KEAN UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
EDUCATIONAL COUNSELING FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
Course Number: SPED 5250
Semester Hours: 3
Prerequisites: SPED 5005
Limitation on Enrollment: 25
Required: Master’s Degree- High Incidence Disabilities: Preschool Disabled Option
Catalog Description: This course is designed to consider problems and practices in understanding and assisting parents of children with disabling conditions. Impact of the disabling condition on family structures, functions, and interactions is covered.
N.B. In order to ensure full class participation, any students with a disabling condition requiring special accommodations (e.g., tape recorders, special adaptive equipment, special note-taking, or test-taking procedures) will be strongly encouraged to contact the professor at the beginning of the course. For the student’s convenience, the professor’s office hours, telephone number, and e-mail address will be listed on the syllabus.
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KEAN UNIVERSITY
Union, New Jersey
Counseling the Parents of the Handicapped Child
I. Course Objectives
Students will achieve growth toward being informed, dynamic professionals, as evidenced by demonstration of proficiencies in knowledge and comprehension (K), skill development (S), and value development and dispositions (D).
Students will:
A. Cognitive Goals (Knowledge)
1. Develop a historical perspective of treatment of families of students with disabilities.
2. Identify the reaction of families to the birth of a child with disabilities and stages through which families progress.
3. Locate and review family resources to provide support.
4. Identify the role of family members and how they may be impacted by the presence of a child with disabilities.
5. Identify perspectives on disabilities by various cultural groups
B. Skills
1. Analyze appropriate family resources for particular situations.
2. Compare various disabilities and impact and need of families.
3. Assess methods to communicate with and support families from different cultures.
4. Evaluate collaboration between Child Study Team, school administrators, educators, community agents and families.
C. Disposition Goals
1. Reflect on collaborative skills in relating to families from various cultures and to families dealing with a variety of disabilities.
2. Analyze ability to be empathetic to family needs.
II. Course Content
A. Cognitive Goals (Knowledge)
1. Historical perspective of treatment of families
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a. Legal mandates for family inclusion
b. Development of resources and community supports
c. Evolving of respite care
2. Family Reactions to Disabilities
a. Disappointment at birth of child
b. Stages of grief, from denial to acceptance
c. Movement from passive participant to advocate
3. Family resources
a. Agency supports and services
1. Respite care
2. Counseling
b. Parent advocacy groups
1. Statewide Parent Advocacy Group (SPAN)
2. Specialized Groups for Specific Disabilities
(ex. COSAC, CHAD)
c. Related services
d. Materials available for specific disabilities
4. Role of Family Members and Impact of Disability
a. Sibling support groups
1. Sibling neglect
2. Sibling shame and anger
b. Parenting responsibility
1. Need for consistency
2. Mutual support
c. Extended family members
1. Reaction to child
2. Relationship with child/family members
a. Cultural Perspective on Disability
1. Impact upon parent receptively to program
2. Method to communicate to parents
3. Understanding cultural perspective
B. Skills
1. Appropriate Family Resources
a. Analyze family resources
b. Recommend resources and help families network
c. Compare various disabilities and impact of them on family
d. Severe disabilities and need for respite and services
e. Long term planning for child
f. Need for home schooling
2. Methods to communicate with families from various cultures
a. Understand cultural norms
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b. Respect culture and establish family relationships
c. Sharing results and programming with families
3. Collaboration with Families
a. Evaluate Child Study Team (CST) conference
b. Examine coordinated services for child, involving agencies, families, CST, and community resources
C. Disposition Goals
1. Self analysis of collaborative skills
a. Analyze ability to communicate with families
b. Assess openness to collaborative teamwork with related services personnel, CST, administrators, families, and community agencies
2. Developing empathy for family needs
a. Imagine limitations and needs presence of child with special needs has on family
b. Project what changes may occur in family due to presence of child with disabilities.
III. Methods of Instruction
A. Teacher Demonstration
B. Collaborative Learning
C. Student Presentation
D. Modeling and Simulation
E. Role Playing
F. Guest Speakers
G. Discussion
IV. Methods of Evaluation
H. Literature review paper K, S, D)
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I. Weekly notes/questions (K, S)
J. Class Discussion (K, S, D)
K. Oral Presentation (K, S, D)
L. Conference Summary (Parent Conference, Home Visit, Individualized
Educational Program Conference - IEP) (K, S, D)
V. Suggested Text
Turnbull, A., Turnbull, H.R., Erwin, E.J., Soodak, L.C., & Shogren, K.A. (2011).
Families, professionals and exceptionality: Positive outcomes through
Partnerships and trust. (6th ed.). New York: Pearson.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
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Clifton, NJ: Routledge.
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Dardig, J.C. (2008). Involving parents of students with special needs.: 25 ready-to-use
strategies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Ensher, G.L., Clark, D.A., & Songer, N.S. (2008). Families, infants and young
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Pearson.
FitzGerald, J. & Watkins, M. (2006). Parents' rights in special education: the readability of procedural safeguards. Exceptional Children, 72(4), 497-510.
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aggressive behavior. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
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children (4th ed.). Denver, CO: Love Publishing.
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LeMessurier, M. (2007). Parenting tough kids: Simple proven strategies to help kids
succeed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
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plain crazy (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
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program for working with students, teachers and parents. (2nd ed.).,
New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Murray, M. & Curran, E. (2008). Learning together with parents of children with disabilities: bringing parent-professional partnership education to a new level. Teaching Education and Special Education, 31(1), 59-63.
Muscott, H.S., Szczesiul, S., Berk, B., Staub, K., Hoover, J., & Perry-Chisholm, P. (2008).
Creating home-school partnerships by engaging families in schoolwide positive
behavior supports. Teaching Exceptional Children, 40(6), 6-15.
Overton, S. (2005). Collaborating with families: A case study approach. Columbus:
Merrill.
Parish S., Rose, R., Grinsteinin-Weiss, M., Richman, A., & Andrews, M. (2008). Material hardship in U.S. families raising children with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 75(1), 71-98.
Roberts Jr., W.B. (2007). Working with parents of bullies and victims. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Corwin Press.
Rudney, G.L. (2005). Every teacher’s guide to working with parents: How teachers
can build bridges. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Sarathy, P. (2006). From early intervention…to preschool programs…and school-age
Services: A parent’s guide to transitioning young children with special needs.
West Palm Beach, FL: LRP Publications.
Seligman, M., & Darling, R.B. (2009). Ordinary families, special children: A systems
approach to childhood disability. (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford.
Simpson, R.L., & Mundschenk, N. (2010). Working with parents and families of
exceptional children and youth. 4th ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Smith, R.E.C., Gartin, B., Murdick, N., & Hilton, A. (2006). Families and children with
special needs: Professional and family partnerships. Columbus: Merrill.
Sobel, A. & Kugler, E. (2007). Building partnerships with immigrant parents. Educational Leadership, 64(6), 62-67.
Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., Summers, J., Turnbull, R., & Stowe, M. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-63.
Villegas, A. & Lucas, T. (2007). The culturally responsive teacher. Educational Leadership, 64(6), 28-33.
Wadsworth, D. & Remaley, M. (2007). What families want. Educational Leadership, 64(6), 23-27.
Classic and Seminal Works
Algozzine, B., Audette, B., Ellis, E., Marr, M. B., & White, R. (2000). Supporting teacher, principals, and students, through unified discipline. Teaching Exceptional Children, 33(2), 42-47.
Bender, W. N. (1997). Understanding ADHD: A practical guide for teachers and parents. Columbus, OH: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Cartledge, G., & Ida, D. (2000). Anticipating differences-celebrating strengths: Providing culturally competent services for students with serious emotional disturbance. Teaching Exceptional Children, 33, 30-37.
Cartledge, G., Kea, C. D., & Ida, D. J. (2000). Anticipating differences-celebrating strengths: Providing culturally competent services for students with serious emotional disturbance. Teaching Exceptional Children, 32(3), 6-12.
Davis, M. D., Kilgo, J. L., & Gamel-McCormic, M. T. (1998). Young children with special needs: A developmentally appropriate approach. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Epstein, M. H., Kutash, K., & Duchnowski, A. (1998). Outcomes for children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders and their families. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Frank. A. R., & Sitlington, P. L. (2000). Young adults with mental disabilities-Does transition planning make a difference? Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Development Disabilities, 35, 119-134.
Heward, W. L., & Dardig, J. C. (2001, Spring). What matters most in special education. Education Connection, 41-44.
Lane, K. L., Gresham, F. M., & O’Shaughnessy, T. E. (2002). Interventions for children with or at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Lewit, E. M., & Schuurmann, L. (1996). Children in special education. Future of Children, 6(1), 139-51.
Rush, A. J., & Francis, A. (Eds.). (2000). Expert consensus guidelines series: Treatment of psychiatric and behavioral problems in mental retardation. American Journal of Mental Retardation, 105, 159-228.
Wang, M. C., Reynolds, M. C., & Walberg, H. J. (1998). The handbook of special education: Research and practice. Oxford, England: Pergamon Press.
Non-Print
Conducting Parent-Teacher Conferences: A Partnership in Progress. (DVD) (2007). www.insight-media.com.
Involving Families in Education (DVD). #TAS4353. www.insight-media.com.
My Different Life: One mother’s struggle to gain educational rights. (2007). #TAT5505.
www.insight-media.com.
One of the Family. Profiles of four families who have children with special needs. (DVD). #TAT4594. www.insight-media.com.
Raising a Child with Down Syndrome (DVD). #TAT5593. www.insight-media.com.
Sandall, S., Giacomini, J., Smith, B.J., & Hemmeter, M.L. (2006). DEC Recommended Practice Toolkit: Interactive Tools to Improve Practices for Young Children with Special Needs and Their Families. (CD). #S5844. www.cec.sped.org.
World Wide Web
CODI- Cornucopia of Disability Information. http://codi.buffalo.edu/
The Council for Exceptional Children:
www.cec.sped.org
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder:
www.chadd.org
disability Information and Resources. Jim Lubin’s Site. http://www.makoa.org/
General Disabilities: Issues and Resources. http://www.netreach.net/~abrejcha/general.htm.
Family Village for Families of Children with Special Needs. http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/websites.html
Internet Resources for Special Children (IRSC). http://www.irsc.org/disability.htm.
The MAGIC Foundation. Matching for Families of Children with Similar Growth Disorders. http://www.magicfoundation.org/
MUMS National Parent to Parent. http://www.netnet.net/mums/
Our Kids. Devoted to Raising Special Kids with Special Needs. http://www.our-kids.org/okmain.html
Regional/State Parent-to-Parent Programs. http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/cof_p2p.htm.
Special Families Living with Special Needs. http://www.specialfamilies.org/