Strategies for Teaching Students with Disabilities in General Education Settings

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• To develop the academic language necessary to identify, describe, and meet the needs of students with disabilities in general education settings as determined by common characteristics of a specific disability as well as the unique needs of each student.

• To identify and implement effective evidence- or research-based strategies that ensure students with disabilities may access and learn curricular content and realize improved academic and behavioral outcomes.

• To understand and apply the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) when planning to meet the needs of all students in a general education setting.

• To further develop an understanding of issues that impact the education of students with disabilities, including cultural and linguistic diversity.

• To learn strategies for building partnerships with parents and colleagues who support student learning.

• To delineate the roles and responsibilities of potential members of teams that collaborate to meet the needs of students with disabilities and principles for developing positive professional relationships. This may include an educational team for pre-referral/referral processes, a transdisciplinary team, or teams involved in a multi-tiered system of support, including professionals for related fields or support services.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Assignment 1 Readings, Quizzes, and/or Module Activites	300 points
Assignment 2 Attendance and In class Participation (e.g., Discussions, Reflections, Activites, Quizzes	100 points
Assignment 3 Mock IEP Assignment	100 points
Assignment 4: Evidence Based Practices (EBPs)/High Leverage Practices (HLPs)/ Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Assignment	100 points

Attendance/Participation:

Attendance/participation is not a graded component included in the student's final grade for this course.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

• Draper, S. M. (2010). Out of my mind. Atheneum

• Love, B. (2019). We want to do more than survive: Abolitionist teaching and the pursuit of educational freedom. Beacon Press

• O’Brien, C., & Sacco, D. (2023). Exceptionality in school and society: A guide for future educators (4th Ed.). Kendall Hunt.

  The O’Brien & Sacco (2025) 4th edition textbook is required. Please do not purchase a previous edition (e.g., 1st, 2nd, or 3rd edition). In addition to the required textbook O’Brien & Sacco (2025), you may purchase acceptable alternatives to either the Draper (2010) and/or Love (2019) texts. The alternatives to these two texts include one or two of the following:

• Students with Learning Disabilities (LD): Ungerleider, D. (1985). Reading, writing, and rage. Jalmar Press. ISBN: 0-915190-42-7

• Students with Emotional and Behavioral Health (EBH) instruction and support needs: Hayden, T.L. (1980). One child. Avon Books. ISBN: 0-380-54262-5

• Students with Tourette Syndrome (TS): Cohen, B. & Wysocky, L. (2008). Front of the class: How Tourette Syndrome made me the teacher I never had. St. Martin’s Press. ISBN: 978-0-312-57139-9; ISBN: 0-312-57139-9

• The three texts listed above are acceptable alternative(s) if the most recent edition(s) of Draper (2010) and/or Love (2019) is/are cost prohibitive, is/are not available, will be delayed in shipping (e.g., cannot be secured within the first week of class), and/or you have a specific interest in Learning Disabilities (LD), Emotional and Behavioral Health (EBH), and/or or Tourette Syndrome (TS). Please note, the three alternative textbooks are not available in UNCG’s Bookstore. Thus, you need to order from your preferred online vendor. Please note: Draper (2010) focuses on students with Cerebral Palsy. Love (2019) focuses on students who are at heightened risk for over-, under-, and/or misidentification.

• You are required to inform the professor the first week of classes if you purchase one or more of the alternative texts.

• Also, if you purchase the alternative texts listed above, please be aware the page numbers, guided reading and discussion questions, chapters, and chapter content for required reading(s) will differ, which can create confusion for some undergraduate students. This is your responsibility as you are making an informed choice.