Division of Special Education and Counseling

Holly Menzies, Chair
King Hall C1064
Phone: (323) 343-4400
E-mail : hmenzie@calstatela.edu
Mitch Fryling, Associate Chair
Website: www.calstatela.edu/academic/ccoe/index_edsp.htm

Program Advisement:

The Charter College of Education’s Division of Special Education and Counseling offers program advisement for the Preliminary, Intern, and Clear credential programs in special education approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, added authorizations, certificates, and master’s degrees in Special Education as well as the Ph.D. program in Special Education offered jointly with the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). The division also offers program advisement for the undergraduate B.S. degree in Rehabilitation Services, the Master’s degree in Counseling, and for Counseling credential programs in Pupil Personnel Services and Child Welfare and Attendance, approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. These programs are described in this section. Other general information about credentials and degree programs can be found in the Undergraduate Study and Graduate and Post Baccalaureate Study sections of this catalog.

Courses offered in:

Counseling (COUN)
Special Education (EDSP)

Credentials Offered:

Educational Specialist in Special Education in the areas of Early Childhood Special Education, Mild/Moderate Disabilities, Moderate/Severe Disabilities, Physical and Health Impairments, Visual Impairment and Blindness, with authorizations in English Language (EL) and Autism are offered (Preliminary credential preparation may begin in an undergraduate blended program or at the post baccalaureate level; Preliminary and Clear credentials can be obtained at the post baccalaureate level only). The Clinical Rehabilitative Services Credential: Orientation and Mobility for the Blind and Visually Impaired is offered. Credentials also offered in Pupil Personnel Services with Advanced Specializations in School Counseling and Child Welfare and Attendance Services, including internship; School Psychology and Child Welfare and Attendance Services; and School Psychology, including internship.

Degrees Offered:

M.A. degree in Special Education with Options in: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Early Childhood Special Education, Mild/Moderate Disabilities, Moderate/Severe Disabilities, Multicultural/Multilingual Special Education, Physical and Health Impairments, Visual Impairment and Blindness: Orientation and Mobility, and Visual Impairment and Blindness: Teacher Education. Ph.D. in Special Education (offered jointly with UCLA). Degrees also offered for the B.S. in Rehabilitation Services and the M.S. in Counseling with Options in Applied Behavior Analysis; School-based Family Counseling/Marriage and Family Therapy; Rehabilitation Counseling; School Psychology. A Minor in Rehabilitation Services is also offered.

Certificates Offered:

Applied Behavior Analysis, Assistant Behavior Analyst, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Clinical Counseling, Higher Education and Career Counseling, Teaching Learners with Special Needs in General Education Classrooms, Transition Specialist, Veteran Services.

The Faculty

Professors: Randy V. Campbell, Diane Fazzi, Margaret Garcia, Cheryl Kamei Hannan, Christina H. Kimm, Holly Menzies, David Peterson, Jennifer Symon, Michele Wallace, Lois Weinberg.
Associate Professors: Michael J. Carter, Margaret D. Clark, Mitch Fryling, Heidi Paul, Leila Ricci, Frances Siu
Assistant Professors: Ya-Chih (Jilly) Chang, Emily Hernandez, Hung Jen Kuo,Anna Osipova, Roxanna Pebdani, Debbie Ribera, Elina Saeki.
Emeriti: Martin G. Brodwin,Gary Best, Sherwood Best, Philip Chinn, Barbara Clark, Mary A. Falvey, Christine Givner, Diane Haager, George Hong, Nancy Hunt, Collen Jamison, Diane Klein, Pauline Mercado, Marcel Soriano, Kathryn Reilly, Rose-Marie Swallow, Annette Tessier, Alice Watkins, Andrea Zetlin.

The Counseling and Assessment Clinic

The Counseling and Assessment Clinic is operated by the Division of Special Education and Counseling, and is located in King Hall C1067. It is an instructional laboratory that provides both training for counselors and counseling services to the community. Students working toward a master’s degree or credential in counseling serve as student clinicians under direct faculty supervision.

C. Lamar Mayer Learning Center

The C. Lamar Mayer Learning Center is operated by the Division of Special Education and Counseling as a Saturday enrichment center for children and youth with and without disabilities from the community. The Learning Center serves as a field experience laboratory for the special education credential candidates working toward their preliminary credentials and counselor candidates from the School-based Family Counseling program under faculty supervision.

The Diagnostic Resource Center

The Diagnostic Resource Center (DRC) is located in King Hall C1063. It provides a lending service for psychological and educational assessment materials to qualified students for class and internship related activities.

Continued Professional Development

Competence in the helping professions requires continuous efforts at self-improvement and development of skills. To assist practicing counselors, school psychologists, and other educators in improving their professional skills, the Counselor Education faculty has developed the following programs of continued professional development leading toward certificates.

The programs provide an opportunity for educational practitioners to meet with their colleagues to keep abreast of innovative professional developments and to experience stimuli for continued personal and professional growth.