Special Education (K-12) General Curriculum

Special education teachers need to hold a bachelor's degree in their field to effectively teach their students. A bachelor's degree in special education prepare future teachers to work with students with varying special needs.

Although every college has its own course curriculum, there are educational standards that they all must meet. Keep reading to learn more about what to expect from a special education K-12 general curriculum.

Core Courses for a Special Education Degree Program

Special education degrees prepare future teachers to address the needs of students with intellectual disabilities, developmental delays, emotional or behavioral disorders, and other types of special needs. To do this, they need a solid, research-based special education curriculum.

While every program is different, there are core topics that coursework will cover. Common core courses in special education programs include:

• Introduction to Special Education: Introduction or foundational courses introduce special education students to working with special needs students and often include legal and ethical issues that arise in special education settings.
• Child Development and Learning: Child development courses cover the physical, social, intellectual, and cognitive aspects of child development. These courses are often required for general education teachers as well.
• Behavior Management in Special Education: Behavior management classes cover interventions and strategies for working with special needs children who are struggling with impulsive or potentially harmful behaviors.
• Assessment and Evaluation in Special Education: Assessment and evaluation are core job duties of special education teachers and these classes explain how to assess students and use that assessment to evaluate student progress.
• Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and Legal Issues: IEPs are legal documents that outline the interventions and accommodations that a student is entitled to. These courses explain the legal aspects of IEPs and how to work with IEP teams to create effective education plans for students.
• Inclusive Education Strategies: Courses on inclusive education strategies train future teachers on how to adapt their lesson plans and activities to include all students.
• Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities: Students with learning disabilities often require different teaching strategies to meet their learning needs, and these courses dive into how to identify and implement those strategies.
• Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): Autism is a common neurological condition, and some students with autism have difficulty learning in a general classroom. Autism courses explain more about the condition and how best to teach and accommodate students with autism.
• Assistive Technology in Special Education: Courses in assistive technology cover the different types of technology that special needs students may use and how teachers can use these to help students thrive.
• Early Childhood Special Education: Early childhood special education courses focus on the assessment and intervention of very young children.
• Differentiated Instruction: Differentiated instruction classes train future teachers to teach in a way that meets the needs of all their students.
• Classroom Management for Special Education: Classroom management can be difficult in any setting, but especially when you have a variety of students with different needs. These courses provide strategies and tips on maintaining control of a special education classroom.
• Language and Communication Development: Many special needs students have communication or language difficulties, and these classes prepare future teachers to work with these students and help them with their communication if possible.
• Collaboration and Co-Teaching: Collaboration and co-teaching courses cover how to work with others in special education services, including other teachers and members of a student's IEP team.
• Practicum/Field Experiences: Most bachelor's degree programs and some master's degree programs include student teaching experiences. During your student teaching, you'll work in the special education department of an elementary school, middle school, or high school, depending on the grade level you're specializing in, under the guidance of an experienced special education teacher.

Note that the specific coursework that you take depends on the state you live in, as many states have requirements for teaching programs and the specific program you're attending. Many colleges and universities post their curriculum requirements online, but you can reach out to your advisor to learn more about the core major requirements for your degree.

Additionally, students in bachelor's degree programs are also required to fulfill general education courses that are part of their college or university's general education core. These are basic courses that all students must complete, regardless of their major. They often include composition, math and science courses, as well as various humanities and liberal arts courses.

Common Elective and Specialization Courses

Many special education degree programs will include electives, which allow you to choose courses to fill your remaining credits. Some common elective and specialization courses for special education programs include:

• Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD): These courses cover common types of emotional and behavior disorders, like ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and offer strategies and interventions to help students with these disorders.
• Teaching Students with Severe and Profound Disabilities: Courses about severe and profound disabilities often cover common types of profound disabilities and instructional strategies and tactics for teaching students with these disabilities.
• Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities: Transition planning classes help teachers understand the best ways to set students with disabilities up for life outside of school.

If you choose a specialization, you will likely have three or four courses you need to take to fulfill that specialization. If you're not taking a specialization, you'll use elective credits to meet the remaining credit requirements for your teacher preparation program.

Additional Requirements

Depending on where you teach, there may be additional school district or state standards you need to fulfill to earn your teaching license. These educational standards can vary, but some include courses on suicide prevention or first aid classes.

Additionally, if you're earning a master's degree, you may have a final project to complete. Thesis papers or capstone projects are common requirements that allow the university to see you put what you've learned into action.

Earn Your Special Education Degree Today

Start your special education degree today by exploring degree programs on Learn.org. Reach out to one of these schools directly to learn more about their special education curriculum.