Disabilities Services...

Being the best you can be!  Qualifications that exceed all others!

• The Disabilities Services program is designed to help students develop a “systems approach” to monitoring disability services, reflecting the vision articulated within the Performance Standards and disabilities protocol that strong systems are essential to maintaining program quality. Under this approach, students will learn how to identify a failure within disabilities service area and identify the underlying problems in which federal review teams might identify as a non-compliance finding. The credential and license focuses on how systems, services, and disability activities interact to create and maintain quality support and services. The focus of the credential will be on both the child and family, using the regulations and best practices to develop procedures and policies. This credential/license is a holistic, multifaceted credential that allows students to learn how to integrate quality disability services and support systems. The credential and license uses the disability requirements as the core of the program. Students learn the provisions of establishing a Head Start-based disability services program that emphasizes a programmatic way of observing and recognizing inclusion in staff, children and families and directing them to the best support services. 

• The program provides a basic academic foundation and professional development for disabilities staff. An important professional credential or license offers Head Start disabilities workers an opportunity to advance their careers and serve children and families more effectively. A license is a "collegiate diploma". It is a post-secondary academic process of establishing the qualifications of professionals working in Disabilities Services.

• Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of all program requirements, graduates will be able to:

1.	Prepares you to teach children with mild to severe disabilities in Head Start
2.	Prepares you to teach in self-contained special and general education
3.	Prepares you to teach children with English as first or second language
4.	Prepares you for diversity of languages and cultures in and among children and families
5.	Helps students to meet the diverse needs of all students and those with special needs
6.	Create and evaluate a learning environment that supports children's physical, social, emotional and emotional development
7.	Identify and apply positive approaches that encourage families to seek help and services
8.	Demonstrate competence in integrating theory and practice in disabilities services and supports

• Each program is 12-36 weeks in length, the courses are offered in pairs, or "blocks," designed to complement each other. In these programs, emphasis alternates 2 day courses or online classes, reading and online discussion and a work project to reinforce the practices and principles learned in the courses.

• HS University offers the following credential/license programs to enrolled students.

	Disabilites Services Administrator Credential
	Disabilities Services Supervisor Credential
	Disabilities Management License

• Application Deadline

   

  The deadline for Fall #1 session is September.  Classes begins every 6 weeks.

• Why do I need a credential/license?
• Being a credential/license Disabilities Services professional makes all the difference.  Disabilities workers who want recognition for their professional achievement and who want to unlock new career paths come to HS University for their credentials.

• What is an Disabilities Services credential/license?
• Obtaining a Disabilities Services credential/license is the next progression in a Disabilities Manager professional career.  Beyond the educational degree, a professional credential/license denotes professional commitment and achievement and represents a "plus" feature of certifying knowledge and experience that meets or exceeds excellence in fiscal services at the national level.  Professional fiscal service workers agree to a critical review process that includes evaluation of the candidate's educational preparation, practice experience and peer review of observable skills and abilities.
• .
• Why obtain a credential/license?
• Having a Disabilities Services Credential/License means you:

1. --Become a part of the most widely recognized work organization in the nation

1. --Are recognized as having in-depth knowledge, proven work experience, leadership capacity, competence and dedication to the nutrtion work profession
2. --Agree to a critical review process that strives to measure adherence to a Code of Ethics, Standards of Continuing Education and in-depth practicum in the area of nutrition service specialized management practices
3. --Help Head Start programs develop a high quality, leadership skills within their program and develop systems and methodologies to ensure excellence in service.