MLC Students Updated on Special Education and WELS Schools

The students in MLC’s special education major heard a presentation by James Rademan, director of the Commission on Lutheran Schools, in September.

Rademan spoke about the growing number of WELS schools serving students with disabilities (374 out of 431). It is vital that educators working with these students be qualified and licensed in special education. Classroom teachers also need to have a mindset that is welcoming and inclusive of diverse students.

MLC is leading the way with undergraduate and graduate programs to prepare educators to meet this need.

MLC’s academic behavioral strategist (ABS) licensure program prepares students to meet the needs of young people, kindergarten through age 21. Graduates are recommended for a Minnesota state ABS license, which qualifies them to work with students in K-12 school systems with a broad array of mild to moderate disabilities in the following areas: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Developmental Cognitive Disabilities (DCD), Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD), Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), and Other Health Disabilities (OHD).

MLC’s undergraduate ABS coursework can also be applied with incentives to a Master of Science advanced license in Learning Disabilities (LD). Should a student choose to apply for the MS degree, they will fulfill the additional requirements for these advanced licenses in their master’s coursework.

Special Education Professor Kelli Green DMLC ’92 says, “Together with the Commission on Lutheran Schools, we are striving for excellence in how we serve students in WELS schools. This means we keep up with federal and state law regarding students with disabilities placed in nonpublic/private schools, and we decide how we can team with public schools through community engagement efforts to serve these students with best practices.”