Special Education Assistant

This course will provide a comprehensive orientation to Stenberg College and the Education Assistant Program. During Orientation and Student Success Skills, you will explore transitioning as a college student, review learning styles, enhance critical thinking, and familiarize you with the resources available for your use. This course covers student success skills where you’ll learn effective study habits (specifically to improving both reading and writing skills) based on your own personal learning style. Life skills exercises are also integral to the course, teaching communication, accountability, teamwork, self-awareness and building an understanding of the impact you have on others.

This course is designed to provide you with the computer skills required to work in a fast-paced environment. Throughout the course, you will use a simulated program to improve proficiency with the Internet, Windows environment, and Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel).

The purpose of the Theory and Principles of Learning Course is for you to gain a general understanding and awareness of the brain and various types of teaching and learning strategies, focusing on the brain and how learning is developed. You will develop awareness for your own individual learning style; this will provide you with opportunities to explore various teaching and learning strategies used in classroom settings.

This course will examine the fundamentals of communication and provide you with an opportunity to reflect on your own communication skills in relation to your role in supporting and assisting students with exceptionalities. It will focus on theoretical and practical communication strategies, such as listening and feedback skills, to promote effective communication between yourself, students, and co-workers in the school environment. You will be encouraged to gain awareness of your own communication styles and the challenges that this may pose.

Human development will be explored from birth to late childhood and from adolescence to early adulthood. You’ll be guided through a brief, but intense, theoretical examination of the concepts and principles of human development, change, and diversity. Special emphasis will be placed on childhood and adolescent development issues in relation to learning, growth, and maturation. The biological, cognitive, and socio-emotional characteristics of development will be reviewed in each stage of growth. This course will focus on assisting you to develop awareness of the characteristics of children and adolescents at their various stages of development, and acquiring the skills for maintaining health and safety in a school environment.

You’ll explore the typical roles, duties, responsibilities, and practices of Education Assistants within school communities. Team approaches will be considered for enhancing your understanding of the school experience. Emphasis will be placed on a variety of educational settings, programs, and relationships that Education Assistants typically encounter.

It is vital to have a clear understanding on how to support students with exceptionalities. In this course, you will learn about behavioural, communicational, intellectual, physical, and multiple exceptionalities that you may encounter as an  Education Assistant. In addition to this, you will learn about the history and philosophy of support, and associated theoretical, social, and ideological models. Emphasis will be placed on developing ethical and professional approaches to care as you gain skills to help you understand, respect, and promote the self-determination of individuals with exceptionalities.

The purpose of the Observation and Recording course is to provide you with the ability to engage in meaningful observation and to purposefully capture information contained in children’s behaviour. You will be introduced to a general understanding of the theory of observation and recording focusing on the purpose, standards, influences, and methods used in a classroom setting. You will develop an awareness of professional conduct through understanding the importance of confidentiality and an individual’s rights to privacy. The course will focus on the general characteristics of each recording method and you will apply your knowledge through general observation principles and recording methods outside of the classroom setting.

You will examine the philosophy, goals, and content of curriculum in elementary and secondary schools, with a focus on English language arts, social studies, mathematics and science. You will then examine the role of an Education Assistant and describe ways to support and adapt the curriculum under the supervision of the classroom teacher.

In this course, you will learn theoretical and practical skills to promote effective communication with students and co-workers in a helping relationship. You will be encouraged to become more aware of the impact of your own communication choices and patterns. This will provide an opportunity to develop and use communication techniques that demonstrate personal awareness, respect, and active listening skills. Students will be encouraged, through role play, to practice empathy, questioning strategies, and summarizing to support student independence. Students will further apply communication skills to manage conflict.

This course will provide you with a theoretical and practical understanding of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) as it pertains to children experiencing Complex Communication Needs. You will explore communication and language development and discuss how this knowledge guides effective AAC. You will be introduced to the assessment, planning and implementation process typically used by Speech and Language Pathologists (SLP) in school settings. The relationship between the Education Assistant and the SLP will also be examined; including roles and responsibilities. Important concepts and skills required to develop a Positive Communication Environment for a child experiencing Complex Communication Needs will be reviewed. Lastly, tools and technology required for accessible AAC will be addressed in the context of Assistive Technology.

In this course, you will the identify policy and principles behind ESL/EAL programming and will examine assessment, the roles and responsibilities that government, school boards, and school staff have in ESL/EAL programs. You will then discover how to provide support for ESL/EAL learners, taking into consideration methodology, appropriate approaches, culture, diverse language needs, and student motivation.

The Applied Behaviour Analysis course seeks to provide you with a conceptual framework in which to assess, document, and respond to the behaviour of the students you will support in educational settings. A variety of contemporary approaches such as Lovaasian Applied Behaviour Analysis, Sensory Integration Therapy, Functional Analysis, and Operant Learning Theory will be discussed. You will review and apply concepts such as Discrete Trial Teaching and Content/Process Task Analysis as learning activities in the classroom setting using case studies provided by the Ministry of Education. The focus of this course will be to move you beyond an introductory level and to advance in the practical area of addressing behavioural issues.

Delivered by the Provincial Outreach Program for Autism and Related Disorders, this course is comprised of two week-long workshops: Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorder and Applied Behaviour Analysis. This course reflects current research and evidence-based practice in teaching students with ASD. In addition, research-based methods of effective adult instruction are used in this course. These include practical hands-on activities, demonstration, coaching and application exercises as well as a variety of ways of evaluating participant learning.

Completion of this course provides the participant with an overview of ABA history and theory, with an emphasis on practical applications in school settings. Participants will have the opportunity to practice teaching using discrete trial and task analysis formats. They will also see how ABA principles are applied to other teaching situations and to program development for students with autism spectrum disorders.

In this course, you learn to network effectively, prepare targeted resumes and cover letters, and follow up in your job search. You will also be provided with a personalized critique of your resume, cover letter, and online profiles and will be given the opportunity to practice and perfect interview skills.

The consolidated practice experience will provide you with the opportunity to apply your learned theory and practical skills in a school setting. Making connections between theory and practice is a vital aspect of learning; self-reflection and self-evaluation are important skills for continued professional growth and development. In addition to working in a school setting, you will post weekly entries in response to specific discussion topics on an online discussion forum. This online forum communication will provide an opportunity for critical reflection, thoughtful peer interaction and ongoing supervision by an assigned Stenberg College Forum Facilitator.

You’ll receive Red Cross First Aid Certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillation (AED). This industry standard certification is valid for three years.

Hostile incidents are clearly on the increase in society today and more people find themselves presented with personally hurtful, intimidating hostile behaviour. Dealing effectively with hostile individuals takes energy and the careful application of a specific range of skills. In this certificate course, you will learn to manage yourself, defuse the person, and then address the problem.

You will receive a certificate from the Provincial Outreach Program for Autism and Related Disorders (POPARD) for each of the workshops within the POPARD course: Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorders and Applied Behaviour Analysis.

HR Departments from multiple school boards have confirmed that applicants with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Applied Behaviour Analysis Training and certification are favored for hiring. Furthermore, eligibility for internal postings will often rely on this training and certification.

During this 25 hours of training, you will be given an overview of assistive technology, and examine how assistive technology can be effectively implemented in the classroom. You will also have the opportunity to use various types of technology that support participation, communication and learning in school environments during a hands-on lab.

Responding carefully to the needs of today’s employers, a series of Personal and Professional Development Workshops have been integrated throughout the program to develop critical thinking and soft skills. Workshops include Giving and Receiving Feedback, Conflict Resolutions, Active Listening, Providing Quality Service and Building Rapport, Leadership, and Employability Skills.

You will be educated in proper body movement to prevent and correct poor posture, reduce stress on ligaments, joints and tendons and enhance physical capabilities. Proper body mechanics and back safety will enhance the longevity and success in the workplace and will help ensure that transfers and positioning are done in a manner that is safe and appropriate for everyone. Please note: While this training follows best practices, graduates may also be required to learn and follow workplace specific protocols.

The purpose of this interactive workshop is to introduce Education Assistants to the fundamentals of basic sign language required to support students who use sign language to communicate. You will be encouraged to cultivate an appreciation of the History and Culture of the ASL Community for the purposes of understanding the context of those who use sign language to communicate. You will be shown how to sign and practice basic vocabulary using interactive learning and activities. You will also explore strategies to support ASL in the classroom and recognize ways to set up an inclusive classroom.

This workshop provides basic awareness on sensory issues and dysfunction. Practical strategies will be explored and you will generate unique strategies in supporting individuals with sensory needs.

This workshop introduces you to the software tool Boardmaker. The program uses clip art of picture communication symbols which are used in creating printed communication boards, device overlays, worksheets, and schedules. Used mostly for to support non-verbal learners, Boardmaker can also be used to create a range of support documents including timetables, labels, schedules etc. for a single student or an entire class.

In this course, you will integrate the theory and practice of providing personal care for students with specialized needs. This course will include personal hygiene, oral care, assisting with bathroom routines, and proper body mechanics for lifting and transferring.