Learning Disabilities/Behavior Disorders (LD/BD)

Master's Degree

The Department of Special Education offers a master’s degree with a specialization in Learning Disabilities and Behavior Disorders. This specialization emphasizes work in various high-incidence exceptionalities, instructional methodology, behavior support, cultural and linguistic diversity, collaboration, technology, and research. Teachers learn about students who have a variety of exceptionalities, and they learn in diverse instructional settings. The master's degree prepares teachers to instruct students with diverse learning and behavior problems.

Master's Degree Options

Two master’s degrees are available: the Master’s of Education (M.Ed.) and the Master’s of Arts (M.A.). Both degree options allow flexible combinations of coursework, practical experiences, and applied intervention research, but vary in their primary area of emphasis. All degree plans require a minimum of 36 hours of coursework.

The Master of Arts (M.A.) is a research-oriented degree, structured to provide students both academic and practical experiences in conducting research in university settings and other research environments and to prepare them for future doctoral study. Students selecting this option complete a minimum of 30 hours of coursework and six hours of thesis. This degree option takes 18 months of full-time study.

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) program reflects an applied emphasis, and is designed to prepare students for leadership roles in a variety of educational and related settings. Two options are available under the M.Ed. program: M.Ed. with Report (33 hours of coursework + 3 hours of report), or M.Ed. with coursework only. The M.Ed. program can be completed in 12 months of full-time study.

Comparison of the Master's Degree Requirements

Core Areas of Study	M.Ed.	M.A.
Department Core	6 hours	6 hours
Specialization Core consists of 6 (MA) or 7 (MEd) courses in the LD/BD Area	21 hours	18 hours
Special Education/Rehabilitation Counseling Electives	3 hours	6 hours (Thesis*)
Supporting Coursework consists of two courses taken outside the Department of Special Education	6 hours	6 hours
TOTAL:	36 hours	36 hours

Please note that the specific courses and sequence of courses differ with the degree option.

The courses are scheduled to facilitate part-time study and professional work. Admitted students who do not possess background knowledge in special education and/or LD/BD will be expected to take ALD 322 Individual Differences as a prerequisite. The ALD 322 course does not typically count toward the Master’s degree required coursework.

Program Components

The master’s program requires a minimum of 36 semester hours of study and can be completed in 12-18 months of full-time study, depending on the degree plan selected. Students complete requirements in each of the following core areas:

• The Department Core complements each student’s specialist education in the areas of cultural and linguistic diversity as well as application of research to practice. Students explore issues, trends, and emerging practices related to services for individuals with disabilities from diverse socio-cultural, linguistic, racial and ethnic backgrounds; and develop a framework for culturally and linguistically responsive practice. They also acquire the knowledge and skills required to read, understand, evaluate, and use research to improve professional practice.
• The Specialization Core provides students with specialist expertise through advanced coursework and collaboration with faculty in their chosen area of study.
• Special Education/Rehabilitation Counseling Electives consist of coursework in another specialization within the Department of Special Education that complements the major areas of study and match students’ interests and professional goals. These electives may also include courses related to the thesis or report.
• Supporting Coursework consists of elective coursework in a related discipline outside the Department of Special Education, that complements the major areas of study and matches students’ interests and professional goals.

Core Courses

Introduction to Learning Disabilities and Behavior Disorders (Fall)
This course is intended to acquaint students with the general area of learning disabilities and behavior disorders. Historical perspectives, etiologic factors, assessment, and instructional strategies are discussed. Various service delivery systems appropriate to this group also are discussed.

Assessment of Special Education & Rehabilitation Counselor Education (Fall)
This course provides a foundation of the basic concepts and content related to the assessment of exceptional individuals. The course follows a lifespan orientation, looking at assessment needs from infancy to adulthood. Course content serves as a precursor to material covered in more advanced assessment courses associated with various specialty areas.

Instructional Adaptations I & II (6 credit hours) (Spring)
This two-part course emphasizes the components of designing, implementing, and assessing an instructional program for individuals with disabilities at the elementary and secondary level. Emphasis is placed on instructional adaptations and research-based methodologies. A tutorial teaching experience is included as a part of the course (students must take both parts of the course during the same semester).

Foundations of Positive Behavior Support (Spring)
This course provides students with an understanding of the basic principles of human behavior; the application of those principles to teaching; the application of those principles to positive behavior support; and the application of those principles to the design of effective classrooms. The course is organized to prepare teachers and clinicians who will be in general and special education settings with children of all ages with and without disabilities.

Collaboration (Summer)
This course provides content that focuses on the development of collaborative partnerships in school and community settings. Course content focuses on the role of the special educator who teaches in a variety of instructional settings, the skills necessary to facilitate successful collaboration, and theoretical models of collaboration. (Cross-listed as EDC 385)

Instructional Design Using Assistive Technology (Summer)
The purpose of this course is to provide students with knowledge and skills in instructional and assistive technology that can be used to assist students with disabilities in accessing a variety of environments. Students are introduced to a variety of platforms, software applications, and devices. Application is emphasized through hands-on activities and lab experiences.

Practicum in Special Education––LD/BD (Summer)
Practicum provides experiences in a variety of settings with individuals who have learning disabilities, behavior disorders, and/or developmental disabilities. Experiences are provided in assessment; instructional design, implementation, and evaluation; and behavior management.

Special Education/Rehabilitation Counseling Elective
In consultation with your adviser, you will select one course from those offered by the Department of Special Education that match your interests and professional goals. If the Master of Arts option is chosen, you will not take the elective but will instead take Thesis A and B.

Supporting Coursework (Out-of-Department Electives)
In consultation with your adviser, you will elect two courses outside the Department of Special Education that match your interests and professional goals.

Area Faculty

Area Coordinator

Diane Pedrotty Bryant, Ph.D., (University of New Mexico)
Professor
Fellow in the Mollie V. Davis Professorship in Learning Disabilities

Anne Fuller, Ph.D., (The University of Texas at Austin)
Clinical Associate Professor

Sylvia Linan-Thompson, Ph.D., (The University of Texas at Austin)
Assistant Professor
Fellow in the Mollie V. Davis Professorship in Learning Disabilities

Herbert J. Rieth, Ed.D., (University of Kansas)
Professor
Chair of the Department of Special Education
Audrey Rogers Myers Centennial Professor in Education

Audrey McCray Sorrells, Ph.D., (University of Florida)
Associate Professor
Undergraduate Adviser
Department Minority Liaison Officer
Ford Fellow
Lee Hage Jamail Regents Chair in Education

Sharon Vaughn, Ph.D., (University of Arizona)
Professor
H.E. Hartfelder/Southland Corp Regents Chair in Human Resource Development

Cheryl Wilkinson, Ph.D., (The University of Texas at Austin)
Assistant Professor