PSYCHOLOGY 400 D (3 credits) Instructor: Professor Ginalias
Psychology of the Exceptional Child Department of Psychology
Spring Semester 2008 Office: C/O Distance Learning
Class time: 11:00 Thursday Telephone: 791-5322 (message)
NO CAMPUS ENROLLMENT Office Hours: By appointment
SYLLABUS
I.COURSE DESCRIPTION
Lectures and discussion periods will cover the growth and development of human behavior from conception through adolescence, with heavy emphasis on the first five years. The course will tap into the social, emotional, and spiritual parent-child relationships. We will show how people change throughout their lives and learn what causes these changes. The course will assess the roles played by genetics and environment, and to what extent the developing person's abilities and interests are determined. We will discuss how the social and cultural context exerts its influences on day to day development as well. During we will have questions, opinions, and discussion on all topics.
II. COURSE OBJECTIVES
All aspects of human development are shaped jointly by heredity and experience. This course offers the student the opportunity to estimate their relative influence, and help make comparisons. Differing temperaments will elicit different reactions from parents, siblings, peers, teachers, and others, clearly the outcome is due to the reciprocal effects of both heredity and environment. Students will be encouraged to examine their motives and relate these to identified goals. Understanding ourselves as well as others is basic to our role in life. By being more self-aware, we may be better equipped to do meaningful introspection and act in accordance with a well considered value system that will add dignity to our lives.
III. TEXT
Recommended Reading: Human Exceptionality. Hardman, Drew. Allyn
Assigned reading, from attached reading list, may be suggested by the professor throughout the course. NO REQUIRED TEXTBOOK.
IV. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
A. One written examination-- a multiple choice final.
B. Reaction paper - Written assignment: (see description outline below) a reaction paper with the student's opinion relating to a specific topic of interest or concern of the student.
C. I encourage questions, and class discussions. However, students should take detailed notes from the DVD lectures.
REACTION PAPER
Reaction Paper requirement will depend on the size of the class.
The Reaction Paper should have:
1) A short introductory paragraph with a thesis statement (Proposal statement).
2) One body paragraph (about 12-15 sentences) which summarizes the main points
covered in the lectures.
3) A second body paragraph (about 12-15 sentences) that presents the student's
"reaction" to, opinion on, or evaluation of the topic.
4) A short concluding paragraph which reiterates the thesis and summarizes the essay.
5) Student may choose to give oral presentation.
V. COURSE OUTLINE
A. Introduction
1) Marriage and the Family
2) The Assessment of Personality
B. Personality and Behavior Theories and Techniques
1) Learning
2) Behaviorism
3) Maturation and Social Learning
4) Psychoanalytic
C. Infancy and Childhood
1) The Abilities of the New Bom
2) Physical, Cognitive and Gender-Role Development
3) Emotional, Social Attachment
4) Disorders Usually First Evident in Infancy, and Early Childhood
D. Feeding Problems and Toilet Training
1) Early Development Years
2) Feeding Disorders
3) Anorexia Nervosa
4) Oral Conflicts
5) Thumb Sucking
6) Enuresis/Encopresis
E. Learning and Learning Disorders in Children
1) Definition
2) Etiology
3) Conflicts
4) Treatment
F. Speech. Language and Reading
1) Delayed Speech
2) Stuttering
3) Dyslexia
4) Handedness
G. Disorders Usually Evident in Childhood or Adolescence
1) Symptoms
2) causes
3) Types
a) Anxiety
b) Phobia
1) Animals
2) School
3) Transportation
c) Hysteria
d) Obsessive-compulsive
e) Tics and Self-stimulating Behaviors
H. Psychoses in Children
1) Symptoms
2) Causes
3) Types
a) Infantile Autism
b) Symbiotic Psychoses
c) Childhood Schizophrenia
I. Hyper-active and Minimal Brain-damaged Children. HADD
J. Reaching their Full Potential: Mainstreaming Children
1) Definition, Diagnosis, and Classification
2) Genetic and Environmental Aspects of Intelligence
VI. If at any time it's necessary to change the syllabus, a reasonable notice will be given.
EXCEPTIONAL CHILD REFERENCE BOOKS
> Abnormal Psychology - Bootzin
> Abnormal Psychology - Davison/Neale
> Abnormal Psychology - Rosen and Gregory
> As the Child Grows - Pryor
> Child Development - Hurlock
> Children - McCandless
> Children's Thinking - Ziegler
> The Development of Children - Cole and Cole
> Developmental Psychology - McGraw
> The Disadvantaged Child - Deutsch
> Fear and Courage - Rachman
> Fundamentals of Child Development - Munsinger
> Human Expectations - Hardman
> Infants, children. Adolescents - Berk
> Introductory Child Psychology - Kelly
> Introduction to Child Study - Strang
^ Language Behavior and Communication @ Vetter
> Learning and Its Disorders - Berlin and Szurek
> Life and Growth - Kelihen
> Life Span Development - Santrock
> The Mentally Retarded - Jordon
> Mind Games - Masters
> The Personal World - McCurdy
> Piaget' s Theory - Phillips
> Psychology of Adolescence - Garrison
> The Psychology of the Elementary School Child - Binter and Frey
> The Psychology of Learning - Deese and Hulse
> Readings in Child Behavior - Stendler
> The Study of Abnormal Behavior-Sax
> The Tasks of Childhood - Muller
> Understanding Children - Kagan
> Understanding Human Behavior - Me Connell
SCHEDULE
DATE DVD LECTURES
` JANUARY 10 1 & 2
17 3
24 4
31 5
FEBRUARY 7 5
14 6
21 7
28 8
MARCH 6 SPRING BREAK (NO CLASS)
13 9 & 10
20 11
29 12
APRIL 4 13
11 14
18 15
25 FINALS (NO CLASS)