CERTIFICATE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION ENABLING INCLUSION (MENTAL RETARDATION)

Mode of Education: Distant Mode
Registration and Prospectus of INPA: Rs. 250/-
Registration and Prospectus of IGNOU: Rs. 100/-
Course Fee: Rs. 4,500/- favoring IGNOU New Delhi
Last Day of Admission: As per notification of IGNOU
Duration: 1 Year
Eligibility: 10th with 50% marks or higher
Certification: Rehabilitation Council of India’s (RCI) Course.

Introduction
The Certificate Programme will equip you with the knowledge, attitudes, strategies and skill to foster the all round development of young children with Mental Retardation and have a positive influence on their lives. The Certificate Programme will enable you to work as a member of an interdisciplinary team providing Early Intervention and education to Children with Disabilities up to the age of 6 years, in a variety of sittings, such as Inclusive set ups, and Special Schools. The aim is to involve people in the creation of an Inclusive Society that facilitates the full participation of Children with Disabilities and their families through network and appropriate supports in a barrier/free environment..

Nature of the Course
Certificate in Early Childhood Special Education (CESE-MR) focuses on children below 6 years of age and has various modes and approaches in imparting training based on the ability of the target group. This could be Home Based Training, Centre Based Learning, Placement in Regular Pre-schools, Anganwadis or Balawadis. This demands training of human resources suitable to reaching out to the families by being a home visitor or itinerant teacher, to manage children with disabilities in regular or special pre-schools. The early childhood special educator is also expected to work as a member in a multi-disciplinary team for designing and managing the curriculum, to enhance inclusion of the disabled children alongside the mainstream population. To provide all of these competencies, a programme leading to Certificate in Early Childhood Special Education is being offered at INPA, Chandigarh.

Objectives
Overall objectives of the course as stressed by RCI are:
• To provide competencies among trainees in areas of early detection of disabilities, assessment, programming and evaluation.
• To train them to work as a member in a multi-disciplinary team.
• To provide teaching strategies in ECSE, in various pre-school settings.
• To be an effective link between home and the school.
• To prepare the children for primary school education.

Scope and Placement Opportunities
Placement opportunities to work as Early Childhood Special Educator:
• In regular pre-schools.
• In Special Schools in classes for pre-school children.
• In research projects on ECSE/ECE.
• Coordination of Anganwadi Centers and any Govt. or Private pre-school centres including children with special educational needs.
• To be a home based instructor and/or itinerant teacher for pre-school children with developmental delays.
• Any school programme special/regular schools working towards inclusion of special children in regular pre-schools.

Eligibility
Minimum qualification to enroll in this Programme is 10th class pass from a recognized Board with a minimum of 50% marks. People with higher qualifications are also eligible to enroll for the Programme. 70% of the seats are reserved for parents and family members of children with disabilities, persons with disabilities, those being at least two years of experience of working with persons with disabilities and those who have completed any one of the Awareness-cum-Training packages in Disability (Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation, Visual Impairment and Hearing Impairment).

Dispatch of Printed Materials
The full set of study material for each student enrolled with a particular Special Study Centre will be dispatched in one lot to the Special Study Centre. You are required to collect your study material from the Special Study Centre. In case of non-receipt pf study materials, contact the Special Study Centre. The dispatch will be made within 6-8 weeks of the last date of depositing the Programme Fees. Along with the study material, you will also receive the Programme Guide and Assignment. If anything is missing please ask for it. If you do not get the material in time, write to Regional Director of the IGNOU Regional Centre of your region. The contact details of the Regional Centers activated for the Programme are provided at Annexure B.

Duration and Time Schedule for the Programme
The minimum duration of the Programme is one year and the maximum duration is three years. The University offers a lot of flexibility and openness in completion of a Programme of Study. You can finish this Programme in one year if you clear all the Theory Papers and all components of Project Work. If you are not able to complete the Programme within this period, you can take a maximum of 3 years to complete it. It would be better if you plan your study in a systematic way.
When you enroll you will receive study materials and assignments. The assignments will be based on the Theory Papers OCDF – 001 and OCD – 002. Completion of a Theory Course would involve studying the printed Blocks, components of the assignments, and appearing in Term-End Theory Examination. If you would not submit the assignment for a Theory Course meant for that academic year, you will have to ask for a fresh set of assignment in the beginning of the next year, submit them according to the schedule and appear in the Term-End Examination for that Theory Course. You will not be allowed to take the Term-End Examination for a Theory Course until you finish the related assignments.
Completing the Project Work involves carrying out Practical Activities related to each of the three components of the Project Work, developing and submitting the Project File and appearing for the Term-End Project Evaluation for each component.

Number of Seats
The total number of seats is 40.

Medium of Instruction
The Programme is available in English.

Content and Structure of the Certificate Programme
The Certificate Programme is of 24 credits. The Programme comprises two Theory Courses and one Project Work with three Parts. The ratio of Theory Courses and Project Work is 50:50. This works out to 12 credits of Theory and 12 credits of Project Work. The Theory Courses and Project Work are compulsory.
The structure of the Programme and the credit weightage of the Courses is as follows:
Name of the Programme                                                                      Programme Code
Certificate in Early Childhood Special                                                CESE(MR)
Education Enabling Inclusion (Mental Retardation)
 

In IGNOU terminology, one credit is equivalent to 30 hours of the learner’s study time. So a 6 credit course should take you 180 study hours to complete. This includes the time take by you to understand the print material, view and listen the related video and audio cassettes and attend counseling sessions. Thus, the entire Programme is worth 30 x 24 = 720 hours of your study time (360 hours of theory and 360 hours of Project Work). Of course, you must bear in mind that this is an average estimate.

Course-Wise Details
The detailed structure of the Programme is as follows:
Course 1: Foundations of Early Childhood Development and Disability
This is the first Theory Course of the Programme titled ‘Foundations of Early Childhood Development and Disability’. Its purpose is to develop in you and understanding of the three central themes of this Programme of Study – development of Children, disability and early childhood special education.
Block 1: Development of the Young Child
Block 2: Disability and Society
Block 3: Enhancing Physical and Motor Development
Block 4: Statutory Provisions, Concessions and Barrier Free Environment

Course 2: Early Childhood Special Education for Children with Mental Retardation
This is the second Theory Course of the Certificate Programme titled ‘Certificate in Early Childhood Special Education for Children with Mental Retardation’. The purpose of this Course is to provide a detailed understanding of the disability condition ‘Mental Retardation’. This Course will equip you with information regarding the nature, early identification and prevention of mental retardation; teaching principles and methodologies,; strategies and methods of fostering social, language, cognitive, physical and motor development; teaching basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills and activities of personal care and organizing recreation activities for children. These and related concepts are explained through six Blocks.
Block 1: Nature, Causes and Prevention of Mental Retardation
Block 2: Assessment and Programme Planning
Block 3: Curriculum and Strategies – 1
Block 4: Curriculum and Strategies – 2

Course 3: Working with Children with Mental Retardation in Different Settings
The Project Work forms the third Course of the Certificate Programme. The objective is that through this Course you will get ‘hands-on’ experience of working with children with Mental Retardation in different settings.
The Project Work has 3 components:
Project Work Part-A Preparing and Implementing IFSP
Project Work Part-B Preparing and Implementing IEP
Project Work Part-C Preparing and Implementing Group Teaching Plans
The details regarding how the Project Work is to be carried out are specified in the Project Manuals A, B and C.
Development of Teaching – Learning Materials will be assessed as part of each of the above Project Work and not as a separate paper.

Attendance
Minimum attendance 80% is essential to be eligible for appearing for the examination.

Examination
Examination will be conducted in English/Hindi/Punjabi language. A minimum of 40% in each theory paper with an aggregate 50% in all the theory paper is requested for passing the theory while a minimum 50% is essential for passing in practical. A combination of internal and external evaluation will be followed for theory papers.