Univeristy of Social Sciences and Humanities
Autism and Developmental Disabilities:
Learning about the Enigma
Instructors: Monika Suchowierska, Ph.D., BCBA-D; Paul Stephany, MFT, BCBA
Contact: monika.suchowierska@swps.edu.pl ; paulstephany@gmail.com
Class format: Seminar
Class meets: Fall 2014/2015 on Thursdays 10:15-11:45
Class meets in Room N310 at Chodakowska St.
Academic credit: 3 ECTS
Hours of instruction: 30
E-learning platform – password: autismanddd
This class consists of a weekly lecture on various topics related to one of the enigmas of the XX and XXI centuries: autism. Since there are still many unsolved issues related to developmental disabilities, in the course we will learn about what is known with regards to: diagnosis and assessment, etiology, and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with autism and related disorders of socialization. Strong emphasis will be placed on discussing science-based approaches to treating autism.
Goals
As an introductory course, the instructor presumes that students have limited or no background knowledge on autism and related disorders. The primary goal of the course is to provide students with a complete, accurate, and contemporary view of autism, its charactistics, available science-based treatments and progression of the disorder through life-time.
Topics covered:
Class 1: Introduction to autism and related disorders
To be done for next class:
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq6u4RFf7ck&feature=channel
Read: nothing
Write: SG 1
Class 2: Definition and characteristics of autism and related disorders of socialization
To be done for next class:
Watch: nothing
Read: Volkmar, F.R., & Wiesner, L. (2009) Chapter 2: What causes autism? In A Practical Guide to Autism. Wiley, pp. 25-44.
Write: SG 2
Class 3: Etiology of autism
To be done for next class:
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjlizuWPqV0&feature=channel
Read: nothing
Write: SG 3
Class 4: Diagnosis of autism
To be done for next class:
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIaIR28iT-8&feature=related
Read: nothing
Write: SG 4
Class 5: Communication in autism
To be done for next class:
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8BiE6X7600&feature=channel
Read: nothing
Write: SG 5
Class 6: Socialization in autism
To be done for next class:
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFr7p8PAwlU
Read: nothing
Write: SG 6
Class 7: Progression of the disorder through life
To be done for next class:
Watch: nothing
Read: Volkmar, F.R., & Wiesner, L. (2009). Chapter 8: Working with school-aged children. In A Practical Guide to Autism. Wiley, pp. 233-276.
Write: SG 7
Class 8: Progression of the disorder through life – cont.
To be done for next class:
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45szXxVbozQ
Read: nothing
Write: SG 8
Class 9: Therapeutic approaches: science-based approaches
To be done for next class:
Watch: nothing
Read: Volkmar, F.R., & Wiesner, L. (2009). Chapter 5: An overview of educational programs. In A Practical Guide to Autism. Wiley, pp. 119-148.
Write: SG 9
Class 10: Therapeutic approaches: science-based approaches
To be done for next class:
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2rK3cl1bVY&playnext=1&list=PL27FAF837577D180A&index=9
Read:
Write: SG 10
Class 11: Therapeutic approaches: science-based approaches
To be done for next class:
Watch: nothing
Read: Offit, P.A. (2008). Chapter 9: Science and Media. In Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure. New York: Columbia University.
Write: SG 11
Class 12: Other approaches that are not science-based
To be done for next class:
Nothing, just come to class!
Class 13: Myths on autism (review of autistic characters in popular movies)
To be done for next class:
Watch: nothing
Read:
Jones, W., Carr, K., Klin, A. (2008). Absence of Preferential Looking to the Eyes of Approaching Adults Predicts Level of Social Disability in 2-Year-Olds with Autism. Archives of General Psychiatry, 65(8). pp. 946-54.
Klin, A., Lin, D., Gorrindo, P., Ramsay, G., & Jones, W. (2009). Two-Year-Olds with Autism Fail to Orient Towards Human Biological Motion But Attend Instead to Non-Social, Physical Contingencies. Nature, 459. pp. 257-261.
Write: SG 12
Class 14: Interesting research on autism
Read: nothing
Write: SG 13
Class 15: Final exam IS ON JANUARY 29, 2015
Dates of classes: 02/10, 09/10, 16/10, 23/10, 06/11, 13/11, 20/11, 27/11, 04/12, 11/12, 18/12, 08/01, 15/01, 22/01, 29/01
Attendance:
Attendance is recommended and expected (students usually do better when they attend the class on a regular basis). If you happen to miss a class, you are responsible for any material presented and for any announcements regarding the schedule.
Academic dishonesty:
If there is strong evidence of any form of academic dishonesty (using notes during a quiz, replicating another student's paper or parts of the paper, or having other students do your assignments, etc.), you will receive a warning from the instructor. If the final work is not written individually by the student, the student will receive a fail-mark (2) for the course, and the instructor should inform the Rector about a behavior derogatory to student’s dignity.
Grading:
Students will be earning their grades throughout the semester by filling our study guides based on a series of lectures that they will be able to watch at home on the Internet and on the assigned readings. The class will conclude with a final exam (multiple-choice and true/false questions).
Study guides are to be handed in to the instructor (printed version) at the beginning of class during which they are due. The study guides will be worth 40% of the grade.
Final exam is worth 60% of the grade.
Students’ grades will be based on their combined scores from the study guides and final exam which will be weight appropriately (40/60) and will be calculated according to the following %: >51=2 (unsatisfactory, fail), 51-59=3 (satisfactory), 60-69=3.5 (satisfactory plus), 70-79=4 (good), 80-89=4.5 (good plus), 90-95=5 (very good), 96-100=6 (excellent).
Reading list: All of the readings will be available on the e-learning platform.