Dr. Jason McCartney                                    Office:  AW 404

PSYC 423 (sec 002)                                       Phone:  (410) 677-5444

Developmental Disabilities                           Email: jsmccartney@salisbury.edu

Fall 2007                                                         Website:  //faculty.salisbury.edu/~jsmccartney/

11-12:15 TuTh                                     Office Hours:  MW 10-12am, T 3:30-5pm      

                                                                                    (or by appointment*)

Required Text

 

Batshaw, Mark L.  (2002).  Children with Disabilities (5th ed).  Washington, D.C: Brookes Publishing.

            Website (http://textbooks.brookespublishing.com/batshaw/ )

 

Organization

 

This course covers a wide range of developmental disabilities, including physical impairments, emotional disorders and cognitive deficits.  We will discuss the impact of disabilities on the individual’s development and how families respond to the various challenges that often arise.  In addition, we will review the general concepts concerning disabilities, including cultural influences, federal laws and regulations, ethical issues, and the family-centered approach.  Some of the physical impairments that will be included are cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, muscular dystrophy, and neural tube defects.  Developmental disabilities that will be examined include: mental retardation, learning disabilities, Fragile X, ADHD, and various social disabilities like Asperger disorder or autism.

 

Goals and Objectives

 

The general aim of this course is to familiarize students with various types of developmental disabilities and the impact they have on an individual’s functioning.  Upon completion of this course, students should be knowledgeable about the etiology of disabilities, various assessment techniques, and some of the interventions or treatment options for various disabilities.  As in most psychology courses, the material covered will hopefully allow the students to gain insight into thoughts, attitudes and behaviors, particularly related to people with developmental disabilities.  IT IS EXPECTED that this class will be interactive and that students will participate in class discussions, be sure to read the assigned chapters/extra readings by the dates on the syllabus.

Course Requirements

 

1.  Exams- 400 points

 

There will be four noncomprehensive, multiple-choice and short answer exams as noted on the course schedule.  You can expect both material from assigned readings and class discussions to be included on the exams.   The fourth test will be given during finals week according to the spring schedule of classes.   Students who know they will miss an exam for a legitimate reason should inform the instructor so they can take the exam in advance.  There will be no make up exams without documentation. 

2.   Prepared Discussion Questions (approximately~ 75 points)

 

The class will be divided into four distinct groups.  At the end of each class one of these groups will be given a short list of summary questions pertaining to the assigned reading for the next class meeting.  Thus, approximately 25% of the class will be arriving each day with prepared answers based on the textbook chapter or handout.  All the questions will highlight important issues contained in the readings, give direction for exam preparation, and hopefully encourage class discussions.  There will be no make-ups for missed questions. 

 

*All questions and answers must be TYPED and contain both complete questions and paragraph style answers.* Students should come with TWO COPIES, one to hand in to the professor and the other for themselves. Questions worth 15 points each*

 

(My group is ____________________.)

 

3. Topical Presentation and Short Paper- 100 points

 

This assignment will give students the opportunity to gain more detailed knowledge on a topic they select related to developmental disabilities.  Pairs of students will take different positions on a specific issue or topic related to a chapter from the course text (e.g., ADHD, Autism, assessing brain injury, least restrictive environment, autism).  The text website (//textboooks.brookespublishing.com/batshaw/) provides diverse examples of presentation topics or activities that students may find interesting (i.e., student activities, case studies). 

*Students should take some time to investigate other texts, current magazines/newspapers, and the internet prior to choosing their topic and chapter from the text.

 

1.  Choose a chapter from the course syllabus and then find a topic.

2.  All students must confirm their chapter & general topic with the instructor by September 7th

3.  Once the topic is approved, students will work together on a class presentation.

4.  Class presentations should take 15-20 minutes and include opportunities for class interaction.

5.  Class presentations will be worth 50 points

(scores will be based on: clarity, preparation, content, and opportunities for class interaction).

 

Each pair of students can research and discuss their issue as a team but every student must submit their own original position paper on the day of their presentation.  Every paper should be double spaced (12 point font size), be between 4 and 5 pages in length, and have a minimum of 5 sources (the course text can be a reference but can not be included in the mandatory 5 sources).  The paper will be worth 50 points and will be evaluated based primarily on content and organization (this includes: title, introduction of issue, logical development of thoughts, transition of ideas, and conclusions.)  There will be point deductions for errors in spelling and syntax, so be sure to proofread your papers! 

 

*The instructor is available to look over outlines or discuss ideas related to the presentation OR the paper.*

 

In addition, and consistent with the upcoming psychology department’s curriculum enhancement related to helping students master the APA writing style, students are expected to view an interactive, online tutorial at http://gseacademic.harvard.edu/~instruct/articulate/APA/player.html (Harvard Graduate School of Education, August 26th, 2007). This tutorial has extremely valuable content regarding APA style and citations and 4 different "Learning Check" assessments that must be completed before the viewer can continue.

 

4.  Class Activities- (up to 50 points)           

 

During the semester students will often receive additional handouts or readings.  Oftentimes, these readings will be accompanied by a short assignment that will be graded and evaluated most will be graded on a complete/incomplete basis).  The total possible points will depend on the number of assignments collected over the semester.

 

5.  Extra Credit - (up to 20 points)

 

A student can earn up to 20 bonus points for active and appropriate class participation throughout the semester.  (Obviously it benefits you if I know your name!)   Points will be awarded in the following manner: 0 for little or no participation & problems with attendance, 5 points for little participation and few issues with attendance, 10 points for moderate participation and no attendance issues, 15 or 20 points for regular participation and no attendance problems.

 

NO OTHER FORM OF EXTRA CREDIT IS AVAILABLE.

 

Grading

I will determine the final grade according to the total points over the semester, based on the following percentage scale:  A (90-100%), B (80-89%), C (70-79%), D (60-69%), F (<60%).

 

(Academic Integrity: Please review pages 22-23 of the Undergraduate Catalogue.

 

General Comments

 

  1. Do not sleep in class, if you are tired just stay home.

2.   Do not come to class more than 5 minutes late or leave early unless you give the

instructor prior notification.

  1. Don’t ask the instructor for missed lecture notes, your classmates are your best resource.
  2. The instructor will not discuss any grading issues during the last 2 weeks of the semester.
  3. In class and during exams all electronic devices should be off and out of sight (*This includes text messaging.)
  4. ­I do not accept work outside of class without documentation.

 

*In general all of these items involve respect for the instructor and your fellow classmates.  When students leave early, receive personal calls, or sleep during class they are insulting anyone who is involved or prepared to participate in class

Course Outline and Readings

 

Dates                           Chapter(s)                               Topics

 

Aug.28, 30                    1, 2                              Syllabus & Course Introduction, Heredity,

                                                                        Birth Defects, Fetal Therapy

 

Sept. 4, 6                     3, 4                             Prenatal Development and Childbirth

 

Sept. 11, 13, 18              5, 6                              Childbirth, prematurity, low birth weight infants

 

Sept. 20                        *Exam I           (Genes and Early Developmental Issues)

 

Sept. 25                        13                               Brain and Nervous System revisited*

 

Sept. 27                        11                                Hearing (pages: 200-206, 215-224)

 

Oct. 2, 4                       23, 24                          Cerebral Palsy, Neural Tube Defects

                                               

Oct. 9, 11                      25, 26                          Epilepsy and Traumatic Brain Injury

 

Oct. 16                        *Exam II          (Brain and Brain related Disorders)                         

 

Oct. 18, 23                   15                                Mental Retardation

 

Oct. 25, 30                    16                                Downs Syndrome

 

Nov. 1                          17, 18                          Fragile X and PKU (metabolic disorders)

 

Nov. 6, 8                      19, 20                          Dual Diagnosis,

Pervasive Developmental Disorders

 

Nov. 13                                    *Exam III        (Developmental Disabilities part 1)

                       

Nov. 15, 20                  21, 22                         ADHD and Specific Learning Disabilities

 

Nov.21-25                     *Thanksgiving Break*

 

Nov. 27                                    29                                Early Intervention

 

Nov. 29                                   35, 36                         Ethical Issues and Family-centered services

                                                                       

Dec. 4, 6                       37                                Transition Issues: independence and adulthood

 

                        **Exam IV scheduled during Finals Week**

 

**The above schedule is subject to change according to class progress & the discretion of the instructor.**