Special Education is instruction that is specially designed to meet the unique needs of children with exceptionalities such as hearing and visual impairment, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, communication disorders and behavioural disorders.
Some of our Graduates have found employment as:
Special Educators at Special Educational Institutions and General Education Schools- Resource Rooms at Primary and Junior High Schools
- Itinerant Teachers
- Coordinators at Remedial Centres
- Coordinators of Centres of Excellence
Other professions also include:
Speech and Language Therapy- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Educational Psychology
- Psychometrics
- Community Rehabilitation
The programmes offered lead to a four (4) year Degree in Special Education with emphasis on being an all rounded Special Educator to work with Learners with Mild and Moderate Difficulties and exposure to electives in:
- Moderate and Severe Disabilities
- Educational Assessment and Instructional Planning
- Blindness and Visual Impairment
- Deafness and Hard of Hearing
Entry Requirements
Candidates need 5 CSEC subjects or equivalent.
The 5 CSEC subjects should include English Language, Mathematics, a social science subject and a Science subject preferably Biology / Human and Social Biology at the General Proficiency Level (grades 1, 2 or 3 or their equivalent).
Candidates will also be accepted with either:
- A Diploma in Special Education with a minimum credit. (Start in year 2 of Degree)
- A Diploma in Regular Education (Start in year 1 of Degree)
Description of Electives
- MODERATE AND SEVERE DISABILITIES:
This elective prepares special education teachers to develop an understanding of varying disorders and implement programmes in the functional academic skills, adaptive skills, and also to address critical psychosocial issues in the lives of persons with moderate and severe disabilities. - EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING:
This elective provides instruction and practice in the designing, selecting, administering and the scoring of appropriate assessment tools for individuals with academic problems in reading, language and mathematics. The option also provides training in the development of individualized instructional plans. - BLINDNESS AND VISUAL IMPAIRMENT:
This elective provides students with knowledge of the impact of blindness and visual impairment on the physical, psychological and emotional development and on functioning. Students must demonstrate proficiency in Braille reading and writing (as this is the primary mode of communication), using the Braillewriter, slate and stylus and gain mastery of the Literacy and Mathematical Braille Codes. - DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING:
This elective promotes sign language fluency and mastery of printed English in students who are deaf and hard of hearing. The option provides students with knowledge of the impact of deafness and hearing impairment on physical, psychological and emotional development and on daily functioning.