Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)

Early childhood special education personnel preparation at Florida State University prepares professionals from a wide variety of disciplines to provide services to young children with disabilities, developmental delays, and/or risk conditions and their families. Personnel preparation is based on the following assumptions:

Support provided to families should focus on the empowerment and enablement of the individual family members, as well as on strengthening the family by capitalizing on strengths and resources.
Professionals must be responsive to the changing needs of the young children and their families who receive services.
Professionals working with young children and their families must be held to the highest professional ethical standards.
Infants and toddlers and their families should receive intervention in natural environments of their choice.
A collaborative approach is needed to meet the needs of children and their families.
An understanding of and respect for family diversity is crucial.

Personnel preparation takes place within the context of academic classes offered in a hybrid or traditional on-campus format and on-line as distance learning courses. Preservice students are required to complete a practicum along with the academic classes.

Classes may be taken for teacher recertification, as a part of a degree program within special education or other relevant disciplines, and or to meet state teacher certification or other Florida certification requirements. The options include earning the:

Florida Pre-Kindergarten Disability Endorsement
Infant/Toddler Developmental Specialist Certificate
FSU Certificate in Early Childhood Special Education
FSU Certificate in Early Childhood and Family Intervention

Pre-Kindergarten Disability Endorsement

Teachers of preschool children with disabilities is a critical teaching shortage area in Florida. Teachers with the Pre-K D Endorsement are in high demand throughout the state. The Florida Pre-Kindergarten Disability Endorsement (Pre-K D) prepares teachers to teach prekindergarten-aged children with specific disabilities, developmental delays, and/or at-risk conditions. Individuals with the Pre-K D Endorsement are qualified to teach children from birth to 5 years of age in Florida's public school special education programs. The Endorsement requires a Bachelor's or higher degree with certification in any exceptional student education area, preschool education, primary education, prekindergarten/primary education, or early childhood education with an additional 12 semester hours of coursework. Individuals may take the courses for the Pre-K D Endorsement as a student in the Master's degree in the Education of Students with Exceptionalities (ESE) program, a student in a Bachelor's or Master's degree program in an appropriate discipline, or as an FSU special student. Application for the endorsement is made to the Florida Department of Education.

At Florida State University, the 12 semester hours (each course is 3 semester hours) approved by the state as meeting the requirements for the Pre-K D Endorsement are:

Course	Semester
EEX 5456: Program Development for Young Children with Disabilities	Fall
EEX 5239: Assessment and Methods in Early Childhood Special Education	Fall
EEX 5017: Typical and Atypical Early Development	Summer
EEX 4751 or EEX 5708: Collaboration with Families, Schools, and the Community	Spring

Please note that the schedule of course offerings is subject to change. Please check the university schedule prior to each semester.

Students in the three-year Education of Students with Exceptionalities (ESE) program are required to also complete a 3 semester hour practicum (EEX 5940: Practicum in Early Childhood Special Education) in their Master's year of study.

Infant/Toddler Developmental Specialist Certificate

The Infant Toddler Developmental Specialist (ITDS) Certificate prepares professionals to provide services to children from birth to age 3 within the context of their families as an Infant/Toddler Developmental Specialist within Florida's Early Steps Program. Florida's Early Steps Program is part of Children's Medical Services, Florida Department of Health. The ITDS Certificate requires a Bachelors degree or higher from an accredited college or university in early childhood/special education, early childhood education, child and family development, family life specialist, communication sciences, psychology, social work, or an equivalent degree based on transcript review. Academic training that meets state-approved or state-recognized certification, licensing, registration or other comparable requirements for the discipline is assumed. Additional preparation in competencies specific to the ITDS also are needed. Application for the ITDS is made to the Early Steps Program, Florida Department of Health.

The ITDS competencies can be met at Florida State University by successfully completing the following courses, each 3 semester hours:

Course	Semester
IDS 5348: Family-Centered Early Intervention	Spring
IDS 5349: Infant/Toddler and Family Assessment	Fall
IDS 5347: Typical and Atypical Infant/Toddler Development	Summer

For more information about the ITDS Certificate: http://www.fsu.edu/earlyintervention.

Early Childhood Special Education Certificate

The Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Certificate program is appropriate for teachers, physical/occupational specialists, speech and language therapists, nurses, social workers, and other professionals involved in delivering early intervention/education services to young children (birth to five years) and their families. The ECSE Certificate is not intended as a diploma or degree that reflects the requirements of a particular governmental, private, or organizational agency. However, the award of the Certificate is noted on the transcripts of graduates, and individuals earning the ECSE Certificate receive a written certificate.

The ECSE Certificate may be earned by taking 18 semester hours of coursework related to early childhood special education. Individuals may take the courses for the ECSE Certificate as a student in the Master's degree in the Education of Students with Exceptionalities (ESE) program, a student in a Bachelor's or Master's degree program in an appropriate discipline, or as an FSU special student. The Pre-Kindergarten Disability Endorsement and/or the Infant/Toddler Developmental Specialist Certificate may be earned in conjunction with the ECSE Certificate. Students must be accepted to Florida State University before being eligible for acceptance into the ECSE Certificate Program. Click here for an application form for the ECSE Certificate Program. The application form is a Word document that can be completed and returned to Dr. Mary Frances Hanline by e-mail, FAX, or mail.

FSU Early Childhood and Family Intervention Certificate

The Early Childhood and Family Intervention Graduate Certificate allows the traditional and non-traditional student to earn credit at the Master’s level in order to better promote resilience of infants and young children in Florida who are vulnerable, disabled, or at-risk and their families. This program fosters a unique interdisciplinary perspective, linking the social sciences, education, and the healing arts; and promoting the integration of science, policy, and practice in early childhood and family intervention. Certificate holders will be prepared to critically evaluate evidence-based research for the derivation of best practices; to assist families in the development of capacity, competence, and confidence to meet their child’s developmental needs through coordinated team-based service in natural settings; and to contribute to public policy development.

Degree-seeking students with senior status, Master’s degree-seeking students, and students enrolling as a special student must have maintained a 3.0 or higher grade point average in their upper division coursework at an accredited college or university. Bachelor’s degree studies may include majors in early childhood/special education, early childhood education, child and family development, family life specialist, communications sciences, psychology, social work, or other degree programs with comparable requirements for the discipline.

The certificate will be awarded upon successful completion of eighteen credit hours earned in classes taken at Florida State University. Four courses are required, and two are elective. Required courses include:

EEX 5017 Typical and Atypical Early Development OR IDS 5347 Infant/Toddler Typical and Atypical Child Development
IDS 5349 Infant/Toddler and Family Assessment*
IDS 5348 Family Centered Early Intervention
EEX 5940: Practicum in Early Childhood Special Education

Elective courses, approved by the Program Coordinator, will be selected from two separate disciplines and approved upon admission to the program.

The Certificate is awarded by FSU upon successful completion of coursework. The ECSE Certificate is not intended as a diploma or degree that reflects the requirements of a particular governmental, private, or organizational agency.

For more information about Early Childhood Special Education at Florida State University, please contact:

Mary Frances Hanline, Ph.D.
Florida State University
G107 Stone Building
Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4459
850-644-4880
FAX 850-644-8715
mhanline@fsu.edu

For information about applying as a degree-seeking student or as a special student at Florida State University , please visit the following website: http://admissions.fsu.edu