The Department of Special Education prepares students for careers as applied behavior analysts, special educators and administrators, deaf educators, ASL specialists, and curriculum developers. We pride ourselves as a comprehensive department which is fully accredited and state and nationally recognized. We value the learning experiences of students and strive to support them, beyond the classroom, by offering opportunities to get involved in student and community organizations. We are proud of our students and the quality of our alumni and hope to continue our legacy. Your continued support contributes to our goal of providing quality instruction and graduating the highest qualified students with invaluable learning experiences. In doing so, we hope to continue to recruit students in the State of Indiana and beyond to combat the shortage of teachers in over 70% of the school districts in Indiana. Therefore, some of the donation dollars will be allocated to ensure the recruitment of high caliber students who will, in turn, become outstanding educators. Additionally, your support and unrestricted donations will assist our department in supporting community outreach programs for children with special needs. One example of how we ensure that our students and faculty are involved in our community is through the Summer Autism Camp. This camp is funded solely by donations given to our department and provides opportunities for children with ASD in our community to receive a free summer camp experience that is supported by special educators, counselors, and behavior analysts. The summer camp is directed and supported by faculty and funds from our department and depends on the continued support from you. We also pride ourselves in providing unique learning opportunities for our students. Our programs utilize cutting edge technologies and equip our students with tools to be successful in the workforce. Our adaptive teach lab provides an opportunity for our students to learn how to incorporate adaptive technologies into their teaching practices. This lab and its success are sustained by your generous donations that are used to purchase and upkeep equipment. Donations from our friends and supportive alumni will also help us continue to support student scholarships, purchase instructional materials to enhance faculty instruction, support faculty research through special equipment purchases and support faculty professional development. All of these experiences and activities have allowed our students to continue to carry the legacy of one of the highest education programs in the state and beyond. One of our intense intervention majors, Kyra H., stated it best, “I was advised that Ball State has the best teaching program in Indiana. A principal said that if a stack of resumes was on his desk, he would give priority to Ball State graduates.” This attests to the importance of our department’s impact on the field of education. It is with the help of your generous donations that we are able to continue to deliver the highest quality special education programs for our students.
