Course Description

This course focuses on disability viewed from the perspective of lifespan development and the family life cycle. Students who complete the course will be knowledgeable about: the relationship between Disability Studies, lifespan developmental psychology and the sociology of the family; the use of autobiographical narratives and personal accounts by people with disabilities to address critical issues across the life span; the experience of parents and siblings of a family member with a disability; the pervasiveness of Ableism in the American educational system and its deleterious impact on educational outcomes of children with disabilities; characteristics of successful inclusion efforts, and the relationship between inclusion and school reform; self-determination and family involvement in the transition from school to adult life for youth with disabilities; family life of adults with disabilities including marriage, parenting, caring for aging parents and the death of parents; the importance of social networks in the lives of people with disabilities; approaches to challenging behaviors including autism, and individuals dually diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric disorders; use of applied behavioral analysis (ABA) in the treatment of challenging behaviors; the negative impact of stigma on individuals with mental illness and family members and on the delivery of quality mental health services in the community; behavioral and mental health changes associated with aging adults with intellectual disabilities; and using person-centered planning and self-advocacy to improve the quality of life of aging individuals with disabilities.

Assignments and Program Goals

This paper demonstrates my mastery of program goal # 2 Dedication to improvement in quality of life and justice for people with disabilities - add link here

This paper demonstrates my mastery of program goal # 4 Familiarity with disability and the arts and/or creativity in disability culture - add link here

Reflections

Here are some suggestions to think about and reflect on here. You can use the questions below or substitute other thoughts that you think are relevant to your learning in this course.

• What did you think this class was about when you enrolled?

• What was the most valuable thing you learned in this class? Was there a topic or learning module that didn’t resonate with you?  Why? 

• What was the most challenging thing about this course?

• How did this course connect to the other courses in your Disability Studies program?