Special Education

Introduction to Special Education

Lecturer: Dr. Maha Arslan

Course type: Lecture, mandatory, 2 weekly hrs., Annual

The course is taught in two main ways – lectures and field trips. The lectures are designed to expose students to the target population of special education, to the changes that occurred in the fifth edition of the DSM regarding the different disabilities, to the various frameworks in special education, the types of diagnosis and treatment, the problems of special education in the Arab sector, the difficulties of families with children with special needs, legislation concerning special education, and to support models and the work of the multi-professional team in special education. An additional goal is to deepen and cultivate the students’ understanding regarding the rationale underlying the ideology of integrating children with special needs and familiarization with diverse models of integration and their suitability for different populations and children, with the factors participating in the integration and with the principles of working in inclusive frameworks.

The purpose of the tours is to acquaint the students with a variety of frameworks for various disabilities that exist in the Arab sector, as well as the staff working in them, teaching methods, and their adaptation to the numerous disabilities, adapting the structure of the schools to the students’ needs, and diverse work philosophies.

Final grade components: first semester – assignments 40%, exams 60%; second semester – assignments 40%, exams 60%; each semester constitutes 50% of the final grade.

Assistive Technology in Special Education

Lecturer: Dr. Abeer Salamah-Matar

Course type: Lecture, mandatory, 1 weekly-hrs., Semester

The purpose of the course is to allow students to get to know and experience the selection, compatibility, and use of a variety of assistive technologies, accessories, software, applications, and computer uses that help in the process of inclusion, integration, and in encouraging independence among populations of students with special needs, in the fields of studies, play, leisure, social participation, and in basic and instrumental daily functioning.

Final grade components: submission of exercises 40%, final paper 60%.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Lecturer: Dr. Maha Arslan

Course type: Lecture, mandatory, 2 weekly-hrs., Semester

The course will deal with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Students will be exposed to the definition of autism; its characteristics and ways of expression; types of diagnosis and treatment; the difficulties and challenges faced by families of autistic children; frameworks in the education system for children with autism, and the integration of pupils with ASD; Working methods, and principles of teaching-planning with children with ASD.

Final grade components: first semester – assignments 40%, exams 60%; second semester – assignments 40%, exams 60%; each semester constitutes 50% of the final grade.

Normal and Impaired Sensorimotor Development

Lecturer: Dr. Abeer Salamah-Matar

Course type: Lecture, mandatory, 2 weekly-hrs., Semester

The course will deal with understanding the stages of sensorimotor development among children and distinguishing between typical and impaired development. It will focus on understanding the multi-professional approach in working with children, comparing different approaches and the rationale for their adaptation to a specific population, and imparting concepts, theories, means of diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment to children with impairments, developmental delays, or disabilities. Students will experience case analysis that includes disability characterization and adjusting the intervention methods at the sensorimotor level.

Final grade components: assignments 20%, midterm 40%, final exam 40%.

Normal and Impaired Language Development 

Lecturer: Dr. Ola Ghawi-Dakwar

Course type: Lecture, mandatory, 2 weekly-hrs., Semester 

In its first part, the course will focus on the distinction between communication and language, on familiarization with the different components of language, on learning the main stages in the development of natural language, and on discussing central theories that explain natural language acquisition and the brain infrastructure for language acquisition. Emphasis is placed on unique characteristics in the development of the Arabic language (such as diglossia) and bilingualism. The second part of the course will focus on the impaired development of language and the presentation of different language-impaired populations while emphasizing their language characteristics, evaluation of the impairment, and the methods of intervention and treatment.

Final grade components: submission of assignment 30%, final exam 70%.

Sensory Impairments – Hearing and Sight 

Lecturer: Dr. Ola Ghawi-Dakwar 

Course type: Lecture, mandatory, 2 weekly-hrs., Annual

The course will deal with three main topics: the special education law and amendment 11 to this law (goals and changes), the hard of hearing and deaf student population, and the visually impaired student population. Students will learn the different types of sensory impairments, their characterizations, and their educational and personal consequences. They will also learn communication methods and develop an understanding and awareness of working methods and rehabilitation for various disabilities.

The course will also focus on getting to know the appropriate educational frameworks available and integrating students with sensory disabilities in the broader environment (school and other settings) and their immediate environment (family and residential neighborhood, etc.).

Final grade components: submission of an assignment 30%, final exam 70%.

Detection and Treatment of Reading Disabilities 

Lecturer: Prof. Haitham Taha

Course type: Lecture, mandatory, 2 weekly-hrs., Semester

Students will be exposed to different approaches that explain the process of acquiring reading and spelling, including developmental approaches, linguistic approaches, the dual-route model, the connectionist approach, and the approach to the speed of processing. We will also discuss specific reading and spelling acquisition cases in certain orthographies, emphasizing Arabic orthography.

Final grade components: exam 20%, final paper 80%.

Detection and Treatment of Mathematics Difficulties 

Lecturer: Prof. Haitham Taha 

Course type: Lecture, mandatory, 2 weekly-hrs., Semester

The course is dedicated to developing arithmetic thinking and numerical cognition among children. It will deal with the difference between concrete arithmetic and abstract mathematical thinking processes (developmental cognitive basis). It will focus on the development of thinking strategies and optimization according to the developmental aspect. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding the cognitive basis for developmental impairments of arithmetical thinking skills and on familiarizing models for identifying students with difficulty in arithmetic and mathematics.

Final grade components: exam 20%, paper 80%.

Learning Disabilities

Lecturer: Prof. Haitham Taha

Course type: Lecture, mandatory, 2 weekly-hrs., Semester

The course aims to impart knowledge regarding the characteristics of the various student populations defined as having a learning disability. The main goal is to expose students to cognitive, neuropsychological, and ecological models that underlie the different types of learning disabilities. The course will focus on understanding the characteristics of learning disabilities in the fields of reading, mathematics, writing, and non-verbal learning disability, the various intervention processes, as well as the procedures and legislation that exist in this field in the education system in Israel.

Final grade components: summative exam every semester (100% of the semester grade).

Neurocognition

Lecturer: Prof. Haitham Taha

Course type: Lecture, mandatory, 1

 weekly-hrs., Semester

The course will deal with the anatomical structure of the brain and its functioning from a physiological and functional point of view, as well as brain research methods and techniques. One of its goals is to provide students with basic concepts related to developmental and acquired cognitive disorders. Special emphasis will be placed on the neural basis of cognitive functioning processes and developmental and acquired behavioral and functional disorders.

Final grade components: final exam 100%

Remedial Education in Reading

Lecturer: Prof. Haitham Taha

Course type: Lecture, mandatory, 2 weekly-hrs., Semester

The course aims to provide students with tools and skills for planning a personal work plan in school classrooms in the field of reading, expression, and reading comprehension skills. The course will focus on the principles of intervention and measuring the effectiveness of intervention in reading and spelling (Response to Intervention). It will aim for a particularly in-depth understanding of learning and reading strategies.

Final grade components: preparing an educational work plan under the guidance of the lecturer, presenting it to the class, and holding a discussion 40%, final paper 60%.

Remedial Education in Mathematics

Lecturer: Prof. Haitham Taha 

Course type: Lecture, mandatory, 2 weekly-hrs., Semester

The course will deal with the cognitive-developmental basis that underlies the therapeutic work in mathematical skills among children with difficulties. One of its goals is to develop the student’s ability to offer alternative teaching methods in the field of mathematics by following their pupil’s learning styles while considering the content studied. The course will also deepen the familiarity with cognitive-developmental models of knowledge acquisition in general and mathematical knowledge in particular, which will later be used by the students in planning intervention methods and remedial teaching in the field of mathematics.

Final grade components: reading and summarizing the theoretical materials 20%, construction of therapeutic tools for imparting knowledge 30%, preparing a class presentation, and discussing a treatment plan 50%.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Lecturer: Dr. Deia Ganayim

Course type: Lecture, mandatory, 1 weekly-hrs., Semester

The purpose of the course is to expose the students to various learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder (ADD) in a way that will make the language, concepts, and various applications in the field accessible and illustrate them; and in a way that will link between the theoretical research in the field and the educational field of learning disabilities and ADD. At the same time, the course will deal with the role of the teacher in promoting teaching and learning processes in their classroom regarding learning disabilities and ADD. Students will be exposed to concepts, approaches, models, and examples of studies in the field and will experience theoretical and applied thinking.

Final grade components: submission of 3 assignments 30%, reading required literature, and final exam 70%.

The Emotional World of Adolescents with Special Needs

Lecturer: Dr. Ihab Zubeidat

Course type: Lecture, mandatory, 1 weekly-hrs., Semester

The course will deal with the emotional world of teenagers with special needs (intellectual disabilities, Down’s syndrome, communication disorders, ADHD, learning disabilities, and non-verbal learning disabilities). It will be dedicated to sharpening the understanding regarding the social-emotional conduct of these teenagers in everyday life and familiarization with methods for dealing with social-emotional difficulties arising from various developmental disabilities.

The main objective is to develop awareness and empathy among the students for the emotional world of those with special needs by understanding the personal and interpersonal levels.

Final grade components: final exam 100%

Learning Disability Seminar

Lecturer: Prof. Haitham Taha

Course type: Lecture, mandatory, 2 weekly-hrs., Annual

The seminar aims to develop critical and reflective research literacy among future teachers that will allow them to keep up to date with research in the field of learning disabilities and explore their work environment in this context. The seminar combines engaging with research in the field of various learning disabilities and touching upon the principles of educational research. It is intended to make the research language and its various applications in the field of learning disabilities accessible and to serve as a platform for advanced theoretical discussion. 

Students will also be exposed to examples of research in the field and will experience all phases of research at the theoretical and applied levels. The seminar will provide an initial methodological basis that will serve teachers as researchers of learning disabilities and creators of valuable knowledge for promoting teaching and learning processes in their classrooms. 

Final grade components: seminar paper 100%

Didactics in Special Education

Lecturer: Dr. Mahah Arslan

Course type: Workshop, mandatory, Annual, 2 weekly-hrs., (2 in second year + 2 in third year)

The main goal of the course is to prepare the students for their encounter with special needs pupils as part of their second and third-year practical experience. During the workshop, students will be exposed to the central foundations of didactics, which will serve them as a basis for the planning of the teaching and the methods of its implementation. They will review issues concerning the special education teachers’ job description and their work as part of a multi-professional team, special education curricula, and methods for evaluating special needs students.

Final grade components: submission of assignments 100%