https://www.naset.org/career-center/pdp-professional-development-courses
Alternate Testing Modifications - As an educator you will frequently be asked about the need for a student to have some type of modifications on their IEP. Alternate testing techniques are modifications that take into account the individual needs of a child having a disability and as a result modify testing or classroom procedures or formats. These modifications attempt to provide these students with equal opportunity to participate in testing or classroom situations. These techniques must appear on the student's IEP and provide the opportunity to demonstrate a child with a disability’s mastery of skills without being unfairly restricted by the presence of that disability. Children classified by the IEP Committee are entitled to alternate testing and classroom modifications as long as there is substantiated evidence for such a need in the testing or background of the child. There are no limits as to the number of modifications, but only include them in the IEP if they will enable the child to be more successful in school. This course will provide an overview test alternative techniques and modifications.
Annual Review and Triennial Review Process - The Teacher’s Role - A very important role for the special education teacher is demonstrated in the annual review and triennial review process. These reviews are a legal responsibility of the district and must be provided to all classified students who reside within the school district. As you are aware, the Annual Review involves a yearly evaluation by the district’s IEP Committee of the student's classification and educational program. Included in these two general areas are a review of related services provided, the need to add or remove test modifications, parents concerns or requests, academic progress, transportation needs, goals and objectives and the development of a new IEP for the upcoming school year. The Triennial Review Process involves the complete reevaluation of a child classified with a disability every 3 years in order to determine whether or not the conditions upon which the original classification was determined are still evident. This course will prepare you with all the knowledge of what materials and information you will need to make a professional presentation at each of these meetings.
Anxiety Disorders - Anxiety Disorders affect about 40 million American adults age 18 years and older (about 18%) in a given year, causing them to be filled with fearfulness and uncertainty. Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event (such as speaking in public or a first date), anxiety disorders last at least 6 months and can get worse if they are not treated. Anxiety disorders commonly occur along with other mental or physical illnesses, including alcohol or substance abuse, which may mask anxiety symptoms or make them worse. In some cases, these other illnesses need to be treated before a person will respond to treatment for the anxiety disorder. This course will cover many of the different Anxiety Disorders.
Assistive Technology: An Overview - As educators, you will need to be responsible for understanding and being aware of the numerous assistive technology (AT) options offered to children with special needs. With the increase of technology in today’s society, nowhere is the use more evident than in the classroom situation. This course will provide an overview of the different assistive technolgies and how they are used for specific disabilities.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that becomes apparent in some children in the preschool and early school years. It is hard for these children to control their behavior and/or pay attention. It is estimated that between 3 and 5 percent of children have ADHD, or approximately 2 million children in the United States. This means that in a classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is likely that at least one will have ADHD.
A child with ADHD faces a difficult but not insurmountable task ahead. In order to achieve his or her full potential, he or she should receive help, guidance, and understanding from parents, guidance counselors, and the public education system.
This course offers information on ADHD and its management, including research on medications and behavioral interventions, as well as helpful resources on educational options.
Auditory Processing Disorder - Staff Development Brief - Auditory processing is a term used to describe what happens when your brain recognizes and interprets the sounds around you. Humans hear when energy that we recognize as sound travels through the ear and is changed into electrical information that can be interpreted by the brain. The "disorder" part of auditory processing disorder means that something is adversely affecting the processing or interpretation of the information. This Staff Development Brief will provide you with a good overview of auditory processing disorder.
Autism - Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) are developmental disabilities that share many of the same characteristics. Usually evident by age three, autism and PDD are neurological disorders that affect a child’s ability to communicate, understand language, play, and relate to others. Early diagnosis and appropriate educational programs are very important to children with autism or PDD. This course will provide the reader with a basic overview of autism and PDD and important educational considerations to consider.
Autism: Criteria for Determining Eligibility for Special Education - This course will provide you with the criteria and process used in the determination of special education eligibility for children with the suspected disability of autism. It is designed in a step-by-step format for the reader to gain a greater understanding of how diagnoses are made, and the specific requirements for eligibility.
Behavior Problems: Intervention Strategies - We hear more and more today about the chronic behavior problems of students in our schools. Some of these students have disabilities, some do not. Each needs and deserves help in learning how to behave both in school and outside of school. This course is meant to help schools answer the question, "What does the research tell us?" about promising interventions for students with a history of behavior problems. It's important to know that there is a tremendous body of research available on this subject, covering a wide variety of students, situations, and settings. It is a short overview that you can use and adapt to help your students and develop your own programs. It is helpful to read the original research (such as the articles mentioned here) to learn the details of what works and why.
Bipolar Disorder - Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But there is good news: bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives. This course will provide an excellent overview of this crucial topic.
Cognitive Disabilities: Helping Students Find and Keep a Job - This course is written for those involved in helping students with cognitive disabilities such as mental retardation or autism find and keep a job. This includes parents, family members, teachers, transition specialists, job development specialists, employers, and others. It focuses on the processes involved in finding and keeping employment.
Deaf-Blindness: Criteria for Determining Eligibility for Special Education - This course will provide you with the criteria and process used in the determination of special education eligibility for children with the suspected disability of deaf-blindness. It is designed in a step-by-step format for the reader to gain a greater understanding of how diagnoses are made, and the specific requirements for eligibility.
Deafness and Hearing Loss - Hearing loss and deafness affect individuals of all ages and may occur at any time from infancy through old age. Hearing impairment and deafness affect approximately 28 million Americans. Of these 28 million, approximately 11 million have significant irreversible hearing loss, and one million are deaf. Only 5% of people with hearing loss are under the age of 17 (Deaf World Web, 2000). The U.S. Department of Education (2004) reports that, during the 2003–2004 school year, 71,118 students aged 6 to 21 (or 1.2 % of all students with disabilities) received special education services under the category of “hearing impairment.” However, the number of children with hearing loss and deafness is undoubtedly higher, since many of these students may have other disabilities as well and may be served under other categories. This course is designed to present a basic overview of deafness and hearing loss.
Depression - A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression. This course will provide you with an excellent overview of this topic.
Developmental and Psychological Disorders in Special Education - In the course of their experience, special educators will encounter a wide variety of developmental and psychological disorders. Many may be caused by intellectual, social, emotional, academic, environmental or medical factors. It is important that you have a basic understanding of the more common ones that may be presented by certain students. Your knowledge of these conditions can assist parents, doctors, other students in the class as well as the student him/herself. Understanding the nature of certain disorders can enhance your total understanding of the child and the factors that play a role in the child's educational development. This course will provide a general overview of this topic.
Developmental and Psychological Disorders: Educational Implications for Special Education Students - As special educators you will be working with a wide variety of students with developmental and psychological disorders. One of the main concerns from teachers in special education involves the educational implications for children with these disorders. This course was developed to discuss and provide information on educational implications and what can be done for students with psychological and developmental disorders.
This course will provide you with the criteria and process used in the determination of special education eligibility for children with a developmental delay. It is designed in a step-by-step format for the reader to gain a greater understanding of how diagnoses are made, and the specific requirements for eligibility.
Down Syndrome-Staff Development Brief - Down syndrome is the most common and readily identifiable chromosomal condition associated with intellectual disability. It is caused by a chromosomal abnormality: for some unexplained reason, an accident in cell development results in 47 instead of the usual 46 chromosomes. This course will present a basic overview of Down Syndrome.
Eating Disorders - Eating is controlled by many factors, including appetite, food availability, family, peer, and cultural practices, and attempts at voluntary control. Dieting to a body weight leaner than needed for health is highly promoted by current fashion trends, sales campaigns for special foods, and in some activities and professions. Eating disorders involve serious disturbances in eating behavior, such as extreme and unhealthy reduction of food intake or severe overeating, as well as feelings of distress or extreme concern about body shape or weight. This course will provide the educator with an excellent overview of this very important topic.
Emotional Distrurbance - Many terms are used to describe emotional, behavioral or mental disorders. Currently, students with such disorders are categorized as having an emotional disturbance. This course will present a basic overview of students with emotional disturbance.
Emotional Disturbance: Criteria for Determining Eligibility for Special Education - This course will provide you with the criteria and process used in the determination of special education eligibility for children with the suspected disability of emotional disturbance. It is designed in a step-by-step format for the reader to gain a greater understanding of how diagnoses are made, and the specific requirements for eligibility.
Epilepsy-Staff Development Brief - According to the Epilepsy Foundation of America, epilepsy is a physical condition that occurs when there is a sudden, brief change in how the brain works. When brain cells are not working properly, a person's consciousness, movement, or actions may be altered for a short time. These physical changes are called epileptic seizures. Epilepsy is therefore sometimes called a seizure disorder. Epilepsy affects people in all nations and of all races. This course will present a basic overview of students with epilepsy.
Factors Affecting Curriculum for Students with Special Needs - As a general education teacher working with students with special needs you will be heavily involved in teaching curriculum. It is therefore important that you understand the many factors that may sometimes interfere in the ability of these students to perform up to their ability while in school. Children are faced with many pressures everyday and as a result these pressures may play a role in their ability to fully concentrate in school. What you notice as a general education teacher may only be symptoms of these pressures i.e. procrastination, avoidance, resistance, lack of completion of a task, lack of attention etc. However, the real reasons behind these behaviors should be known by you so that you can, along with the special education teacher, make accommodations or adaptations to the curriculum to help these students succeed. This course is geared to informing you of the 8 factors that contribute to problems in curriculum performance by students with special needs.<//font><//font>
Foundations of Learning Disabilities: An Introductory Course on Learning Disabilities - Learning disability is a general term that describes specific kinds of learning problems. A learning disability can cause a person to have trouble learning and using certain skills. The skills most often affected are: reading, writing, listening, speaking, reasoning, and doing math. Almost 3 million children (ages 6 through 21) have some form of a learning disability and receive special education in school. In fact, over half of all children who receive special education have a learning disability. This course will provide you with a basic understanding of learning disabilities. The content includes a general overview on learning disabilities pertaining to the IDEA definition , prevalence, causes, signs and characteristics, types, detection, and treatment.
Hearing Impairments: Criteria for Determining Eligibility for Special Education - This course will provide you with the criteria and process used in the determination of special education eligibility for children with the suspected disability of hearing impairments. It is designed in a step-by-step format for the reader to gain a greater understanding of how diagnoses are made, and the specific requirements for eligibility.
High Risk Students in the Classroom: Identification in the Classroom - One of the most important tools that an educator can possess is the understanding of symptoms exhibited by students that may indicate a high risk situation. While you may be involved with children with disabilities, you can often not help but see, hear about, or uncover a child that is struggling in school and whose problems may be going unnoticed. Whether these high risk students have potential educational disabilities or other issues that may require intervention, the faster the child is identified the better chance he/she has in avoiding serious and long lasting problems. Therefore it is imperative that special educators have a pulse on the “red flag” symptoms that high risk children exhibit. This course will provide an overview of the process for identification of High Risk Students.
IEP (Individual Education Program): An Overview - As general education teachers involved with students with special needs you have been given a very important responsibility in the education of these children. Our experience has shown that the resistance to working with children with disabilities usually develops from a lack of understanding, education, and skill knowledge on the part of the teachers. Once general education teachers are provided these skills and knowledge they can offer a tremendous amount to students with special needs in an inclusion setting, a mainstream setting for a child in a special education class, or in collaboration with the resource room teacher who the child sees every day from your class. The purpose of this course is to familiarize you with the Individual Education Plan (IEP) written for every child with special needs. While you may never be asked to write an IEP, you will provide certain information that will be included into the final version. In order to make this a very practical course we will assume nothing and explain everything that we feel you will need to know to have a working knowledge of this area of special education.
IEP: A Student’s Guide - Welcome to your IEP!! This course will explain to students what an IEP is; why you need to be part of your IEP team; how to help write your IEP and much, much more!! Being a part of the team that writes your IEP is an exciting, important thing to do. It's your education be in on planning it!
Learning Disabilities: Criteria for Determining Eligibility for Special Education - This course will provide you with the criteria and process used in the determination of special education eligibility for children with the suspected disability of specific learning disabilities. It is designed in a step-by-step format for the reader to gain a greater understanding of how diagnoses are made, and the specific requirements for eligibility.
Medication: An Overview for Professionals in Special Education - It is important for you to be well informed about medications. You should always be aware that you are to never give advice in any form concerning medications and any questions asked of you about medications should be referred to the child’s doctor. You should know what medications your students take and the dosage, and learn everything you can about them. Almost any substance that can change behavior can cause harm if used in the wrong amount or frequency of dosing, or in a bad combination. Drugs differ in the speed, duration of action, and in their margin for error. As a teacher, you may be the first person to recognize these problematic symptoms or side effects. This course is designed to help special education teachers understand how and why medications can be used as part of the treatment of mental health problems and how they may effect the student in your classroom.
Multiple Disabilities: Criteria for Determining Eligibility for Special Education - This course will provide you with the criteria and process used in the determination of special education eligibility for children with the suspected disability of multiple disabilities. It is designed in a step-by-step format for the reader to gain a greater understanding of how diagnoses are made, and the specific requirements for eligibility.
Orthopedic Impairments: Criteria for Determining Eligibility for Special Education - This course will provide you with the criteria and process used in the determination of special education eligibility for children with the suspected disability of orthopedic impairments. It is designed in a step-by-step format for the reader to gain a greater understanding of how diagnoses are made, and the specific requirements for eligibility.
Other Health Impairments: Criteria for Determining Eligibility for Special Education - This course will provide you with the criteria and process used in the determination of special education eligibility for children with the suspected disability of other health impairments. It is designed in a step-by-step format for the reader to gain a greater understanding of how diagnoses are made, and the specific requirements for eligibility.
Parenting a Child with Special Needs - When parents learn that their child has a disability or a chronic illness, they begin a journey that takes them into a life that is often filled with strong emotion, difficult choices, interactions with many different professionals and specialists, and an ongoing need for information and services. Initially, parents may feel isolated and alone, and not know where to begin their search for information, assistance, understanding, and support. This course has been developed expressly to respond to the information needs of parents—those who have just learned their child has special needs and those who have lived with this reality for some time but who have reached a transition point where they need new information or renewed support.
Pervasive Developmental Disorders - The term Pervasive Developmental Disorders was first used in the 1980s to describe a class of disorders. This class of disorders has in common the following characteristics: impairments in social interaction, imaginative activity, verbal and nonverbal communication skills, and a limited number of interests and activities that tend to be repetitive. Over the past few years, PDD has become a subject of increased attention among parents, professionals, and policymakers across the country. This course is designed to answer some of the most commonly asked questions regarding PDD and to provide concerned individuals with other resources for information and support.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder-Staff Development Brief - A diagnosis of PTSD means that an individual experienced an event that involved a threat to one's own or another's life or physical integrity and that this person responded with intense fear, helplessness, or horror. There are a number of traumatic events that have been shown to cause PTSD in children and adolescents. Children and adolescents may be diagnosed with PTSD if they have survived natural and man made disasters such as floods; violent crimes such as kidnapping, rape or murder of a parent, sniper fire, and school shootings; motor vehicle accidents such as automobile and plane crashes; severe burns; exposure to community violence; war; peer suicide; and sexual and physical abuse. This Staff Development Brief will provide you with a good overview of this very important topic.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder-Staff Development Brief - Course Link
Related Services: An Overview - The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 2004 mandates that "...all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education [FAPE] that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for employment and independent living". In accordance with the IDEA '04 and other federal laws, more than 5.9 million children with disabilities (ages 3 through 21) across the nation received special education and related services in the 1997-98 school year (U.S. Department of Education, 1999b). What, precisely, are related services, and why are they an important part of educating children with disabilities? Who is eligible for related services, and how are related services delivered? This course examines the answers to these and other questions.
Rett Syndrome - Rett syndrome is a childhood neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by normal early development followed by loss of purposeful use of the hands, distinctive hand movements, slowed brain and head growth, gait abnormalities, seizures, and mental retardation. It affects females almost exclusively. The disorder was identified by Dr. Andreas Rett, an Austrian physician who first described it in a journal article in 1966. It was not until after a second article about the disorder was published in 1983 that the disorder was generally recognized. This course will provide the reader with an excellent insight into this autistic disorder.
Schizophrenia - Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that has been recognized throughout recorded history. It affects about 1 percent of Americans. People with schizophrenia may hear voices other people don't hear or they may believe that others are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. These experiences are terrifying and can cause fearfulness, withdrawal, or extreme agitation. People with schizophrenia may not make sense when they talk, may sit for hours without moving or talking much, or may seem perfectly fine until they talk about what they are really thinking. Because many people with schizophrenia have difficulty holding a job or caring for themselves, the burden on their families and society is significant as well. This course will provide an excellent and thorough overview of this topic.
Special Education Services: How Children are Identified - In order to survive as a general education teacher working with children with special needs, it is important to become very familiar with the process by which children are identified as having a disability. This process is called the special education process and involves a number of steps that must follow federal, state, and district guidelines. These guidelines have been created to protect the rights of students, parents and school districts and as a result you must be knowledgeable to assist parents and students through this involved process. This course will instruct in the basics of the special education process and how students are identified for special education services.
Speech and Language Impairments - More than one million of the students served in the public schools’ special education programs in the 2000-2001 school year were categorized as having a speech or language impairment. Speech and language disorders refer to problems in communication and related areas such as oral motor function. These delays and disorders range from simple sound substitutions to the inability to understand or use language or use the oral-motor mechanism for functional speech and feeding. This course is designed to present a basic overview of speech and language impairments and to provide concerned individuals with other resources for information and support.
Speech and Language Impairments: Criteria for Determining Eligibility for Special Education - This course will provide you with the criteria and process used in the determination of special education eligibility for children with the suspected disability of speech and language impairments. It is designed in a step-by-step format for the reader to gain a greater understanding of how diagnoses are made, and the specific requirements for eligibility.
Spina Bifida-Staff Development Brief - Spina Bifida means cleft spine, which is an incomplete closure in the spinal column. Although spina bifida is relatively common, until recently most children born with a myelomeningocele died shortly after birth. Now that surgery to drain spinal fluid and protect children against hydrocephalus can be performed in the first 48 hours of life, children with myelomeningocele are much more likely to live. Successful integration of a child with spina bifida into school sometimes requires changes in school equipment or the curriculum. This course is designed to present a basic overview of spina bifida and to provide concerned individuals with other resources for information and support.
Tourette Syndrome - Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, stereotyped, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics. TS occurs in people from all ethnic groups; males are affected about three to four times more often than females. It is estimated that 200,000 Americans have the most severe form of TS, and as many as one in 100 exhibit milder and less complex symptoms such as chronic motor or vocal tics or transient tics of childhood. Although TS can be a chronic condition with symptoms lasting a lifetime, most people with the condition experience their worst symptoms in their early teens, with improvement occurring in the late teens and continuing into adulthood. The focus of this course will be to provide you with a general understanding of TS. Course content includes information on TS pertaining to: definition, symptoms, course of action, tics, causes, disorders associated with it, diagnosis, treatment, inheritance, prognosis, and appropriate educational settings.
Transition Planning: A Team Effort - The completion of high school is the beginning of adult life. Entitlement to public education ends, and young people and their families are faced with many options and decisions about the future. The most common choices for the future are pursuing vocational training or further academic education, getting a job, and living independently. This course provides ideas and information on how students, families, school personnel, service providers, and others can work together to help students make a smooth transition. In particular, it focuses on creative transition planning and services that use all the resources that exist in communities, not just the agencies that have traditionally been involved.
Traumatic Brain Injury - A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury to the brain caused by the head being hit by something or shaken violently. This injury can change how the person acts, moves, and thinks. A traumatic brain injury can also change how a student learns and acts in school. More than one million children receive brain injuries each year. More than 30,000 of these children have lifelong disabilities as a result of the brain injury. This course is designed to present a basic overview of traumatic brain injury and to provide concerned individuals with other resources for information and support.
Traumatic Brain Injury: Criteria for Determining Eligibility for Special Education - This course will provide you with the criteria and process used in the determination of special education eligibility for children with the suspected disability of traumatic brain injury. It is designed in a step-by-step format for the reader to gain a greater understanding of how diagnoses are made, and the specific requirements for eligibility.
Violence and Disasters: Helping Children and Adolescents Cope - Helping young people avoid or overcome emotional problems in the wake of violence or disaster is one of the most important challenges a parent, teacher, or mental health professional can face. Many agencies are working to address the issue of assisting children and adolescents who have been victims of or witnesses to violent and/or catastrophic events. The purpose of this course is to tell what is known about the impact of violence and disasters on children and adolescents and suggest steps to minimize long-term emotional harm. This course will provide educators with a very good overview and practical suggestions for helping students cope with this experience.
Visual Impairments: An Overview - The effect of visual problems on a child's development depends on the severity, type of loss, age at which the condition appears, and overall functioning level of the child. Many children who have multiple disabilities may also have visual impairments resulting in motor, cognitive, and/or social developmental delays. The rate at which visual impairments occur in individuals under the age of 18 is 12.2 per 1,000. This course is designed to present a basic overview of visual impairments and to provide concerned individuals with other resources for information and support.
Visual Impairments: Criteria for Determining Eligibility for Special Education - This course will provide you with the criteria and process used in the determination of special education eligibility for children with the suspected disability of visual impairments. It is designed in a step-by-step format for the reader to gain a greater understanding of how diagnoses are made, and the specific requirements for eligibility.