About Special Education: Early Intervention

This Certificate of Achievement builds on the Introduction to Special Education Certificate of Accomplishment and continues the pathway to an ongoing career in Early Childhood Special Education.

The coursework builds skills for general and special education teachers to understand the strengths and challenges of children with special needs and to describe inclusive strategies to respond to them. The coursework prepares students to work with young children with special needs in a range of settings, both one-on-one and group, in both general education and special education environments. Taken together, the courses complete educational requirements for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing's Child Development Permit and satisfy the core licensing requirements required by the Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing.

Explore Potential Careers

Earning a Special Education: Early Intervention certificate can lead to a variety of different jobs or career paths. Below are just some of the many options you will have!

  • Early Interventionist
  • Inclusion Teacher in Early Childhood
  • Early Childhood Paraprofessional

Program Options 

Click on the degree or certificate you're interested in earning to see a sample map of courses to take to complete your goal from start to finish.

Please note that the course maps provided are just an example to help you get started. Please meet with a counselor to personalize the plan to you and your Academic goals.

View Requirements in College Catalog

Required Courses:

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
CDEV 74 Children with Special Needs 3  
CDEV 53 Child Growth and Development 3  
CDEV 65 Orientation to ECE Principles and Practice 3  
CDEV 66 Introduction to Early Childhood Curriculum 3  
CDEV 67 Child, Family, and Community 3  

Total Units: 15

Choose 3 units from the following course electives:

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
CDEV 96 Understanding Children with Challenging Behaviors 3  
CDEV 41T Early Autism Spectrum Disorders 1  
CDEV 99 Sensory Processing Disorder in Children 1  
CDEV 124 Individualized Education Programs 1  
CDEV 125 Children's Emotional Development 1  

Total Units: 3

Overall Total Units: 18

View Requirements in College Catalog

Semester 1 

Course Number Course Title Units
CDEV 41T Early Autism Spectrum Disorders 1
CDEV 74 or 120 Children with Special Needs or Special Education TK-12 3
CDEV 53 or 67 Child Growth and Development or Child, Family, and Community 3
Choose one: CDEV 121, 122, 123, or 124 Children with ADHD, Social Emotional Differences K-12, Learning Disabilities, or Individualized Education Programs 1

Total Units: 8

Transfer Options

If you're interested in pursuing future study, check out the AS degree in Child Development and Family Studies or the AS-T Transfer Degree in Early Childhood Education to transfer to SFSU or another CSU!

Have questions about transfer? Visit the Transfer Center for help, transfer information, and/or to speak with college representatives.