Early Childhood Education - Special Needs Certificate (C55220E)

This curriculum is designed to prepare early childhood educators to recognize children with typical and atypical developmental needs and plan appropriate care and education to meet their needs. Course work includes child development, observation and assessment, and an introduction to children with exceptionalities. Specific courses in behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, sensory and physical disabilities, and developmental delays are also included. Students should be able to plan and implement developmentally appropriate experiences that stimulate all young children’s development and learning, provide an optimal learning environment that is safe and healthy, provide positive guidance for all children, and communicate effectively with the children, co-workers, and parents.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates will:

1. Promoting child development and learning:
   a. Knowing and understanding young children’s characteristics and needs.
   b. Knowing and understanding the multiple influences on development and learning.
   c. Using developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments.
2. Building family and community relationships by knowing about and understanding family and community characteristics.
   a. Knowing about and understanding diverse family and community characteristics.
   b. Supporting and engaging families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships.
   c. Involving families and communities and their children’s development and learning.
3. Observing, documenting and assessing to support young children and families:
   a. Knowing about assessment partnerships with families and other professionals.
   b. Knowing about and using observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches.
   c. Understanding and practicing responsible assessment to promote positive outcomes for each child.
   d. Knowing about assessment partnerships with families and other professional colleagues.
4. Using developmentally effective approaches to connect with children and families:
   a. Understanding positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation of working with children.
   b. Knowing and understanding effective strategies and tools for early education.
   c. Using a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate teaching/learning approaches.
   d. Reflecting on one’s own practice to promote positive outcomes for each child.