1.1 Master's Training Program in Low Incidence Disabilities
Project Description:
The purpose of this project is to increase the quality and quantity of qualified specialists to serve students with low-incidence disabilities, specifically students with autism, severe mental retardation, and multiple disabilities. This is currently being achieved through implementation of an interdisciplinary graduate program that addresses both the special education and transition needs of this population, as outlined in P.L. 101-476. All students in the program receive their Master?s degree through the Special Education and Bilingual Education Program in Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University. The project is composed of two programmatic tracts:
1. Master's degree with an emphasis in special education. Students enrolled in this program receive their Master?s degree in Educational Psychology and an endorsement in low-incidence disabilities. Coursework and fieldwork focuses on the educational needs of students in grades K-12.
2. Master's degree with an emphasis in transition. Students enrolled in this program also obtain their Master?s degree in Educational Psychology but with an emphasis in transition of students with low-incidence disabilities. Coursework and fieldwork focuses on the transition from school-to-work needs of students ages 14 and over.
Twelve full-time students will receive stipends for one full year (6 special education and 6 transition specialists). Part-time students receive proportional stipends. The program facilitates interaction between the two programmatic tracts through shared coursework and practica experiences in low-incidence disabilities. The program is interdisciplinary and includes coursework in special education, career development, school psychology, kinesiology, and educational psychology. All coursework and practica experiences are directed toward preparing future teachers and transition specialists for including students with LID into regular classroom and workplace settings.
Research suggests that educators of students with LID require additional professional support during their critical first year of teaching. Students receive ongoing support from university faculty, a part-time stipend, and mentoring from a teacher colleague as they complete their internship year after finishing the program.
The shortage of personnel in the field of special education in Texas has resulted in a critical shortage of teachers: An increasing number of Texas special education teachers are being prepared through emergency or alternative certification programs that do not address low-incidence nor transition services in their minimal preparation.
To address this critical need of the state 29 special educators and 29 transition specialists will be prepared through project assistance over a five year period. Each of these 58 educators may teach as many as 20 students per year, totaling 1,450 students with LID who will receive services as a direct result of this project. The project thus will supply qualified personnel to meet the estimated need for over 300 special educators and transition specialists for students with these disabilities in Texas.
Keyword(s):
teacher training, low incidence disabilities
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees, Performing Technical Assistance and/or Training, Developing & Disseminating Information
Area of Emphasis
Education & Early Intervention
Target Audience:
Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees)
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State, Regional, National
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
