Early Interventions in Autism and Sensory Impairments, MA
33-42 credit hours
This is offered as an online degree.
The Master of Arts in early interventions in autism and sensory impairments program targets interested professionals in the fields of child development, early childhood special education, non-profit administration, psychology, early childhood, speech and language, sign language, hard of hearing/deaf, vision impairments and social work.
Potential candidates for this program include teachers, parents, speech and language therapists and related services professionals, certified pre-K-12 teachers, certified VI teachers who want to learn more about autism and sensory impairments, sign language professionals with a BA, early childhood professionals. As Mo DESE does not require teacher certification to work in the early interventions field teacher certification is not included nor required for this program. The Council for Exceptional Children developed the Early Intervention, Developmental Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder Skill and Knowledge specialty sets that drive the curriculum content of the program.
Graduates of the Lindenwood Early Interventions in Autism and Sensory Impairments program serve as family service coordinators, First Steps Early Intervention specialists and team members, Parents as Teachers educators, non-profit agency administrators and service providers, and pre-school and early childhood teachers. This program provides training to partner with parents and early intervention professionals of young children who have learning needs in the area of autism and/or sensory impairment. Our program includes opportunities for observations with Early Intervention practitioners in the field through home-visits and models the shared philosophy of "holistic" therapies, family-centered practices, and the opportunity to work with families on home visits through a research study. The program distinguishes itself as including study of characteristics of vision and deaf/hard of hearing impairments for early detection and delivery of therapy in the natural environment. As an online degree, nation-wide experts with clinical therapeutic experience teach their specialty area to offer the latest evidence-based practices for early diagnosis.
Consistently, University Rankings rates Lindenwood's MA in early intervention in autism and sensory impairments program among the nation's top ten programs for a masters' degree in Early Interventions.
Requirements
Prerequisite Coursework
3-12 credit hours of coursework from the following options:
Students must take all prerequisites listed, but only three credit hours will go towards fulfilling the total degree credit hours. Prerequisites can be taken at the undergraduate level, but only graduate credit may count toward the degree.
| EDS 50200 | Behavior Management | 3 |
| EDS 53700 | Special Education Counseling | 3 |
| EDU 50410 | Human Growth, Development, and the Exceptional Learner | 3 |
| EDU 54100 | Education of the Exceptional Child | 3 |
| EDU 55100 | Early Childhood Screening, Diagnosing and Prescribing Instruction | 3 |
Major Coursework I
9 credit hours of coursework from the following options:
Major Coursework II
21 credit hours of coursework from the following options:
| EDS 56000 | Introduction to Family Centered Practices for Early Interventions in Autism, Visual Impairment, Deaf/Hard of Hearing | 3 |
| EDS 56100 | Characteristics of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders | 3 |
| EDS 56200 | Characteristics and Strategies for working with Infants and Young Children with Vision Impairments | 3 |
| EDS 56300 | Characteristics and Strategies for working with Young Children with Deaf/Hard of Hearing Impairments | 3 |
| EDS 57000 | Methodologies for Teaching Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders | 3 |
| EDS 57100 | Transitioning to the IEP: Working with Families to Navigate the Early Intervention Process | 3 |
| EDS 57200 | Designing Effective Classrooms for Young Children with Autism Spectrum | 3 |