Program Overview
The Educational Support program is the perfect course of study for people interested in supporting children and adolescents with special needs in academic settings. This program will prepare you to work in concert with education professionals in the classroom to maximize learning opportunities for exceptional students and their families. You will receive the knowledge and skills required to work in a multidisciplinary environment by working alongside teachers, EAs, speech-language pathologists, and physiotherapists.
Program Highlights
- Highly experienced instructors who have several years of involvement in the field of special education provide instruction and professional development.
- Placement opportunities in a variety of educational settings where you will further develop your workplace skills under the supervision of experienced professionals.
- Use the most up-to-date assistive and augmentative technologies to assist in supporting students’ needs.
- Learning to construct and apply knowledge on a variety of topics related to special education.
- Opportunity to obtain relevant certificates within the program (e.g., lifting, feeding, Behaviour Management Systems Training, etc.)
Career Opportunities
Graduates will find placement opportunities in elementary or secondary school settings, group homes, and family support agencies.
Admission Requirements
OSSD with the majority of courses at the College (C), University (U), University/College (M) or Open (O) level plus:
- Grade 12 English - ENG4U, ENG4C, EAE4C or EAE4U.
Mature students - See Admission Procedures for details.
Health Requirements
Students must submit proof of a satisfactory medical examination and up-to-date immunization records prior to beginning field placement in semester three. Lack of documented health records and immunizations may result in the restriction of clinical/field placement and therefore may delay and/or prevent completion of the program.
Courses
The curriculum below is for incoming students:
Past Cohorts:
Semester 1
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDA100 | Child Development & The Exceptional Learner I | 3 |
| EDA102 | Cognition, Learning & Behaviour I | 4 |
| EDA103 | Foundations Of Special Education | 3 |
| ENG107 | College Writing | 3 |
| ELEC1030 | Choose 1 Elective Course | 3 |
| EDA109 | Students With Exceptionalities | 4 |
Semester 2
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDA200 | Child Development & Exceptional Learner II | 3 |
| EDA210 | Personal Care & Basic Pharmacology | 3 |
| EDA212 | Technology To Facilitate Learning | 3 |
| ELEC1030 | Choose 1 Elective Course | 3 |
| EDA202 | Cognition, Learning & Behaviour II | 3 |
| EDA203 | Foundations In Literacy And Numeracy | 4 |
Semester 3
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDA300 | Educational Programming Techniques I | 3 |
| EDA302 | Applied Behaviour Strategies | 4 |
| EDA301 | Introduction To Professional Practice | 3 |
| EDA307 | Field Placement I | 8 |
| EDA304 | Field Placement Seminar I | 1 |
| ELEC1030 | Choose 1 Elective Course | 3 |
Semester 4
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDA402 | Educational Programming Techniques II | 3 |
| EDA405 | Career & Employment Strategies | 3 |
| EDA412 | Field Placement II | 12 |
| EDA401 | Field Placement Seminar II | 1 |
Placement Requirements
Please be aware that although a COVID-19 vaccination is not required to attend St. Clair College, some of our placement sites may require students to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to be eligible to attend. Unfortunately, we cannot predict if a placement site will begin to require full vaccination and as such, we are encouraging all students to consider vaccination. If the requirement of your placement sites changes at any point, you will be notified immediately by the College.
It is important to note that if placement sites do require students to be fully vaccinated to attend their place of business, students who are not fully vaccinated cannot be provided with a placement for their program and therefore will not be able to complete their programs.
If you have any questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, please contact our St. Clair College Health Centre at 519-972-2727 ext. 4484 (in Windsor) or 519-354-9100 ext. 3729 (in Chatham).
PRIOR TO PLACEMENT: To ensure you complete all the requirements before classes begin in your second year and that the documents are valid for placement, please ensure you start the process in May or June between your first and second year.
PRIOR TO CLASSES
Entering Year 2 - Due September 15th
- Medical Requirements Form
- Police and Medical Requirements Letter (Letter for the School of Community Studies)
- Police Clearances for the School of Community Studies
- Standard First Aid and CPR Level C Certification
- The successful completion of all year 1 EDA courses
- Concurrently enrolled in the respective placement seminar course
- Complete other documentation as required (e.g., confidentiality agreement, etc.). These will be discussed in the program
- Student field placements are assigned. Personal requests for placement cannot be accommodated
- Reliable transportation is required, as students may be placed anywhere in Windsor-Essex County. Students are responsible for their own travel and costs related to their field placement experiences
- Students will be expected to wear professional attire and conform to the professional requirements of their placement provider
- Field placement hours may vary from one school/site to another, but are typically a 7-8 hours period between 8am - 5pm EST. In exceptional circumstances, alternative placements may be arranged, which may include hours outside of this and/or online experiences.
Program Physical Demands Analysis
Program Vocational Learning Outcomes
Educational Support (Ontario College Diploma) (MTCU Code 51228)
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- Provide educational support in compliance with pertinent education-related legislation, standards, regulations and policies, health and safety legislation and regulations, as well as organizational policies, practices and procedures.
- Develop and implement strategies to promote and support positive school climates that contribute to a safe, caring and secure educational setting.
- Collaborate with members of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) team by assisting in the development and revision of the IEPs of learners with exceptionalities.
- Implement components of educational support programs of instruction under the direction and support of the IEP team and/or relevant members of the school community.
- Lead by example to promote empathetic, positive and pro-social behaviour in all learners to facilitate the development of social competence in learners with exceptionalities in accordance with their IEPs.
- Promote the development of independence in, and provide assistance to, learners with exceptionalities in their performance of routine activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) in accordance with their IEPs.
- Develop and implement strategies to support learners with exceptionalities in the appropriate use of assistive technologies and daily living aids in accordance with their IEPs.
- Monitor, document and report on the behaviour, performance and progress of learners with exceptionalities in accordance with their IEPs.
- Prepare and present a plan for engaging in ongoing personal and professional development to promote competence in the educational support field.