Extensive Support Needs 4-Semester Option
See requirements for the Extensive Support Needs 4-semester option.
Program of study: Preliminary Specialist Credential in Extensive Support Needs
Note: You can download this information as a printable PDF.
After completion of the Preliminary Credential, candidates are eligible to take teaching
positions. Following employment as a special education teacher, candidates have 5
years to complete Induction of the Clear Professional Credential.
Course Sequence
Preliminary, Prerequisites, 13 units
Historical, legal, and philosophical aspects of special education. Instructional and
assessment support for access to general education curriculum. Meets requirements
for preliminary multiple, single subject, and education specialist teaching credentials.
Theory, research, and processes in learning in relation to individuals with disabilities.
Foundations of learning, development, and intervention.
Observation and participation in general and special education classrooms and related
school activities for students with disabilities.
Historical and philosophical perspectives of cultural pluralism in special education
and programs related to diverse students with disabilities. Research on curricular
approaches and instructional needs. Sociocultural aspects related to disability, race,
ethnicity, gender, and language.
Teaching strategies in content specific fields from second language acquisition perspective
taken concurrently with student teaching or practicum. May be repeated with new content.
Required to obtain your
Preliminary Credential per CTC, CA or to be taken during the program:
- TE 280 ^ (Health Ed for Teachers) (Must be taken prior to final semester). For further
clarification contact the Office for Student Success at (619) 594-6320.
- CPR Training^
- U.S. Constitution**
Preliminary, Semester 1 - Fall, 9 units (+5 units intern only)
Characteristics, needs, and supports for individuals with physical, health, and sensory
impairments in educational, home, and community settings. Implications of health concerns
for programming.
Positive behavioral supports for students with disabilities in general and special
education settings. Current theories and programs in functional assessment and behavioral
change. Applications in educational and community environments with diverse students.
Educational needs and services for students with serious emotional disturbance. Classroom
interventions and procedures.
School to adult life transitions for individuals with disabilities. Whole student
approaches to include community experiences, employment preferences, friends and extended
family, home and school life, and postsecondary goals.
Participation in general and special education programs for students with disabilities;
supervised by a special educator. Integration and application of skills and knowledge
gained in credential coursework. May be repeated in other specialties. Maximum Credits: four units applicable to each
credential program.
Research-based instruction to meet the needs of diverse language learners in a variety
of classroom settings. Maximum Credits: six units.
Preliminary, Semester 2 - Spring, 6 units (+5 units intern only)
Definition, etiology, assessment, and instructional practices used to address autism.
Historical and current issues.
Educational applications of current technologies for learners with disabilities. Selection,
modification, and classroom use of technologies to improve or bypass physical, sensory,
communicative, learning, and social limitations.
Participation in general and special education programs for students with disabilities;
supervised by a special educator. Integration and application of skills and knowledge
gained in credential coursework. May be repeated in other specialties. Maximum Credits: four units applicable to each
credential program.
Research-based instruction to meet the needs of diverse language learners in a variety
of classroom settings. Maximum Credits: six units.
Preliminary, Semester 3 - Fall, 9 units + practicum
Models of assessment emphasizing observation and interviewing, performance-based approaches,
transdisciplinary teaming, family-professional collaboration, and adaptations for
specific disabilities, cultural, and linguistic diversity for students with extensive
support needs. Communicating and using assessment data for individualized program
planning.
Language arts and development, mathematics, and reading for students with disabilities.
Ability, cultural, and linguistic differences.
Selecting, designing, and evaluating appropriate learning experiences to assure children’s
growth in reading and language arts. Includes nature of reading and language arts
as a human behavior, various approaches, materials, and techniques used in teaching
reading and language arts. May be repeated with new content. Maximum Credits: six units.
Participation in general and special education programs for students with disabilities;
supervised by a special educator. Integration and application of skills and knowledge
gained in credential coursework. May be repeated in other specialties. Maximum Credits:
four units applicable to each credential program.
Research-based instruction to meet the needs of diverse language learners in a variety
of classroom settings. Maximum Credits: six units.
Preliminary, Semester 4 - Spring, 5 units + practicum
Practical strategies for working with children and adolescents with extensive support
needs in a variety of learning environments. Collaboration with other professionals
in the field and involve families as partners in the educational process.
Collaboration, legislation, and individualized special education program planning
skills for working with community resources, parents, and school personnel. Goals,
interpersonal processes, legal and ethical issues, listening and questioning techniques,
objectives, outcomes, and team functions focused on developing and implementing an
individualized education plan.
Culminating practicum for Education Specialist Credential. Participation supervised
by a special educator. May be repeated in other specialties.
Research-based instruction to meet the needs of diverse language learners in a variety
of classroom settings. Maximum Credits: six units.
* Not required for candidates who possess a Multiple Subject or Single-Subject Teaching
Credential from a California program sponsor. Individuals who acquired their Multiple
Subjects or Single Subjects equivalent
credentials outside of California are required to have a course in educational psychology or take this class or submit substitution
forms proving course of a similar content was successfully completed at another institution.
** Candidates for the Preliminary credential must demonstrate knowledge of principles
and provisions of U.S. Constitution through successful completion of a 3-unit college
level course or examination. For further clarification contact the Office for Student
Success at (619) 594-6320
# Not required for candidates who possess a Multiple or Single Subjects credential
inclusive of CLAD or EL authorization.
^ This requirement must include verification of training in Cardiopulmonary (CPR)
which covers infant to child and adult CPR skills.
Petitions to Substitute or Waive course(s) must be turned in the semester prior to
being admitted to the credential program.
This information is subject to change without notice. Every effort is made to ensure
this information is current and accurate.
Revised July 1, 2022.