Licensure Courses
The six online courses below are required for the mild intervention licensure program. Each course is three credit hours, and assignments are commensurate with graduate level work. SED520 and SED530 are prerequisites for the remaining four courses, which can be taken in any order. It is strongly recommended to take no more than two courses at a time.
Courses are four months long and self-paced. You can enroll and begin a course any day of the year. Coursework is completed online, though some classes do require in-person classroom observations and experiences that can be completed in the student’s local community.
Due to the recent additional licensure test requirements for Exceptional Needs: Mild Intervention (P-12), an additional course in reading instruction/assessment may be advisable for teachers holding secondary or P-12 licenses.
This course is designed to prepare the teacher for the challenge of meeting the needs of diverse student populations in the regular classroom. Various topics included are diverse student populations, mainstreaming and inclusion, federal and state special education laws, identification of exceptional children, their characteristics and special needs, delivery of services, instructional methods and techniques, and evaluation.
| Field Experience | Teacher interview |
| Textbook | Exceptional Lives: Practice, Progress, and Dignity in Today’s Schools (9th Edition) by Anne A. Turnbull, H. Rutherford Turnbull, Michael L. Wehmeyer, & Karrie A. Shogren |
| Professor | |
 |
Tammy Mahon EdD, Special Education, Ball State University MA, Special Education, Ball State Univeristy BA, Elementary Education, Anderson University |
This course is an overview of the history and development of laws which mandate the provision of special education and related services to students with disabilities. The purpose of this course is to empower the prospective teacher of special education through the development of the knowledge of the legal foundation of special education. Students will gain an understanding of the legal issues surrounding the rights and provision of special education services to students with disabilities in public schools. This course will provide students with information about legal issues in special education with an emphasis on implementing legally sound policies and procedures in their own practice.
| Textbook | The Law and Special Education (3rd Edition) by Mitchell L. Yell |
| Professor | |
|
Tammy Mahon EdD, Special Education, Ball State University MA, Special Education, Ball State Univeristy BA, Elementary Education, Anderson University |
This course is an overview of the contemporary issues surrounding the inclusion of students with mild to moderate disabilities in public schools. The purpose of this course is to empower the prospective teacher of special education through their preparation to respond to issues they will encounter in the profession. Students will explore a wide variety of issues and trends currently impacting the field of special education. Students will gain an understanding of the important issues surrounding the inclusion of students with mild to moderate disabilities in public schools.
| Prerequisites | SED520 & SED530 |
| Field Experience | Special Education Director interview |
| Textbook | Special Education: Contemporary Perspectives for School Professionals (4th Edition) by Marilyn Friend |
| Professor | |
|
Tammy Mahon EdD, Special Education, Ball State University MA, Special Education, Ball State Univeristy BA, Elementary Education, Anderson University |
This course focuses on formal and informal assessment used to identify, plan for, and teach students with exceptional needs, including the use of that information to develop individual education plans. Communication of that information with students, parents, and other personnel is discussed. This course has a lab experience.
| Prerequisites | SED520 & SED530 |
| Field Experience | 10 hours of observation over a minimum of 4 weeks |
| Textbooks | Assessment in Special Education: A Practical Approach (4th Edition) by Roger A. Pierangelo & George A. Giuliani |
| Professor | |
|
Tammy Mahon EdD, Special Education, Ball State University MA, Special Education, Ball State Univeristy BA, Elementary Education, Anderson University |
Managing the learning environment of students with special needs is the focus of this course. Topics covered include behavioral assessments and their use in developing intervention plans for exceptional students, as well as the legal implications of laws and regulations regarding the implementation of these plans in various learning environments. Characteristics and observations of behavior disorders are also explored. An observation of a classroom with disruptive behaviors is required as well as service learning projects.
| Prerequisites | SED520 & SED530 |
| Field Experience | 10 hours of observation over a minimum of 4 weeks |
| Textbooks | Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers (9th Edition). by Paul A. Alberto & Anne C. Troutman |
| Professor | |
|
Tammy Mahon EdD, Special Education, Ball State University MA, Special Education, Ball State Univeristy BA, Elementary Education, Anderson University |
Methods and materials used in the intervention of exceptional learners are presented in this course. Strategies of instruction in the least restrictive environment, modification of curriculum, and collaboration and consultation across the spectrum of services are presented in conjunction with the daily teaching and planning required of students’ individual education plans. Includes a field experience lab.
| Prerequisites | SED520 & SED530 |
| Field Experience | 10 hours of observation over a minimum of 4 weeks |
| Textbooks | Strategies for teaching students with learning and behavior problems. (9th edition) by Sharon Vaughn & Candace Bos |
| Professor | |
|
Tammy Mahon EdD, Special Education, Ball State University MA, Special Education, Ball State Univeristy BA, Elementary Education, Anderson University |
