Administrators, educators and parents have access to high-quality special education training written by leading experts, in one online system
With the U.S. special education population having grown by 73 percent in the last three decades, school leaders, teachers and parents are looking for new ways to better support the 6.4 million students who need special education services.
At the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Convention & Expo, Scenario Learning launched its Exceptional Child Online Professional Development System (Exceptional Child). The system provides on-demand, evidence-based special education training for all staff members who support students with disabilities.
“Having a son with autism, building the Exceptional Child System has been a labor of love,” said Brian Taylor, CEO of Scenario Learning. “All children, including students with special needs, deserve the opportunity to reach their highest potential. And to do that, everyone from principals, special education directors, teachers, support staff, parents and community members must understand the unique learning needs of the students they support.”
Next page: Courses and special education topics contained in the resource
What makes Exceptional Child unique is the highly credentialed team of authors that has written every course. It’s a veritable “Who’s Who” of the nation’s leading special education experts, including Tim Lewis, Carol Gray, Carol Kosnitsky, Andy Bondy, Lori Frost and many others. Now, educators and parents have access to the thought leadership and experience of these experts in one convenient system.
Exceptional Child includes a wide variety of rich media courses on important special education topics, including:
• Autism Spectrum Disorders Overview by Betty Fry Williams, Ph.D.
• Bullying and Students with Special Needs by Scott Poland, Ed.D.
• Emotional Behavior Disorders Overview by Doug Cheney, Ph.D.
• Dyslexia and Orton-Gillingham by Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley, Ed.D.
• Federal Laws in Special Education by Barbara Bateman, Ph.D., J.D.
• Restraint and Seclusion Overview by Reese Peterson, Ph.D.
• Transition Services by Gary Greene, Ph.D.
New courses are in development and added weekly.
Scenario Learning is also developing the Exceptional Child Training Management System that will allow district administrators to assign and track special education training, as well as customize courses in the system to meet their district’s specific needs. The training management system will be available for the 2015-16 school year.
And to support parents who are seeking resources for a child with special needs, Exceptional Child will also include courses specifically designed for parents that provide a helpful overview of transition services, bullying, IEP collaboration, ADHD and more.
Exceptional Child makes special education training easier and more accessible for school districts, individual educators and parents by delivering the very best resources, from expert thought leaders, available through any Web-enabled computer or device. When the right training and resources are available to the dedicated adults who support students with special needs, the lives of these children can be greatly improved.
For more information about the Exceptional Child System, contact Scenario Learning at 1.800.434.0154 or visit http://www.exceptionalchild.com/.
Material from a press release was used in this report.
- AI’s transformative role in accessibility - October 3, 2024
- Is your state one of WalletHub’s best states for teachers? - September 30, 2024
- Why is Technology Important in Teaching and Learning? - September 26, 2024