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7509 - Spec Ed Advocacy
Professor: Ruth Colker
Semester: 2013 Spring
Second Writing Requirement? Yes
Seminar? No
Professional Responsibility? No
Prerequisites: None
Means of Assessment: Weekly written assignments
Course Description
The purpose of this course is to prepare students to be an advocate on behalf of children with disabilities. It is a highly practical course in which students are expected to be highly prepared for each class session and be actively involved in the simulations and other class work. Topics include: Initiating a Special Education Case, Child Find, Educational Evaluations and Assessments, the Individualized Educational Program, Early Intervention Services, School Discipline, The Due Process Complaint, and Remedies.
This class will be scheduled to meet once a week for three hours. The third hour will be used for a practical, field component. Each student will be required to attend a diagnostic session at the OSU Speech and Language Clinic or the Nisonger Center where they will observe a child with a suspected disability being tested. They will then have the opportunity to attend the session with the parents of the child to discuss the medical results and possible eligibility for special education services. These sessions will be discussed in class (on a confidential basis) to help students better understand how special education programs are proposed for children with disabilities through the use of experts in the field. The third hour of class will be used to train students how to attend such meetings and to debrief about their observations after attending such meetings.
The third-hour, practical element of this class will be limited to 8 students. If the class is oversubscribed, additional students may be given the option of taking the class for two hours but not have a practical, field placement. A student on the waitlist may consult with the professor if interested in taking a two-credit version of the course.
The course materials listed above are for informational purposes only and should not be considered final. Students must check with the Registrar for a current list of closed courses.
