Outstanding career preparation
This program will equip you with competencies to support students with disabilities and/or Individual Education Plans while maintaining a safe and professional environment that promotes students' well-being.

Things you'll do and learn
Support students with academic, behavioural, and personal care needs in educational settings from kindergarten through high school
Use Universal Design for Learning principles
Foster social inclusion
Work as part of the special education team
Accurately report information related to student learning
Field placements
In Semesters 2, 3 and 4, you'll complete field placements in a school where you'll support students with special needs in the classroom. Sheridan arranges the field placement experience for you. During your placement, you'll encounter students with a range of exceptionalities including physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, behaviour disorders, visual and hearing impairments, autism and learning disabilities.

Additional information
You'll learn from professors with specialized graduate degrees and who are highly experienced in the field of special education. Your classroom activities will include:

Group seminars and cooperative learning.
Reflective practice linked to field placement experiences.
Lectures combined with activity-based learning that incorporates the laptop.
In addition to full-time studies, the option of part-time evening classes accommodates the needs of adults who work during the day.

The Educational Support program uses laptop computers for in-class work and home assignments. All course materials are web-supported, with materials available to you 24/7 through your laptop and the Internet. Your learning opportunities will be greatly enhanced by having increased access to the Internet, learning resources and your classmates.

Flexible learning
The Educational Support program offers course-based registration, which allows you to create your own timetable (based on course availability) by selecting the days/times that work best for you. You can choose to take a full-time course load or study part-time during the day or evening.

Please note that the courses offered in the part-time option are identical to those in the full-time option, and the graduation requirements are the same. However, it will take you longer to complete the diploma on a part-time basis and there may be financial implications to consider. If you are unsure of the financial or academic consequences of attending part-time, you should contact the Program Academic Advisor, the Office of the Registrar or the Student Advisement Centre for more information.

When you complete your Educational Support diploma program, you'll be ready to seek employment in a public or private school as an Educational Assistant* supporting students with diverse learning needs, or in a social-or health-based program with a special education component.

*Please note some school boards use the term Teaching Assistant or Educational Resource Worker.