University of the West of England

MODULE SPECIFICATION

Code: USPJDX-20-3 Title: LEARNING DISABILITY: ISSUES, DEBATES AND PSYCHOLOGICAL

PERSPECTIVES

Version: 5

Level: 3 UWE credit rating: 20 ECTS credit rating: 10

Module type: STANDARD

Owning Faculty: Applied Sciences Field: Psychology

Valid from: September 2004 Discontinued from:

Pre-requisites: USPJDB-20-2 Social and Developmental Psychology 2

      Or USPJDJ-20-2 Developmental and Social Psychology 2

Co-requisites: NONE

Excluded combinations: NONE

Learning outcomes:

At the end of the module, students should be able to:

             Demonstrate a knowledge of current issues and debates in learning disability.

             Critically discuss normalisation principles and their application.

             Discuss the influence of psychological theory on work with people with learning disabilities.

             Demonstrate a familiarity with the range of services provided for people with learning disabilities, including an historical perspective and trends in the development of services.

             Appreciate the significance of creative approaches to service evaluation

Syllabus content:

Historical introduction. Defining learning disability. Assessment and diagnosis. Labels and self-fulfilling prophesies. The impact on families and individuals.

The principles of Normalisation/Social Role Valorisation. Achievements, limitations and criticisms. Integration and community presence in relation to work, education and leisure. Relationships and sexuality. Individual Planning, Advocacy.

Skills Teaching. Goal planning, Behavioural principles.

Motivation. Application of client-centred principles.

Challenging behaviour. Definitions, treatment approaches.

Evaluation Services. PASS methodology. Empowerment in Research. Individual/Medical and Social approaches.

Teaching and learning methods:

Lectures, workshops, seminars.

Reading Strategy

All students will be encouraged to make full use of the print and electronic resources available to them through membership of the University. These include a range of electronic journals and a wide variety of resources available through web sites and information gateways. The University Library’s web pages provide access to subject relevant resources and services, and to the library catalogue. Many resources can be accessed remotely. Students will be presented with opportunities within the curriculum to develop their information retrieval and evaluation skills in order to identify such resources effectively.

This guidance will be available either in the module handbook, via the module information on UWEonline or through any other vehicle deemed appropriate by the module/programme leaders.

Alexander D. (1998) `Prevention of Mental Retardation: Four Decades of Research’ Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 4, pp 50-58

Aspis S. (2002) Self-advocacy: vested interests and misunderstandings British Journal of Learning Disabilities 30, 3-7

Atkinson D (1999) Advocacy: A Review London, Pavilion Publishing

Barnes C. & Mercer G. (eds. 1997) Doing Disability Research. Leeds, The Disability Press

British Psychological Society (2001) Learning Disability; definition and contexts. Leicester BPS

Brown H & Smith H (1992) Normalisation: A Reader for the Nineties. Tavistock: Routledge

Burke P. & Cigno K. (2000) Learning Disabilities in Children London, Blackwell Science

Corker M. & French S (eds. 1999) Disability Discourse Buckingham, Open University Press

Cummins R.A. & Lau A.L. (2003) `Community integration or community exposure? A review and discussion in relation to people with an intellectual disability.’ Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities Vol 16 pp 1-9 BILD Publications

Dyson A (2001) `Special Needs in the twenty-first century: where we’ve been and where we’re going’ British Journal of Special Education Vol 28, No. 1, March

Emerson E. (1995) Challenging Behaviour: analysis and intervention in people with learning disabilities. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press

Emerson E., Hatton C., Bromley J. & Caine A. (eds. 2000) Clinical Psychology and People with Intellectual Disabilities. Chichester, Wiley

French S (Ed) (1994) On Equal Terms: Working with Disabled People. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann

Fleming I & Kroese B S (Eds) (1993) People with Learning Disability and Severe Challenging Behaviour. Manchester University Press

Gilbert P. (2000) A-Z of Syndromes and Inherited Disorders, 3rd edition London, Nelson Thornes Ltd.

Gillman M., Heyman B. & Swain J. (2000) `What’s in a name? The implications of diagnosis for people with learning difficulties and their family carers.’ Disability & Society 15(3) pp 389-409

Goodley D. (2000) Self Advocacy in the lives of people with Learning Difficulties Buckingham OUP

Gray B. & Jackson R. (2002) Advocacy and Learning Disability London, Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Greig R. (2003) `Changing the Culture’ British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 31, pp 150-152

Higgins E.L., Raskind M.H., Goldberg R.J. & Herman K.L. (2002) `Stages of acceptance of a learning disability; The impact of labelling.’ Learning Disability Quarterly 25, 1, pp 3-18

Ho A. (2004) `To be labelled or not to be labelled, that is the question.’ British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 32, pp 86-92

Hogg J & Cavet J (1995) Making Leisure Provision for People with Profound Learning and Multiple Disabilities. London: Chapman & Hall

Kazdin A.E. (2001) Behaviour Modification in applied settings. Belmont CA, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning

Kelly N. & Norwich B. (2004) `Pupils perception of self and labels: moderate learning disabilities in mainstream and special schools’ British Journal od Educational Psychology Vol 74, 411-435

Kiernan C (Ed) (1993) Research to Practice? Implications of Research on the Challenging Behaviour of People with Learning Disability. Clevedon: Bild

Klotz J. (2004) `Sociocultural Study of Intellectual Disability; Moving beyond labelling and social constructionist perspectives.’ British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 32, pp 93-104

Leonard H. & Wen X. (2002) `The Epidemiology of Mental Retardation: Challenges and Opportunities in the New millenium’, Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 8 pp 117-134

MacMaster K., Donovan L. & MacIntyre P (2002) `The effects of being diagnosed with a learning disability on children’s self-esteem.’ Child Study Journal, 32 (2), pp 101-108

Mansell J. & Beadle-Brown J. (2004) `Person Centred Planning or Person Centred Action? Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disability Services’ Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities Vol 17, pp 1-9, BILD Publications

Marks D. (1999) Disability: Controversial Debates & Psychological Perspectives London, Routledge

Morris J. (2004) `Independent Living and Community Care: A disempowering framework’ Disability and Society 19, 427-442

Philpot T & Ward L (Eds) (1995) Values and Visions: Changing Ideas in Services for People with Learning Difficulties. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann

Radcliffe R. & Hegarty J.R. (2001) `An audit approach to evaluating individual planning’ British Journal of Developmental Disabilities 47, (93), pp 87-97

Ramcharan P., Roberts G., Grant G & Borland J (eds. 1997) Empowerment in Everyday Life London, Jessica Kingsley

Shelvin M. & O’Moore A.M. (2000) `Creating opportunities for contact between mainstream pupils and their counterparts with learning disabilities’ British Journal of Special Education Vol 27, 1

Swain J., French S & Cameron C. (2003) Controversial Issues in a Disabling Society Buckingham OUP

Tait T. & Genders N Caring for People with Learning Disabilities Oxford University Press

Todd M & Gilbert T (Eds) (1995) Learning Disabilities: Practice Issues in Health Settings. London: Routledge

Whitaker S (2004) Hidden Learning Disability British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 32, pp 139-143

Whittaker A, Gardner S & Kershaw J (1991) Service Evaluation by People with Learning Difficulties. London: Kings Fund Centre

Wilson S. (2003) Disability, Counselling & Psychotherapy Basingstoke, Palgrave

Wolfensberger W. (1972) The Principle of Normalisation in Human Services Toronto, National Insstitute of Mental Retardation

Wolfensberger W. (1983) `Social Role valorization: a proposed new term for the principle of normalisation’ Mental Retardation 21, 234-239

Assessment

Weighting between components A and B (standard modules only) A: 50% B: 50%

ATTEMPT 1

First Assessment Opportunity

Component A Element weighting

TE1

Timed Essay (1 hour)

1

     
     
 

 

Component B

Description of each element Element weighting

ES1

Essay

1

   

     
 

 

Second Assessment Opportunity (further attendance at taught classes) NO

Component A

Description of each element Element weighting

TE1

Timed Essay (1 hour)

1

     
     
 

 

Component B

Description of each element Element weighting

ES1

Essay

1

     
     
 

 

SECOND (OR SUBSEQUENT) ATTEMPT Attendance at taught classes. YES

Specification confirmed by …………………………………………………Date ……………………………

(Associate Dean/Programme Director)

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