- Development of Children with Special Needs

Catalog description

Disability is a facet of human diversity that is often overlooked. This course explores a wide range of developmental disabilities, focusing mostly on physical impairments and intellectual disabilities. 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 some general concepts concerning disabilities, including prenatal development and testing, ethical issues, cultural influences, relevant public policy including federal and state laws and regulations, early intervention, and the family-centered approach. Some of the disabilities that will be examined include metabolic errors, disorders of hearing and communication, neural tube defects, intellectual disabilities, specific learning disabilities, Fragile X, ADHD, and disorders on the Autism Spectrum. This course fulfills the Power and Justice (P) GE requirement. Note that this course is not eligible to fulfill a Social Sciences General Education requirement.