Courses offered at USF do not meet requirements for the Early Childhood Special Education approval.
EEND 605 may be required if not previously completed during undergraduate or other graduate degree programs. Candidates may visit their local ROE or request assistance from the college/university where they believe the course was completed to determine if the course is still needed. USF is not able to determine if courses taken outside of the university meet ISBE requirements.
Educators are encouraged to review the Notice to Holders of Special Education Endorsements on ISBE’s Special Education Licensure page to learn about limitations that may apply to the LBS I credential.
Educators seeking preparation to serve students across multiple disabilities can visit the Teaching & Learning (M.S.) program page for information about the Special Education concentration or LBS I endorsement-only option.
Course Titles and Descriptions
EEND 605 Learners with Exceptional and Diverse Needs (3): Designed to introduce exceptionality and education of students who have special needs and other diverse needs such as English Language Learners (ELL). This covers the examination of various classifications of special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA 2004) and providing differentiation & accommodations using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles.
EEND 640 Development and Characteristics of Individuals with Special Needs (3): The emphasis of this course is on understanding the characteristics and origin of disabilities as well as designing and assessing materials to meet the individual educational needs of individuals with mild to severe disabilities. This course provides specific understanding of characteristics and development of students with disabilities and their implications on teaching and learning; when teaching students with documented disabilities specified in IDEA (1997): Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), Emotional Disturbance (ED), Intellectual Disabilities (ID), Other Health Impairment(OHI); Autism(ASD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Orthopedic impairments, Sensory Impairments and other low-incidence disabilities (34 CFR, Section 300.7). The course will also stress on characteristics that are non-categorical in nature and are observed across the disability areas, which are helpful in choosing and designing interventions. Characteristics of students who are English Language Learners (ESL) and those who are ESL and have exceptional needs will be examined. Writing of Individual Education Plans (IEP) will be emphasized.
EEND 642 Assessment and Diagnosis in Special Education (3): Provides the candidate with the formal and informal assessment techniques useful for the assessment of special needs learners. Individually administered achievement, aptitude, and information processing tests will be examined in detail. The course will present information concerning report writing, diagnostic and prescriptive planning. Also, methods of interpreting evaluation data, identifying patterns, and presenting results to a consumer in an understandable and clearly written form will be examined.
EEND 644 Specialized Curriculum and Methods in Special Education (3): Centers around development of specific competencies in understanding special strategies for accommodations and modifications in the general education curriculum for individuals with special needs. Specific methods of teaching students with disabilities in various settings in the continuum of services will be examined.
Schedule and Registration
Register by selecting the corresponding date link for each course/section in which you wish to enroll.
EEND 640 Development and Characteristics of Individuals with Special Needs (3)
Summer 2025: May 19 - July 14, 2025
EEND 605 Learners with Exceptional and Diverse Needs (3)
Summer 2025: June 9 - August 1, 2025
EEND 642 Assessment and Diagnosis in Special Education (3)
Fall 2025: August 18 - October 10, 2025
EEND 644 Specialized Curriculum and Methods in Special Education (3)
Fall 2025: October 13 - December 8, 2025
EEND 605 Learners with Exceptional and Diverse Needs (3)
Fall 2025: October 20 - December 12, 2025