Overview

The Diploma Program in Learning Disabilities and Giftedness is dedicated to helping applicants make a positive difference to outcomes for children whatever their needs; it delivers professional teaching credentials, which provide prospective educators with the knowledge and expertise to educate and support pupils with special needs, covering the whole spectrum of special education from giftedness to learning disabilities.

The program is suited for students with a bachelor’s degree in a related field to help them acquire highly-valued theory and expertise in special needs education that can be used in schools. An array of topics including learning difficulties, disabilities, best practices in inclusive education and dyslexia, information processing in the brain, learning and memory, the triggers of social, emotional and behavioral difficulties, and the strategies most effective in supporting special needs pupils in the classroom.

Program Objectives

The Diploma Program in Learning Disabilities and Giftedness aims to

1. to impart all relevant knowledge from theory and research to implement evidence-based interventions,
2. to cultivate skills needed for differentiated instruction based on student needs, and
3. to promote collaboration and advocacy designed to improve the quality of life of exceptional learners.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates with a Diploma in Learning Disabilities and Giftedness will

1. actively implement effective evidence-based instructional strategies,
2. implement scientifically-based methodology to improve intervention for students with learning disabilities or giftedness,
3. advocate for and safeguard the human and civil rights of individuals with exceptionalities and their families,
4. identify and apply effective instructional practices for the education of gifted students,
5. evaluate progress of pupils using valid tools towards Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goals, and
6. adapt instructional materials and evaluation tools to a multilingual context

Curriculum

For a Diploma in Learning Disabilities, a student must complete 21 credits as per the following:

Program Prerequisites

Applicants must fulfill the following requirements prior to enrolling in the program:

• A B.A. in Education, psychology, or related fields; applicants graduating from an institution of higher education recognized by LAU, where English is not the language of instruction, are required to pass the EEE or the TOEFL;
• EDU208 Teaching Diverse Learners; and
• PSY311 Exceptional Child, or PSY202 Child Psychology or equivalent

Suggested Courses

• EDU560 Teaching LD Students in the Classroom (3 cr)
• EDU561 Dyslexia and Reading Difficulties (3 cr)
• EDU562 Introduction to Gifted Education (3 cr)
• EDU563 Methods and Materials for Gifted Education (3 cr)
• EDU564 Psycho-educational Assessment (3 cr)
• EDU565 Practicum (3 cr)

• EDU600 Seminar in Teaching and Learning (3 cr)*
  *Required from all students completing a teaching diploma