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Special Education

Which program is right for you?

New York State requires that individuals certified in teaching students with disabilities be certified in both special and general education.

Options for Those with General Education certifcation

If you already have certification in general education (or are close to receiving your certification), apply for one of our single certification programs in special education:

Autism Spectrum Annotation

If you already have certification in Teaching Students with Disabilities and you are seeking certification to work with children on the autisms spectrum, apply for the 12 credit Autism Spectrum Annotation that begins in July. This sequence leads to an extension to the Teaching Students with Disabilities certification, qualifying teachers for the Severe or Multiple Disabilities Annotation.

Options for Those with No Prior Certification

Candidates with no prior certification will need to apply to our dual certification programs. Please explore the programs at Special and General Education.

Individuals who are fluent in Spanish and English may want to explore our Dual Language / Bilingual programs.

Overview

The Bankstreet approach to teaching students with disabilities is based on the premise that all children have the same needs: joy and excitement in learning, rich curricula, opportunities for individual and cooperative learning, and a supportive school environment. Teachers in all classrooms benefit from a deeper understanding of how to identify learning differences and how to present lessons in ways that allow all children access to understanding what is being taught.

Graduate students learn to meet the needs of typically and atypically developing learners by building on students' strengths and interests while addressing areas of weakness.

The Special Education programs prepare individuals to work effectively in general education, inclusion, and special education settings with students with disabilities, especially learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and emotional disorders.