Nebraska Administrative Code
Topic - EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
Title 92 - NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Chapter 24 - CERTIFICATE ENDORSEMENTS
Section 92-24-006.46 - Preschool Disabilities

Universal Citation: 92 NE Admin Rules and Regs ch 24 ยง 006-46

Current through March 20, 2024

(formerly Preschool Handicapped)

006.46A Grade Levels: Birth through Kindergarten

006.46B Endorsement Type: Subject

006.46C Persons with this endorsement may provide services to and teach infants, toddlers, and preschool and kindergarten children who have a range of disabilities, and services to families and other personnel with responsibilities for their care and education.

006.46D Certification Endorsement Requirements: This endorsement shall require a minimum of 30 semester hours related to preschool disabilities, plus field/clinical experiences.

006.46E Endorsement Program Requirements: Nebraska teacher education institutions offering this endorsement must have on file, within the institution, a plan which identifies the courses and the course completion requirements which the institution utilizes to grant credit toward completion of this endorsement.

THE FOLLOWING ARE RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES FOR INCLUSION AS PART OF THE INSTITUTION'S PLAN UNDER THIS ENDORSEMENT.

Through the courses identified in its plan, the Institution should provide for the following content:

A. Child Development and Learning. The program should prepare prospective teachers to:
1. Use knowledge of how children develop and learn to provide opportunities that support child growth and development for infants and toddlers, and preschool and kindergarten children, with a range of abilities and disabilities, in the cognitive, communicative, physical-motor, social-emotional, and adaptive areas of development and learning;

2. Use knowledge of how children develop and learn to provide opportunities that support individual differences in development and learning, with special attention to risk factors, developmental variations, and developmental patterns of specific disabilities and special abilities;

3. Recognize that children are best understood in the contexts of family, culture and society and that social, cultural and linguistic diversity influence development and learning;

4. Identify pre-, peri-, and postnatal development and factors of biological and environmental conditions that affect children's development and learning;

5. Identify specific disabilities, including the etiology, characteristics, and classification of common disabilities in young children, and describe specific implications for development and learning in the first years of life; and

6. Demonstrate an understanding of:
a. developmental consequences of stress and trauma,

b. protective factors and resilience,

c. the development of mental health, and

d. the importance of supportive relationships.

B. Assessment and Evaluation. The program should prepare prospective teachers to:
1. Assess children's cognitive, communicative, physical-motor, social-emotional, and adaptive development for the purpose of designing programs to meet the needs of individuals and families;

2. Select and use a variety of informal and formal assessment instruments and procedures, including observational methods, to make decisions about children's learning and development;

3. Select and administer assessment instruments and procedures based on the purpose of the assessment being conducted and in compliance with established criteria and standards;

4. Develop and use authentic, performance-based assessments of children's learning to assist in planning, to communicate with children and parents, and to engage children in self-assessment;

5. Involve families as active participants in the assessment process;

6. Participate and collaborate as a team member with other professionals in conducting family-centered assessments;

7. Communicate assessment results and integrate assessment results from others as an active team participant in the development and implementation of the individual family service plan (IFSP) and individual education program (IEP);

8. Monitor, summarize, and evaluate the progress toward child and family outcomes as outlined in the IFSP or IEP;

9. Select, adapt, and administer assessment instruments and procedures for specific sensory and motor disabilities;

10. Implement culturally and linguistically unbiased assessment instruments and procedures; and

11. Communicate options for programs and services at the next level and assist the family in planning for transition.

C. Curriculum Development and Implementation. The program should prepare prospective teachers to:
1. Plan and implement developmental, functional, and individual curricular and instructional practices based on knowledge of individual children, the family, the community, and curricular goals and content;

2. Make specific adaptations for the special needs of children who have unique talents, learning and developmental needs, or specific disabilities;

3. Develop an IFSP or lEP, incorporating both child and family outcomes, in partnership with family members and other professionals.

4. Incorporate information and strategies from multiple disciplines in the design of intervention strategies;

5. Design and implement plans that incorporate the use of technology, including adaptive and assistive technology;

6. Develop intervention curricula and methods for children with specific disabilities including areas related to: motor, sensory, health, communication and literacy, social-emotional, and cognitive development;

7. Develop and select learning experiences and strategies that affirm and respect family, cultural, and societal diversity, including language differences;

8. Encourage family-child interactions as primary contexts for learning and development;

9. Implement developmentally and functionally appropriate individual and group activities using a variety of formats, including play, environmental routines, parent-mediated activities, small group projects, cooperative learning, inquiry experiences, and systematic instruction;

10. Develop and implement an integrated curriculum that focuses on children's needs and interests and takes into account culturally valued content and children's home experiences;

11. Select and implement methods of behavior support and management appropriate for young children with special needs, including a range of strategies;

12. Design adaptations for a child's access to a stimulus-rich indoor and outdoor environment that employs materials, media, and technology, including adaptive and assistive technology;

13. Implement basic health, nutrition, feeding strategies, and safety management practices for children with special needs;

14. Use appropriate health appraisal procedures and recommend referral and ongoing follow-up to appropriate community health and human services;

15. Identify aspects of medical care for children who have a history of significant low birth weight, or have other complex medical needs; and

16. Use methods for the care of young children dependent on technology with programs focused on overall child development and family resources, concerns, and priorities.

D. Family and Community Relationships. The program should prepare prospective teachers to:
1. Establish and maintain positive, collaborative relationships with families, including being able to:
a. Demonstrate sensitivity to differences in family structures and social and cultural backgrounds;

b. Engage in mutual problem solving with families and other professionals to design adaptations necessary for daily routine and care;

c. Implement a range of family-oriented services based on the family's identified resources, priorities, and concerns;

d. Implement family services consistent with due process safeguards;

e. Evaluate services with families; and

f. Incorporate use of family-centered service coordination and provide options and choices enabling family members to advocate for the needs of their child and family.

2. Collaborate/consult with other professionals and with agencies in the larger community to support children's development, learning, and well-being, including being able to:
a. Apply models of team process in diverse service delivery settings;

b. Participate as a team member to identify dynamics of team roles, interaction, communication, team-building, problem-solving, and conflict resolution;

c. Identify structures supporting interagency collaboration, including interagency agreements, referral, and consultation; and

d. Evaluate and design processes and strategies that support transitions among hospital, home, infant/toddler, preschool, and kindergarten programs.

E. Professionalism. The program should prepare prospective teachers to:
1. Articulate the historical and philosophical basis of services for young children with special needs;

2. Identify state and federal legislation, public policy, and legal issues that affect children, families, and programs for young children with disabilities;

3. Identify ethical issues related to educational, social, and medical services for young children with disabilities and their families;

4. Identify current trends and issues in Early Childhood Special Education, and Special Education;

5. Adhere to the profession's code of ethical conduct related to Early Childhood Special Education;

6. Serve as advocates on behalf of young children with disabilities and their families, to improve quality of programs and services for young children, and to enhance professional status and working conditions for early childhood special educators; and

7. Identify the application of current relevant research and recommended practices.

F. Field/Clinical Experiences. The program should provide prospective teachers with opportunities to:
1. Observe and participate under the supervision of qualified professionals in a variety of settings (including but not limited to schools, homes, public or private centers, and community agencies) which serve young children with disabilities, who reflect diverse family systems, from birth through kindergarten and their families;

2. Observe and participate under the supervision of qualified professionals in each of the three age groups (infants/toddlers, preschool, and kindergarten); and

3. Observe and participate under supervision in an interagency and intra-agency team.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Nebraska may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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