BJU?s special education program is based on the belief that both abilities and disabilities are God-given and that our responsibility as Christians is to come alongside those who struggle. Our faculty are passionate about helping people with disabilities achieve their full potential?and about equipping you to help them too. Their goal is to guide you to a biblical worldview for teaching those with disabilities and to relate all your coursework to that overarching worldview.

From the very beginning, you?ll study how Jesus Christ interacted with those He ministered to and the different approaches He used to accommodate the person He was reaching. With classes ranging from Characteristics of Disabilities to Prescriptive Reading Practicum, you?ll gain a solid foundation both in content and in teaching techniques. You?ll also create special education documents, individual accommodation plans (IAPs), and lesson plans, as well as administer various informal assessments, criterion-reference tests, and norm-reference tests.

Three semesters of special education practicum in various public school settings (and one semester of reading practicum) will expose you to different teaching styles as well as students with various disability types (i.e., learning disabilities, emotional disabilities, intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, communication disorders, etc.), various placements (i.e., resource, self-contained and inclusion) and various school settings (i.e., elementary school, middle school and high school). By the time you reach your semester of clinical practice during your senior year, you will have accumulated approximately 250 hours of field experience.

Professional development, community service and interaction with students? families are also integral parts of the special education program. From Family Connection events to the Regional Autism Conference to the Brain Balance Center, you?ll have numerous opportunities to get experience outside the classroom as well.