Educational Psychology (EDPY) 351

Overview

This is a three-credit, entry level course designed to give educators and other caregivers an overview of children with exceptionalities. The main emphasis of this course is to provide an introduction to the broad span of children with exceptionalities and to the field of special education, as it functions in Canada. The overview of this group of children and their special needs includes those children at risk, those with communication disorders, children with intellectual differences, children with the learning disabilities, those who are gifted, creative, and talented, children with sensory impairments, and children with behavioural problems. Additional areas discussed include children with special health needs, areas of low incidence disabilities, and interventions with infants, preschooler, adolescents and young adults.

Outline

Section 1: Foundations of Special Education

• Unit 1: Introduction to Children Who Are Exceptional
• Unit 2: Issues and Trends in Canadian Special Education
• Unit 3: Risk Factors and Children at Risk

Section 2 : Children with Mild Differences in Behavior and Learning

• Unit 4: Children with Speech and Language Differences
• Unit 5: Children with Learning Disabilities
• Unit 6: Children with Intellectual Disabilities
• Unit 7: Children and Youth with Behavior Disorders
• Unit 8: Children Who Are Gifted, Creative, and Talented

Section 3: Children with Sensory Impairments

• Unit 9: Children and Youth with Hearing Impairments
• Unit 10: Children with Visual Impairments

Section 4: Children with Low Incidence Disabilities

• Unit 11: Children with Special Health Care Needs
• Unit 12: Children with Neurological Disabilities
• Unit 13: Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders
• Unit 14: Children with Severe and Multiple Disabilities

Section 5: Intervention with Infants, Preschoolers, and Young Adults

• Unit 15: Young Children Who Are Exceptional and Their Families
• Unit 16: Adolescents and Young Adults

Evaluation

Your final grade in EDPY 351 is based upon your performance on four telephone quizzes, the completion of the course project, and the final examination.  To receive credit for EDPY 351, you must achieve a minimum mark of 50 per cent on the final examination and a course composite grade of at least "D" (50 per cent).  The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.