Concentration in Early Childhood Special Education

The concentration in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) is geared towards providing graduate students with the knowledge and skills to become practitioners in the field of early intervention and early childhood special education, able to provide developmental and educational services to children from birth to eight years of age with severe and multiple disabilities, including young children with autism and related developmental disorders. A "theory into practice" teaching model is utilized where the latest concepts related to developmentally and age appropriate practices are applied and evaluated in natural and inclusive settings. A multicultural, family-centered philosophy is followed where family concerns and values are incorporated into the assessments and interventions so that the early intervention programs are "family friendly."

The Department of Special Education offers a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) which features two distinct tracks: a behavior analyst certification track and a classroom practitioner track. These two tracks share most coursework but differ in meaningful ways. The behavior analyst certification track features the approved coursework for obtaining BCBA certification. The classroom practitioner track prepares professionals to teach young students with disabilities in classroom settings, and does not include all of the coursework necessary for BCBA certification. Both programs are designed to be completed in the course of one year of full-time enrollment (Fall, Spring, Summer). Both concentration options include practical experiences working with children with special needs and their families.

Both program tracks require that students complete a practicum in the fall and spring semesters. Practicum placements must provide students with the opportunity to do education-related work with young children with diagnosed disabilities. Students are allowed to receive payment for this work, but payment is not required. We do not provide BACB-approved practica for students on the behavior analyst track. However, many students work in the community and gain their BCBA supervision experience via those sites. Practicum sites must allow instructor visit and video-taping for assignments (with parent consent), as well as opportunities for completion of course-related assignments. Practicum sites must be approved in advance by Dr. Amanda Little. Practicum hours cannot be accrued prior to the start of the semester.

Coursework

A minimum of 36 hours of course work is required for the M.Ed. in ECSE. Required coursework for each program track is as follows:

Semester	Classroom Practitioner Track	BCBA Track
Fall	SED 384: Overview of Early Childhood Special Education	SED 384: Overview of Early Childhood Special Education
	SED 384: Instruction and Intervention in Early Childhood Special Education	SED 384: Instruction and Intervention in Early Childhood Special Education
	SED 380: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Special Education	SED 380: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Special Education
	SED 388: Professional and Ethical Practice (CP focus)	SED 388: Professional and Ethical Practice (BCBA focus)
Spring	SED 384: Communication Intervention	SED 384: Communication Intervention
	SED 393: Applied Research Methods	SED 393: Applied Research Methods
	SED 384: Advances in Understanding and Treatment of Autism	SED 384: Advances in Understanding and Treatment of Autism
	SED 384: Advanced Practicum in ECSE	SED 384: Advanced Practicum in ECSE
Summer	SED 386: Positive Behavior Support and Classroom Management	SED 386: Positive Behavior Support and Classroom Management
	SED 396R: Single Subject Research Design	SED 396R: Single Subject Research Design
	SED 389: Law & Disabilities (or approved elective if unavailable)	SED f388: Intro to Applied Behavior Analysis I
	Approved Elective	SED s388: Intro to Applied Behavior Analysis II

Core Areas of Study	Option 1 M.Ed.	Option 2 M.Ed. (Report)	Option 3 M.A. (Thesis)
Department Core SED 380 Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in SED SED 393 Applied Research in SED	6 hours	6 hours	6 hours
Concentration Core consists of 7 (M.Ed.) or 6 -7 (M.A.) courses in the Early Childhood Special Education Area, selected from: SED 384 Overview of Early Childhood Special Education SED 384 Instruction and Intervention in ECSE SED 384 Advances in the Understanding and Treatment of Autism SED 384 Communication Intervention SED 396T Single-Subject Research Design SED 388 Practicum in Special Education-Professional and Ethical Practices SED 384 Advanced Practicum in ECS	21 hours	21 hours	18 hours
		3 hours SED 398R Report	6 hours SED 698A & B Thesis
Special Education Electives (e.g.,) Foundations of Positive Behavior Support Elective in special education	6 hours SED elective	3 hours SED elective	3 hours SED elective
Supporting Coursework consist of one course taken inside or outside the Department of Special Education	3 hours	3 hours	3 hours
	36 hours	36 hours	36 hours

Description of Courses: Department Core

SED 380: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Special Education/Rehabilitation Counseling (Fall)

The course provides an overview of issues and emerging practices surrounding the education and transition of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students in special education. The goal is to provide an understanding of the history and significant events that have impeded or promoted the acceptance of diversity within the educational system. Students will also learn key concepts related to interpersonal and inter-group communication in culturally diverse settings, and explore the role of culture and language in their ability to communicate effectively with students and families from CLD backgrounds. Implications will be drawn for culturally and linguistically responsive practices in assessment, intervention, home-school collaboration, and transition.

Concentration Core

SED 384: Overview of Early Childhood Special Education (Fall)

This course introduces students to the fields of early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE). The course provides students with an overview of the history, theoretical basis and philosophy, legal foundations, and service delivery models of EI and ECSE. Students will be introduced to current research, best practices for early intervention and special education preschool classrooms, and practical and ethical issues related to service delivery.

SED 384: Instruction and Intervention in ECSE (Fall)
This course covers assessment and instructional strategies for educating young children with autism and related developmental disabilities. Emphasis is given to designing and implementing assessments to develop appropriate instructional objectives and to create effective learning programs that address the many educational and related needs of young children with severe disabilities. This course also focuses on implementation and evaluation of instructional procedures for teaching a range of adaptive behaviors, such as self-care, communication, social, and community living skills. In addition to describing effective assessment and teaching procedures, students will develop an understanding of the basic principles of learning that underlie these strategies, and learn how to structure the environment to promote learning.

SED 388 Practicum in Special Education: Professional and Ethical Practices (Fall)

provides students supervised exposure in working with students with autism and developmental disabilities. Students will be assigned to a classroom, clinic, or home-based service that serves this population. Students will have an opportunity to reflect upon and report on the assessment and instruction practices they observe in these settings. This practicum will primarily focus on professional and ethical practices related to the practicum setting and the related BACB (Behavior Analysis Certification Board) documents on ethics. Cultural and linguistic diversity will be addressed through this course, as well. In addition, students will have the opportunity to review and/or use data when making programming decisions.

SED 388: Advances in the Understanding and Treatment of Autism (Spring )

This course focuses on literature related to the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of individuals with autism. The course focuses on a review of educational interventions for teaching individuals with autism.

SED 393: Applied Research in Special Education/Rehabilitation Counseling ( Spring)

The purpose of this course is to equip you with the knowledge and skills required to read, understand, evaluate, and use research to improve professional practice in special education. An additional purpose is to give you the tools to integrate research into your practice or for your Master’s Thesis. The focus of the course is conceptual rather than computational, but you will also learn about statistical analysis as part of the course. In this course, you will gain an appreciation for the satisfying and creative aspects that make educational research fun!

SED 384: Communication Intervention (Spring)

This course introduces students to issues of communication intervention as they relate to the field of early childhood special education (birth to eight years). The course provides an overview of the course of typical language development, as well as intervention practices for young children with primary and secondary developmental language disorders. Students will also get an overview of relevant theories of language development, and current language development and language intervention research in the fields of special education, speech and language pathology, and developmental psychology.

SED 384: Advanced Practicum in Early Childhood Special Education (Spring)

Teaching experience with a large group of children in a center setting is provided. Program management and evaluation procedures are applied to a total curriculum, so that the student assumes a lead teacher and/or consultant role during training.

Special Education Electives

SED 386: Foundations of Positive Behavior Support (Summer)

This course provides students with an understanding of the basic principles of human behavior; the application of those principles to teaching; the application of those principles to positive behavior support; and the application of those principles to the design of effective classrooms .

SED f 388: Intro to Applied Behavior Analysis I Online (Summer )

This is an initial course in applied behavior analysis and will introduce you to the history and basic concepts behind the science of behavior analysis, and give applied examples of how the science of behavior analysis is used. You will learn how behavior is defined and measured, and how we can manipulate the environment, both before behavior and after behavior occurs to make it more or less likely to occur in the future. Applications for these processes will be explored.

SED s 388 Advanced Intro to Applied Behavior Analysis II Online (Summer )

This course is designed to provide an advanced overview of principles of applied behavior analysis for students completing coursework towards behavior analytic certification. Prerequisite completion of SED f388: Intro to Applied Behavior Analysis I is required for enrollment.

SED 396R: Single-Subject Research Design (Summer)

In this course, you will learn how to use single-subject research designs to make data-based decisions about program effectiveness and student outcomes. You will also learn how to integrate applied research into classroom instruction as part of the move toward evidence-based professional practice in educating students with special educational needs .

Supporting Coursework

All coursework must be selected in consultation with your academic advisor. Out-of-department electives should complement the coursework of this program. Electives can be taken from psychology, speech pathology, social work, etc.

Master of Arts (M.A.) in ECSE

Students may elect to complete a research thesis and an additional 6 hours of coursework (in addition to coursework required for the M.Ed. in ECSE) in order to be awarded a Master of Arts in ECSE, in lieu of the M.Ed. in ECSE. Research theses must be supervised by a consenting faculty member. Completion of the additional coursework and research will add at least one additional semester to degree completion time.

Post-baccalaureate Texas Teacher Certification

Students may pursue teacher certification in Texas, but this requires an additional semester (Fall) of coursework and a semester (Spring) of student teaching experience. Spots in the post-baccalaureate teacher certification program are limited and not guaranteed. Students interested in completing the post-baccalaureate teacher certification should contact the Certification Officer:

Dr. Kathryn Klinger Tackett • SZB 440J • 512-475-6566

e-mail: katietackett@austin.utexas.edu

Concentration Area Point of Contact

For more specific information about the Early Childhood Special Education area contact Area Co-Coordinators: Dr. Micheal Sandbank at msandbank@austin.utexas.edu or Dr. Laura Rojeski at lrojeski@utexas.edu.

BCBA Certification

For Board Certified Behavior Analyst certification, contact:

Dr. Laura Rojeski • SZB 532G • 475-6585• e-mail: lrojeski@utexas.edu

More information is available from the Board’s website, at http://www.bacb.com