Department of Communicative Disorders & Deaf Education

Early Childhood Special Education/Deaf Education

For infants and toddlers with hearing loss, research has shown that these children can often achieve language outcomes that are comparable to their hearing peers – if they receive family-centered early intervention services from Early Childhood Specialists and Early Interventionists who are well-trained and knowledgeable about their specific developmental and learning needs.

Because of advances in early identification of hearing loss, the use of advanced hearing technology (i.e., digital hearing aids and/or cochlear implants), and receiving timely early intervention from qualified providers, most children with hearing loss now have the potential of developing spoken language. In fact, trends indicate that more parents and caregivers of children with hearing loss are choosing intervention strategies that will allow their children to learn how to listen and talk. Unfortunately, however, parents and caregivers often face difficulty in finding qualified Early Childhood Special Educators and Early Interventionists who have the knowledge, skills and experience to develop listening and spoken language in their children with hearing loss.

You can make a difference! As an Early Childhood Special Educator or Early Interventionist, you can now participate in the Graduate Studies Program in Auditory Learning and Spoken Language and receive the necessary training to become a highly sought-after professional with the training to deliver exceptional services to young children with hearing loss and their families.

A Collaborative Training Experience

The Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education (COMD) and the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation (SPED) have established a new Master of Education or Master of Science in Special Education degrees with an emphasis in auditory learning and spoken language for young children with hearing loss.  Students will apply and be accepted into the graduate program through the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation and take a combination of courses offered through SPED and COMD. For more information about the admissions process for SPED, please visit http://sped.usu.edu.

Once enrolled, the students will participate in interdisciplinary training, coursework, field experiences, and practica with graduate students enrolled in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology through the Graduate Studies Program in Auditory Learning and Spoken Language, which is housed in the Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education.

Tuition and Financial Assistance

Students accepted into the Master of Education or Master of Science in Special Education programs − and wish to complete the emphasis in auditory learning and spoken language − will receive a tuition waiver and a monthly stipend of $600.  Fees are not paid by the Program, and students are expected to pay those expenses. In return for the monthly stipend, students are expected to complete 15 hours of clinical practicum and research experiences each week. Sound Beginnings of Cache Valley, an early intervention program and preschool for children with hearing loss, will be the primary practicum site for graduate students in training. While the exact number will vary depending on your assignments, students should expect to complete approximately 8-10 hours each week in the planning and delivery of direct services to children with hearing loss and their families. The remaining 5-7 hours each week should be focused on developing a research project with a member of the COMD faculty that is related to childhood hearing loss.

Program of Study – M.Ed. or M.S. in Special Education
As a prerequisite requirement, students enrolling in the graduate program should have a license in Early Childhood Special Education. The following courses also are required prerequisites that are offered through the Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education (COMD).  (Equivalent courses may be considered as meeting these requirements, which will be determined on a case-by-case basis after a thorough review of the student’s previous coursework and/or degree.) All of the prerequisite courses listed below are available through distance learning.

Prerequisite Coursework
COMD 2500: Language, Speech, Hearing Development (3 credits)*
COMD 2910: Sign Language I (4 credits)*

Fall 1 (15 credits)
COMD 3100: Anatomy for Speech and Language (3 credits)
COMD 3700: Basic Audiology (3 credits)
COMD 5070: Speech Science (3 credits)
COMD 5200: Language Assessment and Intervention – Birth to Five (3 credits)

(*These courses may have been completed by graduates of the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation at Utah State University. If so, these courses would not have to be retaken.)

Graduate Coursework
Spring 1 (13 credits)
COMD 6850: Research Seminar in Auditory Learning & Spoken Language (1 credits)
SPED 6020: Design & Evaluation of Effective Instruction (3 credits)
SPED 6720: Advanced Applied Behavior Analysis (3 credits)
SPED 6060: Historical and Legal Foundations of Special Education (3 credits)
SPED 6960: Creative Project (3 credits) OR
SPED 6970: Thesis in Deaf Education (3 credits)

Summer 1 (12 credits)
COMD 6340: Facilitating Auditory Learning & Spoken Language in Young Children with Hearing Loss
(3 credits)
COMD 6630: Teaching Speech to Children who are Deaf & Hard of Hearing (3 credits)
COMD 6320: Language & Emergent Literacy in Children with Hearing Loss (3 credits)
COMD 6700: Practicum in Education of Children who are Deaf & Hard of Hearing (3 credits)

Fall 2 (15 credits)
COMD 6850: Research Seminar in Auditory Learning & Spoken Language (1 credit)
COMD 7340: Pediatric Audiology (2 credits)
SPED 6700: Single-Subject Research Methods and Designs (3 credits)
COMD 6700: Practicum in Education of Children who are Deaf & Hard of Hearing (3 credits)
SPED 6300: Collaboration Skills for Classroom Teachers (3 credits)

Spring 2 (5 credits)
COMD 7520: Cochlear Implantation (2 credits)
SPED 6960: Creative Project (3 credits) OR
SPED 6970: Thesis in Deaf Education (3credits)

Students who are interested in this exciting graduate training experience in Early Childhood Special Education with an emphasis in auditory learning and spoken language should contact Dr. Lauri Nelson at (435) 797-8051 or click here to send an e-mail.