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2018-2019 Catalog

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Early Care and Education - Special Education

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Associate in Applied Science

69 Credit Hours

The Early Care and Education program provides a solid foundation for graduates so that they may use developmentally appropriate, research-based and current knowledge in early care and education to build intentional teaching skills.  Students gain quality intentional early learning experiences as well as understanding the responsibility of the professional in the field of early care and education.  Students also construct a professional pedagogy that they will be able to use in the classroom with young children.  In the process of developing their own pedagogy, students will create a disposition of collaboration that recognizes the diversity of families and the larger community.   Off-campus observation and field experiences are provided in diverse settings that allow for quality practical and hands-on experiences. Upon successful completion of the program, each student will have the tools that will make them intentional teachers and caregivers.

The Special Education career path prepares students to work in child care centers that serve children with special needs or as assistants to teachers in the public schools.  Students learn how to modify and provide developmentally appropriate instruction to meet the children's special needs.  Students also develop beginning sign language skills to communicate with children who are deaf/hard of hearing.

Students can earn only one ECD degree in a single career path.

Accreditation

NAEYC Commission on the Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs
 National Association for the Education of Young Children
1313 L St., N.W., Suite 500
Washington, DC 20005-4101

General Education Core Requirements

ENG 101 English Composition I 3
IDS 109 First Year Experience Seminar 3
MAT 110 College Algebra 3
or
MAT 120 Probability and Statistics 3
or
MAT 155 Contemporary Mathematics 3
PSY 201 General Psychology 3

REQ HUM Select from Humanities 3

Total:   15

Major Requirements

ASL 101 American Sign Language I 4
ASL 102 American Sign Language II 4
ECD 101 Introduction to Early Childhood 3
ECD 102 Growth and Development I 3
ECD 107 Exceptional Children 3
ECD 131 Language Arts 3
ECD 132 Creative Experiences 3
ECD 133 Science and Math Concepts 3
ECD 135 Health, Safety and Nutrition 3
ECD 201 Principles of Ethics and Leadership in Early Care 3
ECD 203 Growth and Development II 3
ECD 243 Supervised Field Experience I 3
ECD 255 Activity Therapy for Early Childhood Special Education 3
ECD 256 Counseling Techniques for Early Childhood Special Education 3
ECD 259 Behavior Management for Special Needs 3
ECD 260 Methods of Teaching Special Needs Students 3
EDU 241 Learners and Diversity 4

Total:   54

Admission Requirements

Admission into this program requires proof of high school graduation (or GED) and qualifying scores on SAT, ACT or the TTC placement test.

The Early Care and Education associate degree also requires the following additional requirements as prerequisites to labs in licensed child care centers and/or public schools: a health assessment denoting good heath, a negative tuberculosis skin test, compliance with technical standards and a clear criminal background check by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). In addition to SLED background checks, some child development centers and schools may require fingerprinting. Students entering these laboratory and off-campus observation courses may opt to be fingerprinted. Fingerprinting and a SLED background check are required for the Early Care and Education workforce.