Special Education Centre
About Us
The Special Education Centre is part of the School of Education within the Faculty of Education & Arts. Situated on the Callaghan campus of The University of Newcastle, the Centre provides a diverse range of programs and services for people of all ages with a disability or special needs, and for their practitioners, families and communities.
The Centre provides or houses:
- Training for special education teachers, and staff working in community disability services
- Supervision of research degree students
- Firstchance, the children’s charity, which operates:
The Early Childhood Intervention Program
Strengthening Families Program - Key Word Sign Australia
- National Disability Coordination Officer
- The Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability
- Australian Journal of Special Education
Associate Professor Ian Dempsey is currently Director of the Special Education Centre. Previous Directors of the Centre have been Dr Peter O’Connor, Dr Jim Miles, Professor Phil Foreman, Professor Bob Conway and Associate Professor Michael Arthur-Kelly.
Built in 1976 as a centre to demonstrate models of best practice in special education, the Centre has expanded its facilities and the range of innovative programs and services offered to education professionals and the community.