  • Sequence typical motor development.
  • Analyze the stages of language development.
  • Outline the development of literacy and math skills.
  • Discuss the role of related services in the development of motor, language, and academic skills.

  • Analyze the interpersonal skills needed for effective collaboration and consultation among professionals and families.
  • Describe the ethical responsibilities in teaching early childhood special education.
  • Develop strategies for communicating with families.
  • Generate effective approaches when working with students and families from diverse backgrounds.

Why UOPX

Why take courses at University of Phoenix

Accreditation that matters

We’ve been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org) for more than 40 years.

Real-world instructors

Learn from instructors who bring an average of 25 years of working experience to the classroom.

Affordable and potentially reimbursable

Our tuition and fees are competitive and fixed. Also, check to see if your employer will cover you for this course.

Next Steps

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Transfer Credits

Credit Transfer

Need to transfer credits to another college or university?

Before you enroll in a course, check with your school of choice to make sure they will accept our transfer credits and to understand any requirements or limitations. Then you can complete your course, and request your official transcript be sent to your school. That’s it!

How to request your transcripts

Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether or not credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student’s choice. If you have a question contact us at (866) 354-1800.

The University of Phoenix reserves the right to modify courses. Although our continuing teacher education courses are accepted by some state agencies in the United States toward teacher certifications and endorsements, this may not be the case in all states or foreign jurisdictions. If you plan to use courses for certification or endorsement, please check with your own state agency and your school district for applicability. Continuing teacher education courses are not eligible to apply to degree programs at University of Phoenix. These courses are not eligible for federal financial aid. Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether or not credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student’s choice. While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative. If you have a question contact us at (866) 354-1800.