Educational Diagnostician, Graduate Certificate
Program Description
The Educational Diagnostician certification program can be taken concurrently with the MS Special Education degree program or alone by a certified teacher who has a graduate degree. This coursework prepares students to assess, diagnose, and support instructional planning for students referred to special education.
SLO's- Educational Diagnostician Certification only
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Collaborate with multidisciplinary team to determine assessment needs, gather data, incorporate appropriate teaching methods and make recommendations for individual education programs.
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Select, administer and interpret formal and informal assessments and evaluations.
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Prepare comprehensive assessment reports.
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Demonstrate understanding of compliance regarding federal and state laws, rules and regulation that impact exceptional students.
Admission Requirements
To be eligible for the Educational Diagnostician program, the student must be a certified teacher. To be certified as an Educational Diagnostician, the student must have a master’s degree, successfully complete 22-28 semester hours for Educational Diagnostician Certification, and pass the required TExES exam.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum and Instruction | ||
| SPED 5315 | Individuals with Exceptionalities in Schools 2,* | 3 |
| SPED 5385 | Emergent Bilinguals and Special Education | 3 |
| SPED 5386 | Strategic Reading and Language Instruction for Students with High-Incidence Disabilities ^ | 3 |
| or SPED 5387 | Strategic Math and Content Area Instruction for Students with High-Incidence Disabilities | |
| Related Area | ||
| CNEP 5371 | Psychometrics | 3 |
| CNEP 5374 | Individual intelligence Testing | 3 |
| Specialization Area | ||
| SPED 5320 | Application of Learning Principles 3,^ | 3 |
| SPED 5380 | Behavioral Supports and Interventions for Students with Disabilities | 3 |
| SPED 5311 | Advanced Assessment | 3 |
| SPED 5399 | Individualized Programs for Students with Exceptionalities: Practicum 1 | 3 |
| SPED 5399 | Individualized Programs for Students with Exceptionalities: Practicum 1 | 1 |
| Total Hours | 22-28 | |
- 1
SPED 5399 will be taken as a 1 hour course in SSII and a 3 hour course in Fall.
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All students need to take SPED 5315 Individuals with Exceptionalities in Schools (3 sch); this requirement may be waived for currently certified teachers and those with a previously earned degree in special education if deemed appropriate after consultation with the faculty advisor.
- 3
All students need to take SPED 5320 Application of Learning Principles (3 sch); this requirement may be waived for students who took SPED 3335 Applied Learning Theory (3 sch) as an undergraduate if deemed appropriate after consultation with the faculty advisor.
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Online offering
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Blended offering
Courses
Special Education Courses
This course focuses on current research and best practice in the assessment of exceptional learners, interpretation of formal and informal assessment data gathered through a variety of methods including Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and assessment of students from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Instructor’s permission is required.
This course focuses on current research and best practice in the assessment of exceptional learners, interpretation of formal and informal assessment data gathered through a variety of methods, assessment of students from diverse backgrounds, and the application of MTSS intervention data. Instructor’s permission required.
This course provides basic information and skills for working with students with exceptionalities in a variety of settings. It also includes current trends, issues, and research pertaining to persons with exceptionalities.
This course introduces students to the field of low-incidence disabilities. Students will explore foundational concepts including: definition and etiology, family and professional partnerships, special education law, and standards based IEPs.
This course prepares teachers, administrators, counselors and diagnosticians to use a variety of applied learning principles to increase student learning and minimize disruptive behavior.
This course focuses on areas of universal design, assistive technology, and resources that support the learning and independence of diverse learners both in school and community settings. Class sessions will be held both on campus and in community settings.
This course is an introduction to assistive technology for individuals with disabilities.
This course will focus on the use of assistive technology to support and facilitate inclusion of students with disabilities in the classroom.
Prerequisite: ETEC 5301.
This course will provide systematic procedures for the assessment of individual student's assistive technology needs. Legal issues of assistive technology and its impact on public education will be addressed.
Prerequisite: ETEC 5301.
This course examines the significant role of motor activity in the lives of people with disabilities. Major programmatic approaches to adapted physical activity are presented.
This course is an advanced study of the adaptations, approaches, and supports necessary to meet the educational needs of students who have communication, intellectual, motor, sensory, and/or medical impairments.
This course will focus on characteristics and classifications of children and adolescents with behavior disorders. Intervention orientations and associated education/treatment approaches for children and adolescents will be explored.
This course is designed to prepare special educators to address the sociocultural and ethnolinguistic needs of English learners. Particular emphasis is placed on: understanding the influence of language and culture in the design of instruction to prevent academic difficulty; the identification of students who need additional instructional supports; appropriate referral, screening, and assessment of students suspected of having disabilities; and the design of individualized education plans for students who qualify for special education services.
This course focuses on reading and language strategies for teaching students with high-incidence disabilities, including those who are Emergent Bilinguals. It is designed to give students an overview of strategic reading and writing instruction.
This course focuses on content-area strategies for teaching students with high-incidence disabilities, including those who are Emergent Bilinguals. It is designed to give students an overview of strategic mathematics and content area instruction.
CURRENT ISSUES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION Addresses issues currently facing the special education area. The course will focus on the following topics: (1) law and litigation, (2) inclusion, (3) assessment and individualized educational plan (IEP) procedures, (4) classification and labeling, (5) collaboration and consultation, (6) transition, (7) vocational education, (8) parent involvement, and (9) other relevant cultural pluralistic issues.
Topics in Special Education vary with professional identification of participants.
A field-based experience in which the student will demonstrate competencies to design and/or implement IEP's for students with disabilities, including those who are English learners. Grade assigned will be "credit" (CR) or "no credit" (NC).
This field-based practicum is based on Texas Educational Diagnostician standards. Students gain extensive field experience in the administration and interpretation of assessment instruments and the development of individualized education programs. Instructor’s permission required.
May be repeated when topics vary.
This course introduces students to the field of low-incidence disabilities. Students will explore foundational concepts including: definitions and etiology, family and professional partnerships, special education law, and standards based Individualized Education Program (IEPs).
This course prepares student(s) to use a variety of evidence-based approaches to increase student learning and minimize disruptive behavior.
This course focuses on areas of universal design, assistive technology, and resources that support the learning and independence of diverse learners both in school and community settings. Class sessions will be held both on campus and in community settings.
This course will focus on characteristics and classifications of children and adolescents with behavior disorders. Intervention orientations and associated education/treatment approaches for children and adolescents will be explained.
The philosophical and legal foundations of bilingual special education and bilingual education in the United States will be examined. Bilingual special education and bilingual education will be defined and the rationale for these programs will also be explained. Moreover, language minority education program models will be described and aspects associated with bilingualism will be discussed. Special emphasis will be placed on a perusal of school-community dynamics relevant to language minority special education.
This course focuses on reading and language strategies for teaching exceptional children, including those who are English learners. It is designed to give students an overview of strategic reading and writing instruction.
This course focuses on content-area strategies for teaching exceptional children, including those who are English learners. It is designed to give students an overview of strategic mathematics and content area instruction.
This course addresses contemporary issues in special education. It may be repeated when topics vary.