Special Education

Special Education
College of Education

“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home—so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any map of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person: The neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world. " -Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)

Welcome to the Special Education Program of Roosevelt University. We are a community of learners who seek to share our passion for teaching with others. We believe that every child deserves a free and appropriate education, that no child can be excluded from an education in the United States based on type and degree of disability. We are dedicated to the values of social justice and global responsibility and believe that to this end all children must have the opportunity to experience a rich and personally meaningful education.

Special Education is a comprehensive program that develops special educators who are well equipped to meet the educational needs of the wide spectrum of students with exceptional learning needs. At both the graduate and undergraduate level, the entire program of study cam be completed at either our Chicago or Schaumburg campus. The program was created to reflect current federal and state teaching standards, which emphasize a non-categorical approach to teaching exceptional children, rather than a model of focusing on individual categories of disability. At the same time, the program provides for specialized knowledge and skills to meet the needs of targeted populations within that framework.

About the Program:

The special education program centers on the Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBSI) special education endorsement on the Type 10 (PreK- Age 21) special certificate. This means that individuals graduating from the program will be accredited to teach children with specific learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, cognitive disabilities, autism, physical disabilities, traumatic brain injury, and other health impairments. In many cases, students with exceptional learning needs experience more than one disability, and graduates of Roosevelt’s special education program will be prepared to work with this population.

The curriculum includes considerable time spent in classrooms, as positive teacher-student interaction and student encouragement are essential in the profession. Field experiences; including observations, internships, and student teaching prepare students for teaching in early childhood through secondary settings. Field experiences begin during the first semester of the program.

Students who currently hold an Illinois Type 10 certificate and who are interested in graduate study in education, click here for information about our Master of Arts in Teacher Leadership program at Roosevelt leading to additional endorsements and/or National Board Certification.

College of Education