Course Syllabus
Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education: RPSE-505

Biological, Psychosocial, and Vocational Aspects of Disabilities

4-Week Session: July 12th through August 5th, 2004
2131 Humanities, 9:00- 11:35 AM Monday-Thursday

Instructor: David A. Rosenthal, PhD, CRC

Office: Dept. of Rehabilitation Psych. and Special Ed.
432 N. Murray Street, Room 424
Telephone: (608) 263-5751
Email: drosenthal@wisc.edu
Office Hours: By appointment

Teaching Assistant: Helena Barroqueiro
Office: Dept. of Rehabilitation Psych. and Special Ed.
432 N. Murray Street, Room
Email:
Office Hours: By appointment

Note: I wish to fully include persons with disabilities in this course. Please let me know if you need any special accommodations in the curriculum, instruction, or assessments of this course to enable you to fully participate.

Required Text: Case management for rehabilitation and health professionals Chan

Course Reader: Bob’s Copy Shop
37 University Square Mall
Telephone: 608-257-4536
Hours: Mon-Thurs- 8:00 am-9:00 pm; Fri: 8:00am-7:00 am; Sat: 10am-5:00 pm; Sunday: noon-5:00 pm.

Course Description:

We are in an exciting time of change with how disability is understood as well as how to address the physical, psychosocial, and vocational needs of persons with disabilities. This course will present many of the issues, challenges, and opportunities you will encounter as a future special educator, rehabilitation counselor, or other type of disability professional. To gain an appreciation of these areas, you will engage in lecture and small group discussions, read relevant book chapters, and articles, and listen to the perspectives of disability professionals, family members, and persons with disabilities.

Welcome to RPSE 505!

Course Objectives:

1. Students will gain an appreciation of how disability is classified, measured, and understood within the context of contemporary American society.

2. Students will learn about issues involved in living with a disability in such areas as quality of life, sexuality, employment, diversity, independent living, and substance abuse.

3. Students will understand how families provide care and support to their members with a disability and how they are impacted by their involvement.

4. Students will become aware of the range of programs and services that address the needs of persons with disabilities across the lifespan.

5. Students will review current paradigms and philosophies regarding providing disability services in such areas as special education, vocational rehabilitation, and independent living.

Course Requirements:

1. Daily Comments

For at least 10 of the 16 classes, students need to bring a comments sheet that briefly summarizes ONE of the day’s assigned readings and presents a comment expressing an opinion or just insight into information you found interesting. Students are required to hand in their own daily comments sheets and not by another student. Daily comments sheets are due at the beginning of class and should be approximately one half page, written or typed.

2. Class Participation and Discussion Leadership

To have a productive, meaningful, and enjoyable learning experience, it is necessary to attend class and be an active participant. Students are expected to participate in lecture and small group discussions and offer their opinions, questions, suggestions, agreements, and disagreements.

3. Agency Visit Report/Paper:

You are required to make one visit to an agency that works with people with disabilities. The intent is to gain knowledge of the rehabilitation and human service system and specific agencies and programs within the system as well as about the clientele served by the agencies. The report should approximately be about 3-5 pages long.
OR

Students will complete a 6-8 page paper that overviews one type of disability not discussed in class (e.g., spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy, etc) and address the following areas: (a) incidence and prevalence, (b) known causes, (c) functional impairments, (d) family impacts and caregiver stressors, and (e) vocational/educational challenges and outcomes. Papers or agency reports are due on August 8th, 2004.

Exams

You will have two in-class exams and on take-home exam covering topics from class lectures and readings. Exams questions will be short answer and short essay. The second and third exams will not be comprehensive. The third exam will be more applied in content.

Course Evaluation:

Requirements Point value Total Possible

Daily Comments 20 points each (20% of total points)
10 comments, 2 points each

Tests 60 points (60% of total points)
3 tests, 20 points each

Term paper or Agency
Visit Report 20 points (20 % of total points)

Total 100 possible points



Grading Scale:

1000-930 (100-93%) A
929-880 (92-88%) AB
879-830 (87-83%) B
829-780 (82-78%) BC
779-700 (77-70%) C
699-600 (69-60%) D
599 and below (59-0%) F


Topics and Readings

Note: Readings listed each day are to be read prior to class that day. Additional readings may be handed out in class.

Section 1: Biological Aspects of Disabilities

Sept 13: Overview of course, classification, measurement, and models of disability

Smart: Chapter 1: Defining Disability
Smart: Chapter 2: Models of Disability


Sept. 20: Assessment and etiology of intellectual and cognitive disabilities

Educational and rehabilitation aspects of cognitive disabilities

Reading handed out in class

Sept 27 Assessment, etiology, and management of psychiatric disabilities
Classification and Psychoses

Reader: Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities

Oct 4: Assessment, etiology, and management of psychiatric disabilities
Neuroses, mood disorders, and personality disorders

Reader: Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities

Oct 11: Assessment, etiology, and management of physical and sensory disabilities

Smart: Chapter 8: Onset and Diagnosis of Disability
Smart: Chapter 9: Other factors of Disability

Oct 18: Exam 1

Section 2: Psychosocial Aspects of Disabilities


Oct 25 Psychosocial adjustment to disability and Societal attitudes toward disability



Nov 1

Get out and Vote Tomorrow!

Smart, Chapter 7: The Individual’s Response to Disability

Societal attitudes toward disability

Smart, Chapter 3: Sources of Prejudice and Discrimination, Part 1
Smart, Chapter 4: Sources of Prejudice and Discrimination, Part 2

Sociological and Quality of life issues for persons with disabilities

Smart, Chapter 5: The Effects of Prejudice and Discrimination
Smart, Chapter 6: Experiencing Prejudice and Discrimination


Nov 8: : Families, care giving, sexuality, and spirituality and disability


Smart, Chapter 4: Sources of Prejudice and Discrimination, Part 2

Sociological and Quality of life issues for persons with disabilities

Smart, Chapter 5: The Effects of Prejudice and Discrimination
Smart, Chapter 6: Experiencing Prejudice and Discrimination

Nov 15 Exam 2

Section 3: Vocational Aspects of Disabilities

Nov 22:

Career development for persons with disabilities.

Reader: Career Development Interventions for People with Disabilities


Nov 29: : Purposes, history, and processes of vocational rehabilitation

Reader: Vocational Issues in Disability case management

Take Home Final Exam Handed Out


Dec 6: Job placement and supported employment and other employment models



Employment models

Reader: Supported Employment: A Customer-Driven Approach




Dec 13 transition, accommodation
Course wrap up