Corey, age 8, arrived at school angry. He had a tough trip on the bus. He goes to his desk, bangs his book on it, and doesn’t
make any attempt to begin his work. A few minutes later, his teacher walks over to Corey and states, “Looks like your having a difficult time getting started. You sure seem grumpy today.” Corey shouts, “Don’t call me grumpy!” as he proceeds to yell. As a teacher, what would you do to this “carry-in problem” so that it doesn’t develop into a power struggle?

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that children with special needs be educated in the “least restrictive environment appropriate” to meet their “unique needs” and be educated “to maximum extent appropriate…with non-disabled children in a regular classroom setting.” CCSU’S Department of Special Education is committed to providing graduates who will foster learning in every child, even students like Corey, at the highest level.

I believe that the department of special education at CCSU is uniquely positioned to meet the demands of this trend.  We prepare our students to work with special needs students in the regular classroom.

Inclusion is based on the premise that disabled youth can be successfully educated in the regular education environment by bringing support services to the child (rather than the child to the services). This is where collaboration enters. Today, more than ever, we need to collaborate with schools and teachers. We’re training our special education teachers to work and communicate with regular education teachers to adjust their curriculum, teaching strategies, to implement a child’s Individual Education Plan, and to learn effective behavioral support techniques in accommodating the needs of students with disabilities so they can be successful in the general learning environment.

The Department of Special Education offers several graduate programs. The Master’s in Special Education for already certified special educators is where collaboration pedagogy is key. It is to help them to advance their knowledge and skills in current trends and issues in the profession.

The Master’s for student with certification in other areas of education has two “strands”: candidates can investigate how to enrich their current teaching by studying the characteristics and education of the exceptional learner; upon completion of their plan of study, they can apply to the Connecticut State Department of Education for a cross endorsement in special education.

We also offer a Post-Baccalaureate Certification Program for students who have a bachelor’s degree but who are not certified. The sequence of courses offered allows them to become certified in special education, but does not lead to a Master’s degree.

The Department of Special Education is continuing to strive to improve outcomes for its students, to using more humanistic strategies, not only for special need students, but for all students.