What will candidates need to be prepared for at the Exceptional Needs assessment? Will candidates be responsible for knowledge across the five strands?
The main content of the Exceptional Needs assessment relates to the practice of proactive special education delivery: advocacy, cultural competence, family and community collaboration, positive social development, attention to the needs of the individual, and communication/literacy/oral and written language skills. Candidates for the Exceptional Needs certificate do not have to be knowledgeable about all five strands as distinguished by students’ “disabling factor(s)” and age level: Early Childhood, Mild/Moderate Disabilities, Severe and Multiple Disabilities, Visual Impairments, and Deaf/Hard of Hearing. However, candidates will be responsible for their strand and what they teach. They will have to have the knowledge of subjects listed in the Standards for the age and ability of their students. If a particular content is going to be tapped, the candidate will be given prior notice and would be able to consult with other teachers and resources regarding the subject matter.
