Course Description
QQI Level 6 Special Needs Assistant
Portobello Institute
Overview
Are you interested in becoming a Special Needs Assistant? This blended learning course is suited to anyone who has an interest in Special Needs Education, whether to pursue it as a career or use the knowledge for personal or family reasons. Portobello Institute’s QQI Level 6 Minor Award Special Needs Assisting is a qualification that will allow you to work as a special needs assistant in schools, hospitals and care homes. During this 3-month course you will acquire not only knowledge but empathy and understanding crucial to your future role as support to persons needing assistance in their learning. You will also be required to complete 20 hours of work experience enabling you to get practical experience to compliment your studies. These factors, together with the one to one tutorial support, offer you a course that is accessible, affordable and achievable.
Why should I study this course?
The field of Special Needs Education is one of enormous variety and ever-changing needs. Portobello Institute wish to respond to the true needs within the sector by offering a course that will equip our students not only with knowledge but with empathy and understanding crucial to their future role as support to persons needing assistance in their learning. Our research in the field has found that Special Needs Assistants require practical skills and knowledge in a wide range of behaviours and abilities. Thus, we try to encapsulate the lifelong experience of persons with Special Needs within our courses, in Level 5 and in greater detail at Level 6.
Portobello Institute’s QQI level 6 Minor Award in Special Needs Assisting gives you the opportunity to learn from a range of experts all of whom are passionate about the field of special needs education. They bring their insight, depth of experience and passion for teaching to this course. During this course, you will learn to support and understand the process by which a child with learning, physical or behavioural needs learns. This qualification will allow you to work alongside a child with special needs in a school as well as care settings.
The Special Needs Assistant Level 6 course is ideal for Learners who wish to:
- Possess a comprehensive understanding of national and local models, multi-disciplinary teams, health and safety issues and educational provisions for children and young people with special needs.
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the relevant concepts, theories and principles underpinning curriculum implementation.
- Create learning opportunities by devising and implementing Individual Education Plans (IEP’s) and individual behavior Plans (IBP’s) and introduce exercises that teach the child to look after themselves and their property which ultimately encourages independence, respect, self-esteem and responsibility.
- Assess the roles and responsibilities and skill sets required by the SNA to assist the teacher in implementing the National curriculum.
Who will recognise my qualification?
Upon completing this course, you will hold a QQI Level 6 Minor Award in Special Needs Assisting enabling you to work as an SNA.
Qualifications Frameworks in Ireland and the UK
The Irish and UK qualifications authorities have collaborated on initiatives that promote the transparency, recognition and mobility of qualifications between our respective jurisdictions. The qualifications authorities in the UK and Ireland have agreed the qualifications frameworks in operation, Brexit will not impact this agreement.
During this course, you will learn about development and learning in children with special needs and about the role of an SNA. You will learn about child development and behaviour theories and how a range of activities can promote physical, social, emotional and intellectual development in children with learning, physical and behavioural disabilities. You will learn how to implement Individual Education Plans (IEP’s) and individual behaviour Plans (IBP’s) and introduce exercises that teach the child to look after themselves and their property which ultimately encourages independence, respect, self-esteem and responsibility. You will develop the capacity to work and communicate effectively with parents, families, colleagues and other professionals to safeguard, support and promote children’s learning, development and well-being.
During this programme you will cover the following topics:
- Understanding Education, Health and Safety, Teach methodologies, Educational Philosophy and Practice
- Literacy: Identifying the conditions for learning language and how to implement these according to learning programmes
- Mathematics: Learning skills to support the teaching of mathematics and to devise strategies to assess mathematical ability
- Observations: Methods and techniques for assessing, planning and evaluating
Real Life Learning Opportunities
Work Experience
During this course you will spend 20 hours on a work placement in a special needs assisting setting. During the placement you will have the opportunity to put into practice the exercises and skills you will have learned during the programme. You will have the opportunity by using these skills to stimulate, develop and guide the children under your direction to develop to their full potential. We aim to ensure that you have the opportunity to gain experience in a setting that is aligned with your career ambitions.
The practical work experience element of this programme may be completed once Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted.
How will I be assessed?
A variety of assessment methods are used to support students with different learning styles. These vary from written reports to practical case studies to examinations. We encourage you to reflect on your knowledge gain with a number of assignments designed to explore your learning journey. All of these assessment methods are seeking to support you to combine theory with scenario-based learning and how to practically implement these methods into your everyday practice.
Course Code | EYS6 |
College Name | Portobello Institute |
Course Category | Education, Special Needs Assistant Training |
Course Type | Blended Learning - Mix of Classroom & Online |
Course Qualification | Level 5 Certificate |
Course Location | Swords, Dublin, Ireland |
Location Postcode | Dublin 1 |
Course Start Date | 17th September 2019 |
Course End Date | 3rd December 2019 |
Course Fee | 695 |
Course Duration | 10 weeks |
Course Times | This programme is delivered via online classroom based, online with webinars and one week intensive - you choose the delivery most suited to you. |
Awarding Body | QQI |
Title of Awarding | QQI Level 6 Minor Award in Special Needs Assisting |
Entry Requirements | Entry to this course is by direct application to the college. Students must have gained QQI Level 5 Component Certificate Special Needs Assistant or equivalent. To access programmes leading to this award the learner should have reached the standards of knowledge, skill and competence associated with the preceding level of the National Framework of Qualifications. This may have been achieved through a formal qualification or through relevant life and work experience. |
Career Path | This qualification will allow you to work alongside a in a school as well as care settings. |
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