Special Education

Special Education teachers educate students with special educational needs in a way that addresses their individual differences and needs, through the use of individually targeted educational plans, adapted equipment and materials, and accessible settings. These interventions are designed to help special-needs students achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school than they would in a general-education classroom. The Special Education program at Grand Valley leads to two endorsements, selected from Cognitive Impairment, Emotional Impairment, Learning Disabilities and Early Childhood Education*. The curriculum provides:

• content knowledge across all elementary subjects
• knowledge of childhood development
• the ability to adapt content knowledge and present it according to individual needs
• extensive field experiences teaching in both general education and special education classrooms

*The Early Childhood Education endorsement allows the holder to teach from birth to grade 3 in both general and special education settings.