Endorsement in Severe or Profound Disabilities: On-line Courses

The Florida Endorsement in Severe or Profound Disabilities prepares professionals to teach learners with severe/profound cognitive disability, autism, and dual sensory impairment. The Endorsement requires a Bachelor's degree or higher with certification in any area of special education with an additional 12 semester hours of coursework. Individuals may take the courses for the Endorsement as a student in a Bachelor's or Master's degree program in an appropriate discipline or as an FSU special non-degree-seeking student. Application for the endorsement is made to the Florida Department of Education. For information about applying for the Endorsement, please visit: http://www.fldoe.org/edcert/rules/6A-4-01793.asp

The state requirements allow for three areas of specialization within the Severe or Profound Disabilities Endorsement: 1) Autism Spectrum Disorder, 2) Profound Cognitive Disabilities, and 3) Deaf-Blindness. FSU does not offer coursework for the Autism Spectrum Disorder area within the Severe or Profound Disabilities Endorsement, but does offer a separate set of courses for the Endorsement in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Please see the following website for information regarding coursework for the Autism Spectrum Disorders Endorsement: http://www.coe.fsu.edu/ste/programs/SpecialEd/autism.html For information regarding the coursework for the Deaf-Blindness area within the Severe or Profound Disabilities Endorsement, please contact Dr. Sandra Lewis, Coordinator Visual Disabilities Program, at slewis@fsu.edu.

The Education of Students with Exceptionalities Program/Special Education Programs offers courses that meet the requirements of Florida's Endorsement in Severe or Profound Disabilities in the area of Profound Cognitive Disabilities. All courses will be delivered on-line over the Internet. Courses for the Endorsement are as follows:

Summer semester – EEX 5774: Transition for Students with Severe Disabilities: This course focuses on methods and materials for meeting the specialized needs of middle and high school students with severe or profound disabilities. Collaborative, interdisciplinary transition planning strategies (such as person-centered planning) are described. Issues surrounding the development and use of functional, community-based curriculum for adolescents with severe or profound disabilities are discussed. Methods and materials for preparing students for meaningful post-school adult activities are reviewed. The course will also describe how teachers, counselors, and other professionals can utilize transition planning to link students with severe or profound disabilities to needed adult supports in areas such as adult education, supported employment, and community living.

Summer semester – EMR 5235: Teaching the Student with Profound Mental Disabilities: This course is designed to provide course participants with the knowledge and skills to implement and evaluate effective intervention for students with severe/profound disabilities. Emphasis will be placed on research-based practices that support access to the general education curriculum and functional skill development.

Fall semester - EEX 5234: Development and Assessment of Individuals with Severe Disabilities: The purpose of this course is to provide class participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand the effects of severe disabilities (i.e., severe/profound mental disability, autism spectrum disorder, and dual sensory impairments) on development and learning. A further purpose of the course is to provide participants with the ability to appropriately assess the skills and abilities of students with severe disabilities in a way that assessment results can be translated into meaningful educational interventions.

EMR 5803: Advanced Practicum in Mental Disabilities: This course is designed to provide course participants with experiences with learners identified as having severe mental disability. This practicum will provide experience in developing, implementing, and evaluating individualized education programs; as well as experience working with a team of professionals, paraprofessionals, and family members/guardians. An action research project and classroom improvement project will be required. This course must be taken AFTER successfully completing EMR 5235. It will be scheduled on an individual basis.

Applying to FSU and registering for courses

Students may take the courses as FSU distance learning special students or as degree-seeking students. For information about applying to FSU, please visit the website: https://admissions.fsu.edu. Please note that these are graduate-level courses. Students must have completed a Bachelor’s degree in order to take the courses.

For assistance in applying to FSU and registering for courses once accepted to FSU, please contact Ms. Kathy Gartley at kgartley@fsu.edu .

Technology Requirements
In order to complete class requirements, class participants will need to be able to:

Access the Internet,
Download and upload Word documents,
Download, view, construct, and listen to PowerPoint documents,
Download PDF files,
Utilize RealPlayer or Windows Media Player to view and listen to digitized videotapes, and
Send and receive e-mails.

For more information about the technology requirements for online courses, please see: http://learningforlife.fsu.edu/online/prospective/faq.cfm

For more information about classes, please contact:

Dr. Mary Frances Hanline
School of Teacher Education
Florida State University
mhanline@fsu.edu