Educational Support

Help students with special needs achieve academic and social success.

Program Overview

Outstanding career preparation

This program will equip you with the skills you need to support students with a range of special needs. You'll use modified curricula and materials, including assistive technology, to accommodate their diverse strengths and developmental needs, and you'll learn to maintain a safe and professional environment that promotes students' well being.

Things you'll do and learn

• Respond to and assist with personal care needs of students in educational settings from kindergarten through high school.
• Work as part of the educational team with specialists and family members.
• Report information related to the learning environment.
• Support inclusion of the student to aid his or her social development and sense of belonging.

Field placements

In Terms 2, 3 and 4, you'll be placed in a school where you'll support students with special needs in the classroom. Sheridan arranges the field placement experience for you. During your placement, you'll encounter students with a range of exceptionalities including physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, behaviour disorders, visual and hearing impairments, autism and learning disabilities.

Additional information

You'll learn from professors with specialized graduate degrees and who are highly experienced in the field of special education. Your classroom activities will include:

• Group seminars and cooperative learning.
• Reflective practice linked to field placement experiences.
• Lectures combined with activity-based learning that incorporates the laptop.

In addition to full-time studies, the option of part-time evening classes accommodates the needs of adults who work during the day.

The Educational Support program uses laptop computers for in-class work and home assignments. All course materials are web-supported, with materials available to you 24/7 through your laptop and the Internet. Your learning opportunities will be greatly enhanced by having increased access to the Internet, learning resources and your classmates.

Flexible learning

The Educational Support program offers course-based registration, which allows you to create your own timetable (based on course availability) by selecting the days/times that work best for you. You can choose to take a full-time course load or study part-time during the day or evening.

Please note that the courses offered in the part-time option are identical to those in the full-time option, and the graduation requirements are the same. However, it will take you longer to complete the diploma on a part-time basis and there may be financial implications to consider. If you are unsure of the financial or academic consequences of attending part-time, you should contact the Program Academic Advisor, the Office of the Registrar or the Student Advisement Centre for more information.