Supporting Diverse Learners (ECE304)

ECE304 Supporting Diverse Learners provides an overview of inclusive educational philosophies and approaches to early intervention and support for children of diverse abilities, from birth to 8 years of age. The course aims to promote positive dispositions toward developmental variations in child growth and learning, family-centred approaches, as well as instructional strategies for inclusion of children with learning difficulties and/or mild to moderate disabilities. ECE304 will introduce trends and recommended practices in early intervention and strategies for working with groups of diverse learners in regular early childhood settings.

• Introduction to early childhood special education
• Working within the Singapore context
• Understanding children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Understanding children with learning difficulties/learning disabilities
• Working with children with learning difficulties/learning disabilities
• Understanding children with developmental delays
• Working with children with developmental delays
• Promoting communication skills through naturalistic approaches
• Promoting social-emotional development and interactions among peers
• Instructional strategies: accommodations and modifications
• Working with families and other professionals

• Interpret the various clinical definitions and terms.
• Examine the benefits and challenges of having an inclusive early childhood setting for children with diverse learning needs.
• Analyse the strengths and developmental variations in children.
• Create accommodations and modifications that are useful in early childhood settings.
• Propose basic instructional strategies to promote communication skills for children with special needs and their peers.
• Design basic instructional strategies to promote social-emotional development for children with special needs and their peers.