Diploma in Special Education (Early Years)

Course Overview

Our Diploma in Special Education (Early Years) aims to groom students with mutual respect and open mindedness towards the philosophy of inclusion and effectively equip you with the knowledge and skills required to support, motivate, guide and educate children with special needs.

This programme is taught by a team of highly qualified, caring, dedicated and experienced industry practitioners.

Learning Outcomes

• Be learn to provide guidance to children of different ages with special needs
• Be mindful of children who have a range of special needs in an inclusive and/or segregated settings

COURSE MODULES

Part 1: Understanding Young Children & Special Needs Children

Philosophy and Early Childhood Special Education in Malaysia and in the West

This module aims to give an understanding and overview picture about National Philosophy of Education and Special Education in Malaysia. Students will also be informed of the several important sources or key persons in early childhood and special education and their philosophical background in early childhood education and special education.

Knowing How Young Children Grow and Learn

This module will introduce you to the complexities and inter- relatedness of child normal and abnormal development, and will help you to recognize the use of such knowledge in your professional activities. It also requires you to demonstrate your knowledge in a wide-ranging examination of the content of the unit, and to undertake a practical activity in child studies.

 Safety & Health and Nutrition & Hygiene

The health and safety of children with special needs, and the staff of the kindergarten and child care centre is the first concern of the Director and staff members. Maslow’s hierarchy provides special education teachers with a clear statement of the value of nutrition, shelter and safety in people’s lives. You will learn to identify different symptoms in children related to illnesses and learn how to prevent and also to deal with these illnesses.

Understanding Young Children with Special Needs

This module aims to prepare students to manage various types of children with special needs in a variety of setting. Students will be introduced to notions of professional conduct in observing and teaching children with special needs, and taught to understand the limitations of their own experiences and abilities so that they are competent in referring children with special needs to specialist personnel, and for working in collaboration with such personnel in delivering effective educational programs for all children with special needs.

Observing, Assessing & Evaluating Young Children’s Development

Observation is central to good teaching, and is founded upon knowledge of child development and learning. It is axiomatic that the more knowledgeable the teacher is, the more perceptive and insightful will be the interpretations from which to teach. This unit will introduce students to techniques for observing and record-keeping. They will understand the professional concept of knowing the limitations of their experiences and interpretations. 

Part 2: Educating Special Needs Children

Educating Children with Specific Learning Disability

This course provides you with an introductory knowledge to specific learning disabilities. It also provides substantial knowledge and skills as to how you can identify such children using simple screening instruments and to prepare or design remedial programmes to meet with the special needs of children with specific learning disabilities.

Educating Children with Autism

This module provides an overview of educating children with Autism in different settings and current effective approaches. You will acquire knowledge and understanding about behaviour and intervention strategies and be able to write IFSPs and IEPs. You will be attached to centres/schools with autistic children and gain working experience in these settings.

Educating Children with Physical, Visual and Hearing Impairment

This course will expose you to the characteristics of children with physical, visual and hearing impairments. You will also be exposed to information on choosing appropriate adaptive aids, design and special education technology. This course will provide information on what curricular adaptations may be necessary and how to organize/structure the class for effective teaching and learning.  You will visit centres and gain working experience interacting with children with physical, visual and hearing impairments.

 Educating Children who are Talented and Gifted

This module provides you with knowledge and understanding about gifted children, as to how to identify them and the challenges it brings for parents and the education system. The main component of this module is to provide information on content modification of subjects and related planning and management strategies for special education teachers and parents.

Educating Children with Intellectual Developmental Disorder 

This course provides you with adequate knowledge and skills in identifying and writing IFSP and IEPs for children with Intellectual Developmental Disorder. You will acquire adequate knowledge on the physical, educational and life chances of children with Intellectual Developmental Disorder. You will also gain actual teaching experiences in school settings where there is inclusion of children with Intellectual Developmental Disorder.

Educating Children with Communication Disorder

The course will expose you to the different causes of communication disorders in children. You will also be exposed to the developmental stages of children with communication disorders. You will be taught how to identify and access children who might have communication disorders. You will also be taught the different approaches in teaching young children with communication disorders.

 Educating Children with ADHD

This module will expose you to the definition and characteristics of children with ADHD.  Simple screening measures and assessment procedures will also be provided for students.  Effective classroom organisation and management for ADHD children together with curricular adaptations and teaching methods will also be covered.

Part 3: Family & Community

Family & Community 1

This module helps you gain an insight into issues related to families and also how these issues influence both parents and children with emphasis on special children. You are taught on causes of family problems and how to help solve these problems. Further to this, teachers and child care workers are also vital to the development of the community’s support for the family as well as the individual, and must be knowledgeable and articulate about family matters and issues affecting families.

Inclusive Education

Inclusive education is the current challenge for all concerned with quality education for children with special needs. This course will prepare you to gain adequate knowledge and skills about inclusive education and how to prepare and implement inclusive practices in your preschools. A holistic approach is taken to involve all the parties concerned to make inclusive education a success.

Family and Community 2

Teachers and child care workers are closely involved in the development and well-being of the children in their care and enjoy a partnership with parents and community support groups to assist the development of the children. This unit will assist you to develop procedures and practices for harnessing the community systems to support the children and their families.

Part 4: Personal & Professional Development

Inclusive Education

Inclusive education is the current challenge for all concerned with quality education for children with special needs. You will gain adequate knowledge and skills about inclusive education and how to prepare and implement inclusive practices in their preschools. A holistic approach is taken to involve all the parties concerned to make inclusive education a success.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills

Modern societies expect that all professionals working in service industries have a high level of interpersonal and communication skills. Teachers who work with children are expected to be models of such skills, demonstrating their skills in their interactions with children and parents. This module will begin with an assessment of your abilities in those areas listed in the learning outcomes.

Introduction to Counselling

This module helps you understand different methods in conducting basic counselling for families of children with special needs. It equips you with the basic skills, principles and knowledge to address the issues which require counselling in the context of special education. You will be able to have a deeper understanding of the ways to address the emotional and psychological needs of families with children with special needs through counselling.

Practicum I

This module is aimed at providing you with the opportunity to further develop your understanding of, and competencies in working in a practical situation with children with special needs. This module will place emphasis in providing special education teacher opportunities to plan learning programmes, to teach children with special needs in the capacity as assistants to special education teachers, to communicate with other professionals in this field and with parents. This module is preparatory stage, laying the necessary skills, knowledge and attitude required of you in Practicum 2.

Curriculum and Evaluation for Children with Special Needs

You will be exposed to various curricular modules that are available locally and internationally.  You will study the appropriateness of curricular and evaluation information and how best to use it objectively in providing quality education for children with special needs. Various curriculum models and evaluation module are exposed for analysis and selection. Adaptations of curriculum and evaluation module are taught using some guiding principles.

Program Planning and Strategic Teaching in Regular and Special Education

This module aims to provide and give experience to students in choosing the relevant and appropriate activities for preschool children with special needs. It includes a discussion in planning activities to satisfy or fulfil individual and group work activity. You will also be taught the web based learning. You will also be exposed how to analyze instructional environments and how to adapt instructions.

Sensory Processing Disorder

This course will expose you to the definition and characteristics of children with SPD. Simple screening measures and assessment procedures will also be provided for students. Effective classroom organisation and management for children with SPD together with intervention programs will also be covered.

Practicum II

This unit will provide you with the necessary skills, knowledge and attitude required of them when they venture into early childhood education. The necessary adjustment, understanding and insight into the world of children and early childhood educators will be created. This will enable a smooth transition when you take on the role of educators of young children.

MPU Modules

Pengajian Malaysia 2

This module introduces you to Malaysian History, community, political and socio-cultural development from the colonization era to the current autonomous government.

English for Reading & Writing

This is a basic writing course which improves your writing at college level. You will be taught on the writing process, from idea inception through proof reading and revision state. You will be required to write on various topics that are relevant to their academic work.

Community Service

This module is to encourage the sensitivity towards underprivileged children in Malaysia. Besides, you could help these children to benefit from the facilities and privilege experienced by urban children.

Bahasa Kebangsaan A

Bahasa Kebangsaan A helps you grasp the national language to effectively communicate, and express thoughts clearly and creatively through verbal and written communication. 

Effective Management and Leadership

Effective management is the key to success in any centres. This module aims to outline the role of the principals, develop the people centered supervisory and communication skills and expose the principals to other functions like finance and marketing. In order to stay competitive in the industry, principals must continue to change and think out of the box.