Teaching Students with Special Needs in the Mainstream Classroom

(Grades K-6) / Flex Course

PDI Course Number: 23T02 / UCSD Course Number: EDUC41528

Course Description

Does your classroom population include students with special needs and are you left wondering how to help them? This online course teaches K-6 teachers how to address students with special needs in the general classroom. The course provides information about teacher involvement in the special education process in terms of assessment, intervention, and collaboration. A variety of suggestions for working with students who have special needs such as learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, communication disorders, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, sensory impairments, and low-incidence disabilities are provided. Also included are strategies to assist English language learners, students who are considered at-risk, and gifted and talented students. Each special need is defined, and common causes and characteristics are identified, along with suggested instructional strategies. Intervention strategies and classroom adaptations are also provided to help teachers accommodate students with special needs in an inclusive classroom. By the end of this course, teachers will feel more confident in their quest to better prepare their students with special needs in the mainstream classroom. This course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units/5 quarter units (50 hours of training) from UC San Diego Extension. For detailed information on university credit, click here.

"Excellent course! The content is very beneficial and inspires you to try new things. Thank you for offering this level of quality learning and instruction for busy teachers." - Lucy Allen

Required Resource Book

This course has a modestly-priced required resource book (available in both new and used versions) that can be purchased through Amazon using the following link. Note that you can begin and participate in your course before the book arrives.

Your Students, My Students, Our Students: Rethinking Equitable and Inclusive Classrooms by Lee Ann Jung, Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher, and Julie Kroener

If you are registering for multiple courses, use the following link to access the book list for all PDI courses with direct purchase links through Amazon. PDI Course Resource Book List