An examination of individuals with special needs such as intellectual disabilities, giftedness, physical disabilities, and behavioral disorders. The emphasis is on causation, psychological and biological aspects of the exceptionality and current educational and therapeutic approaches. This course fulfills the Maryland certification requirement for a minimum of three credits in special education. A required field experience component is built into this course, in addition to time spent in class. This course is a pre-requisite for the MAT program. This course satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement in Experiencing the Liberal Arts in the World. Prerequisites: EDUC 206 and PSYC 101.