General Division/Undergraduate Catalog

Department of Early Childhood and Special Education

Chair: Lloyd R. Kinnison, Ed.D., Professor

Location: Early Childhood and Special Education MCL 906

Telephone: ECSE (817) 898-2271

Fax: (817)898-2270

Please note: TWU's area code (817) will change to 940 on May 25, 1997.

Faculty: Professors M. Keele, C. Thomas, M. Wiebe; Associate Professors R. Fritsch, C. Keefe, D. Lilly, L. Sluder; Assistant Professors R. Davis, E.J. Irons; Instuctor B. Lerner.

The Department of Early Childhood and Special Education is organized into two program areas: Early Childhood Education and Special Education. Programs in early childhood education and special education are designed as academic specializations within an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science leading to teacher certification.

Graduate Degrees are offered in both program areas of the department. Master of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Education, Doctor of Education, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees are offered in early childhood education and in special education.

Admission Requirements

Please see Admission section of this catalog.

Undergraduate Degree

B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies

Bachelor of Science Interdisciplinary Studies

General Description

A minimum of 132 semester hours is required to obtain both the bachelor degree and teacher certification. The interdisciplinary major allows for up to 18 semester hours in either early childhood or special education as an academic specialization. An additional 30 semester hours must be completed in no more than three disciplines specified under provisions of Senate Bill 994 and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rules.

Early childhood education represents a delivery system for elementary teacher certification. Generic special education represents a delivery system for both elementary and/or secondary teacher certification. Each program contains six semester hours beyond the interdisciplinary major, prescribed course work in professional education, and six semester hours of student teaching to complete both degree and certification requirements.

Early Childhood Education

Students who elect to specialize in early childhood education complete course work offered in this department and the Department of Family Sciences. Successful completion of the sequence of courses leads to a Bachelor of Science degree and elementary teacher certification with an Option IV specialization in Early Childhood Education.

Early Childhood Required Courses

ECSE 3623. Principles and Theory of Early Childhood Education

ECSE 3663. Foundations of Early Childhood Education

ECSE 3643. Learning Processes of Young Children

ECSE 3653. Early Childhood Psycholinguistics and Sociolinguistics

FS 2563. Childhood Guidance

FS 3403. Concept Development in Early Childhood, or

FS 3561-3562. Music, Literature, and Creative Arts

FS 3503. Early Childhood Development

FS 4583. Parenting Issues, or

FS 2503. The Infant

Early Childhood Education Undergraduate Courses

ECSE 3623. Principles and Theory of Early Childhood Education. Physical, mental, social, and emotional needs, interests, and experiences of young children as they relate to curriculum instruction and classroom management. Emphasis will be placed on learning theory and its relationship in determining implementation of curricular models: Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three semester hours.

ECSE 3643. Learning Processes of Young Children. Intellectual processes of children from infancy to age eight. Research on how young children form generalizations regarding phenomena will be studied. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three semester hours.

ECSE 3653. Early Childhood Psycholinguistics and Sociolinguistics. Young children's pattern of oral and written language growth and language use in the home, preschool, and primary school contexts. Three lecture and one and one-half laboratory hours a week. Credit: Three semester hours.

ECSE 3663. Foundations of Early Childhood Education. Theoretical and historical foundations of early childhood education programs; preschool and kindergarten goals, childcare, staffing, management, and evaluation; trends and issues including legal mandates, special needs, and teacher responsibilities. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three semester hours.

ECSE 4913. Independent Study. Independent study of specific problems. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Credit: Three hours. May be repeated for up to 12 hours of credit.

Special Education

Students in special education complete a degree program that leads to elementary Option III or secondary Option II teacher certification in generic special education. The academic specialization sequence prepares teachers for a variety of instructional arrangements and to work effectively with exceptional students according to educational needs.

Secondary teacher certification includes generic special education as a second 24-semester-hour teaching field in addition to other requirements. Students may add generic special education to all-level teaching certificates, but more than 132 semester hours are needed for graduation and certification.

Special Education Required Courses

ECSE 1013. Introduction to Special Education

ECSE 2403. Developmental Differences in Special Education

ECSE 3403. Mild/Moderate Exceptionalities

ECSE 3413. Severe/Profound Exceptionalities

ECSE 4403. Learning Theories in Special Education

ECSE 4413. Assessment and Evaluation in Special Education

ECSE 3033. Teaching Strategies in Special Education I

ECSE 3043. Teaching Strategies in Special Education II

Special Education Minor

Special education may be declared as a minor for the bachelor's degree. Eighteen semester hours are required, including ECSE 1013, 2403, 3403, 3413, 4403, and 4413.

Special Education Undergraduate Courses

ECSE 1013. Introduction to Special Education. Overview of the field of special education and examination of forces affecting treatment of exceptional persons throughout history. Federal and state legal requirements as well as current issues and terminology relative to education of exceptional learners. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three semester hours.

ECSE 2403. Developmental Differences in Special Education. An introduction to differential development of exceptional learners, including etiological, physical, neurological, social and language influences that affect the exceptional learner and family members. Prerequisite: ECSE 1013. Three lecture hours and one laboratory hour a week. Credit: Three semester hours.

ECSE 3033. Teaching Strategies in Special Education I. Developing goals and objectives of instruction for the exceptional learner based on assessment and task analysis; planning of curriculum; design, use, and evaluation of educational media and materials and interfacing with parents and other professionals. Prerequisite: 18 hours in special education. Corequisite: ECSE 3043. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week. Credit: Three semester hours.

ECSE 3043. Teaching Strategies in Special Education II. Application of curriculum to exceptional learners; classroom arrangements and management, individual instruction techniques, behavioral interventions, and evaluation of teaching adequacy. Prerequisite: 18 hours in special education. Corequisite: ECSE 3033. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week. Credit: Three semester hours.

ECSE 3403. Mild and Moderate Exceptionalities. Characteristics, identification, and etiologies of exceptional learners usually placed in mainstream or resource settings. Physical, emotional, cognitive, and cultural variables and their effect on development throughout the life span. Prerequisite: ECSE 1013, 2403. Corequisite: ECSE 3413. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week. Credit: Three semester hours.

ECSE 3413. Severe and Profound Exceptionalities. Characteristics, identification, and etiologies of exceptional learners in more restrictive settings. Physical, emotional, cognitive, and cultural influences on development through the life span. Prerequisites: ECSE 1013, 2403. Corequisite: ECSE 3413. Three lecture hours and one laboratory hour a week. Credit: Three semester hours.

ECSE 4403. Learning Theories in Special Education. Comparative review of major learning theories and their application to the learning styles of exceptional persons from infancy through adulthood. Models and theories of information processing, memory, motivation, and learning styles will be examined as related to exceptional learners. Prerequisites: ECSE 3403, 3413. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three semester hours.

ECSE 4413. Assessment and Evaluation in Special Education. Overview of assessment techniques used to determine psychological, emotional, and physical differences; including construction, administration, and interpretation of specific instruments. Test bias and legal and ethical uses of test information. Prerequisite: ECSE 4403. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three semester hours.

Graduate Courses / Special Education

ECSE 4052. Practicum in Special Education. Supervised observation and participation in education settings for exceptional learners; application of teaching competencies. Prerequisites: ECSE 3032, 3042. One lecture hour and ten laboratory hours a week. Credit: Two semester hours.

ECSE 4053. Practicum in Special Education. Supervised observation and participation in education settings for exceptional learners; application of teaching competencies. Prerequisites: ECSE 3032, 3042. One lecture hour and twelve laboratory hours a week. Credit: Three semester hours.

ECSE 4913. Independent Study. Independent study of specific problems. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Credit: Three hours. May be repeated for up to 12 hours of credit.

Graduate Courses | Early Childhood Education

ECSE 5613. Language Arts for the Kindergarten-Primary child

ECSE 5623. Principles and Practices of Kindergarten-Primary

Education

ECSE 5643. Growth and Development of the Kindergarten-Primary

Child

ECSE 5663. Problems and Issues in Kindergarten-Primary

Education

ECSE 5903. Special Topics

ECSE 5913. Individual Study

ECSE 5923. Practicum

ECSE 5973. Professional Paper

ECSE 5983. Thesis

ECSE 5993. Thesis

ECSE 6623. Language in Early Childhood Classrooms

ECSE 6633. Advanced Kindergarten Curriculum Theory and

Application: Early Childhood

ECSE 6653. Child Development of the Kindergarten-Primary Child:

Advanced

ECSE 6663. Foundations of Early Childhood Education

ECSE 6673. Advanced Seminar in Early Childhood Education

ECSE 6723. Practicum

ECSE 6903. Special Topics

ECSE 6911. Individual Study

ECSE 6913. Individual Study

ECSE 6983. Dissertation

ECSE 6993. Dissertation

Graduate Courses | Special Education

ECSE 5003. Psychology of the Exceptional Child

*ECSE 5013. Collaboration in the Schools and Community

ECSE 5023. Tests and Measurement of the Exceptional Child

ECSE 5033. Methods for Teaching Special Education

ECSE 5043. Clinical Instruction in Testing Exceptional Children

ECSE 5053. Principles of Learning for Exceptional Children

ECSE 5063. Educational Remediation and Programming for the Handicapped

ECSE 5073. Characteristics of Mild/Moderate Handicaps

*ECSE 5083. Classroom Assessment Strategies

ECSE 5093. Trends and Issues in Special Education.

ECSE 5103. Characteristics of the Mentally Retarded

ECSE 5123. Teaching Severe/Profoundly Handicapped.

ECSE 5133. Educational Procedures for Adolescents with Special Needs

ECSE 5143. Learning and Technology for Special Populations

ECSE 5153. Psychoeducational Assessment of Special Populations

*ECSE 5163. Inclusive Education Programming

ECSE 5203. Education of the Physically Handicapped

ECSE 5223. Neurological Disorders in Exceptional Children

ECSE 5233. Medical Disorders in Exceptional Children

ECSE 5303. The Emotionally Disturbed Child

ECSE 5313. Diagnosis and Treatment of the Emotionally Disturbed

ECSE 5323. Problems in Education of the Emotionally Disturbed

ECSE 5403. Seminar in Communication Problems in Exceptional

Children

ECSE 5413. Children with Language and Learning Disabilities

ECSE 5503. Seminar on the Gifted and the Creative

ECSE 5513. Teaching the Gifted Student

ECSE 5523. Strategies to Improve Learning Opportunities for Gifted

ECSE 5603. Administration and Supervision of Special Education Programs

ECSE 5703. Introduction to Early Childhood Special Education

ECSE 5713. Early Childhood Special Education Assessment and

Programs

ECSE 5723. Problems in Education for Early Childhood Handicapped

ECSE 5903. Special Topics

ECSE 5913. Individual Study

ECSE 5923. Practicum

ECSE 5973. Professional Paper

ECSE 5983. Thesis

ECSE 5993. Thesis

ECSE 6023. Practicum in the Assessment and Evaluation of

Individuals with Disabilities


*Subject to approval by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
ECSE 6103. Social, Medical, Psychological, and Educational

Aspects of Mental Retardation

ECSE 6233. Implication of Medical Problems in Special Education

ECSE 6403. Learning and Neurological Disabilities

ECSE 6423. Organization and Administration in Special Education

ECSE 6723. Practicum

ECSE 6903. Special Topics

ECSE 6911. Individual Study

ECSE 6913. Individual Study

ECSE 6983. Dissertation

ECSE 6993. Dissertation