OVERVIEW

The main objective of the course is to contribute to the training of professionals in the field of developmental disorders, who will recognize the dynamic nature of the acquisitions in this area and learn to identify bias and stereotypes.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

To present basic psycological knowledge in the field of developmental disorders and disabilities.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

In details, the specific aims are:

1. to introduce the concepts of developmental disorders and disabilities, highlighting their historical evolution, and providing examples related to the students’ experiences; 
2. to present basic knowledge on the main developmental disorders, their characteristics and known causes, also highlighting the in-progress nature of some knowledge; 
3. to provide for each type of disability/disorder a picture of the state of art in psychological research; 
4. to promote the understanding of the relationship between theories, research findings, and assessment and intervention strategies; 
5. to promote the understanding of the relationship between disability and major life contexts, with particular attention to the school context and to the principles of an inclusive education; 
6. to analyse in depth learning disorders, with a focus on learning assessment tools and intervention strategies for teachers.

At the end of the course students are expected to:

• acquire the knowledge related to the different the types of disorder
• understand the relationship among theoretical approaches, research results, assessment tools and intervention strategies
• critically consider different points of view, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches
• use an appropriate language, avoiding judgement and stigmatisation, in presenting the contents of the discipline
• communicate effectively in groups
• apply learning contents in planning interventions in school

TEACHING METHODS

The course will consist mainly in frontal lectures, with constant attention to stimulating requests for clarification and in-depth learning. Results of research and case studies will be used to stimulate moments of discussion and facilitate links between theory and practice.  

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Functioning, disability and environmental factors: definition and boundaries according to the WHO classifications.

The types of disorder/disability: sensory; motor; intellectual disability; autism spectrum disorders;  attention deficit hyperactivity disorders:

• The medical diagnosis. Causal factors: genetic, pre-natal, peri-natal and post-natal.
• Cognitive, social, language, emotional-affective development and risk factors.
• Rehabilitation and educational interventions, with particular reference to the role of the school and of inclusive education.

The life contexts of disabled people: family, school, work environment.

Learning disabilities: theoretical models and intervention strategies at school for reading, writing, and mathematical skills.

Intellectual Disabilities: Characteristics of Intellectual Disability, Development and Learning Potential, Strategies to Support Learning, Problem Behaviors.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

M. Zanobini, M.C. Usai, Psicologia della disabilità e dei disturbi delle sviluppo. Elementi di riabilitazione e d'intervento. Nuova Edizione aggiornata, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2019.

*AA.VV., Le Guide Erickson: Dislessia e altri DSA a scuola. Strategie efficaci per gli insegnanti, Erickson, Trento, 2018. 

AA.VV., Le Guide Erickson: Disabilità intellettiva a scuola. Strategie efficaci per gli insegnanti. Erickson, Trento, 2014.

*It is recommended to use the most recent version of this text that includes contents from the latest Guidelines (ISS, 2022).

For students who will take the exam in English:

D. Goodley, Disability studies. An interdisciplinary introduction: second edition, Sage Publishing, 2016.

C. Nilholm, Research about inclusive education in 2020 – How can we improve our theories in order to change practice?, European Journal of Special Needs Education, https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2020.1754547, 2020

G. Vivanti, M. Prior, K. Williams, C. Dissanayake, Predictors of outcomes in autism early intervention: why don’t we know more? Frontiers in Pediatrics, Child and Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry, 2, 2014.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MARIA CARMEN USAI (President)

VINCENZA BENIGNO (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

February 2025

Class schedule

DISABILITY PSYCHOLOGY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The final exam consists of a written test with open and multiple-choice questions for all students. There is also an optional oral exam in case the written test achieves a low grade.

REPEAT EXAM: Students can attend the exams after regular registration without restrictions in every official session. Non-official sessions will NOT be scheduled.

We recommend students who fail the exam more than once ask the teacher for an appointment to plan together the best study strategies.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The written exam will consist of multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and completion tasks, in order to assess text comprehension, acquired knowledge, oral presentation skills, selection of relevant information, and ability to synthesize. The oral test will assess the ability to analyze topics in-depth and critically interrelate the different sources of knowledge.

FURTHER INFORMATION

All the students MUST visit the Aulaweb page (www.aulaweb.unige.it) regularly. All the information and materials related to this course are exclusively published on this website.

Thesis requests must be made at students’ office hours by appointment. The thematic areas for the thesis can cover any topic of the course. Students are encouraged to make specific proposals, accompanied by a bibliography.

For students with disabilities or specific learning disorders (SLD)

Students with disabilities or SLD are reminded that to request accommodations for exams, they must first upload their certification on the university's website at servizionline.unige.it in the "Students" section. The documentation will be verified by the University’s Services for Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and SLD (https://rubrica.unige.it/strutture/struttura/100111).

Subsequently, well in advance (at least 10 days) before the exam date, it is necessary to send an email to the instructor with whom the exam will be taken, copying both the School Inclusion Coordinator for students with disabilities and SLD (laura.traverso@unige.it) and the aforementioned Services using one of the following addresses (disabili@unige.it; dsa@unige.it). In the email, you must specify:

• the name of the course
• the exam date
• the student's surname, first name, and registration number
• the compensatory tools and dispensatory measures deemed functional and requested.

The coordinator (Professor Laura Traverso) will confirm to the instructor that the requester is entitled to request exam accommodations and that these accommodations should be arranged with the instructor. The instructor will respond, indicating whether it is possible to use the requested accommodations.

Requests must be sent at least 10 days before the exam date to allow the instructor to evaluate the content. Specifically, if you intend to use concept maps for the exam (which must be much more concise than those used for studying), if the submission does not meet the deadlines, there will not be enough time to make any modifications that the instructor might request.

For further information regarding the request for services and accommodations, please refer to the document: Guidelines for requesting services, compensatory tools, and/or dispensatory measures and specific aids.