PRE-KINDERGARTEN DISABILITIES ENDORSEMENT AND INFANT/TODDLER DEVELOPMENTAL SPECIALIST ONLINE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

Pre K Disabilities Endorsement application. (pdf)
Pre K Disabilities Endorsement agreement. (pdf)

Pre-Kindergarten Disabilities Endorsement

The Florida Pre-Kindergarten Disability (Pre-K D) Endorsement program prepares teachers to meet the competencies for teaching prekindergarten-aged children with specific disabilities, developmental delays, and/or at-risk conditions. Individuals with a Pre-K D Endorsement are qualified to teach children from birth to 5 years of age in Florida’s public school Exceptional Student Education programs. This endorsement requires a Bachelor's degree or higher with certification in any exceptional student education area, preschool education, primary education, prekindergarten/primary education, or early childhood education with an additional 12 semester hours of coursework. Individuals may take courses for the Pre-K D Endorsement as a student in the Master’s degree in the Education of Students with Exceptionalities (ESE) program, a student in a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree program in an appropriate discipline, or as an UWF special student.
At UWF, the 12 semester hours (each course is 3 semester hours) approved by the state as meeting the required competencies for the Pre-K D Endorsement are:
EEX 6455: Program Development for Young Children with Disabilities
EEX 6707: Assessment and Methods in Early Childhood Special Education
EEX 6205: Typical and Atypical Early Childhood Development
EEX 6732: Collaboration with Families, Schools, and the Community

Infant/Toddler Developmental Specialist (ITDS) Certificate

The Infant Toddler Developmental Specialist (ITDS) Certificate program prepares professionals to meet the competencies for provision of services to infants and toddlers (birth to 36 months) with significant delays or a condition that places them at risk of developmental delay and their families. Florida’s Early Steps Program, a part of the Florida Department of Health, Children’s Medical Services, is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, community-based, family-focused program that provides a coordinated system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers and their families as set forth in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part C.

EEX 6707: Assessment and Methods in Early Childhood Special Education
EEX 6732: Collaboration with Families, Schools, and the Community
EEX 6205: Typical and Atypical Early Childhood Development

Educational Requirements: Applicants must have at least ONE of the following

• A bachelors degree from an accredited institution in one of the following fields: Early Childhood, Early Childhood Special Education, Child and Family Development, Family Life Specialist, Communication Sciences, Psychology, Social Work or an equivalent degree based on transcript evaluation. Or
• A bachelors degree in any field, AND five or more years experience with the 0-5 special needs population. Or
• A bachelors degree in any field, AND a Masters degree in Education, Early Childhood Education or Special Education.

Students may take the courses as UWF special students or as degree-seeking students. For information about applying to UWF, please visit the website: http://uwf.edu/admissions/. Please note that these are graduate-level courses. Students must have completed a Bachelor’s degree with an overall GPA of 2.50 or above in order to take the courses.

Scholarships will be available to students that meet the admission criteria for the programs and depending on the number of applicants.

For additional information, please contact:
Rusty Gremillion
(850) 473-7068
rgremillion@uwf.edu