ARED525: Art and Special Education (3 hours lecture)

Using a variety of approaches, including seminar, art making, and fieldwork, graduate students will enhance their understanding of how students with special needs learn in the art classroom; and how the visual arts may be used to enhance the learning experiences of special needs students in elementary and secondary schools. Least restrictive learning environment and best practices for insuring the success of students with exceptional educational needs are explored. Following a non-categorical approach, the course includes consideration of the social, psychological, and aesthetic needs of students with mild to moderate intellectual, social, emotional and physical disabilitites. This course is intended for teachers, museum staff and other education professionals who wish to increase their knowledge, effectiveness and management of art and special education learning and teaching experiences. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: General Psychology, Educational Psychology and Psychology of Exceptional Children and Youth.

CHAD501: Introduction to Applied Child Advocacy (3 hours lecture)

This course will examine the maltreatment of children from both a historical and contemporary perspective. It will discuss the three major reform movements of the Progressive Era that shaped the field of child advocacy. Students will also explore recent trends in legislation that affect abused and neglected children. Emphasis will be on the historical and current role of the child advocate. Empirical and applied research will be reviewed. 3 sh.

CHAD522: Family Empowerment Models for Child Advocates (3 hours lecture)

This course will focus on techniques that will empower families in crisis. Model programs grounded in a strengths-based approach will be analyzed. Strategies to help families utilize their unique human and social capital to build community and kinship support systems will be discussed. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: CHAD 501, CHAD 502, CHAD 503.

COUN564: Counseling Children and Adolescents (3 hours lecture)

This course will provide an overview of theories and techniques of counseling children and adolescents in school and clinical settings. The course is designed to help counseling graduate students develop a knowledge base of skills, theories, and research into critical issues needed for contemporary counseling with children and adolescents. Emphasis will be placed upon a thorough understanding of developmental processes as well as the counselor's role as a facilitator of those processes which enhance resiliency and build cognitive, social and academic success. 3 sh.

CSND583: Language Disorders of Children (3 hours lecture)

This course takes a predominately descriptive and non-categorical perspective to assessment and treatment of language disorders in children in the pre-linguistic through developing language stages. Syndromes and causal factors associated with language disorder will also be considered. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Graduate major in Communication Sciences and Disorders or departmental approval; and CSND 500.

ECSE502: Sociocultural Context of Disability and Inclusive Education (3 hours lecture)

This course applies critical perspectives to the study of disability and inclusive education through an examination of the shifting social, cultural and political constructions of disability in society. The course material deconstructs traditional psychological interpretations as well as medical models of disability, which conceptualize disability as a "problem" to be fixed or limitations that are located within individuals. In contrast, students explore sociocultural models of disability, which conceptualize disability as a social construct, and people with disabilities as members of marginalized minority group. By examining issues related to disability in the context of the sociocultural paradigm, students have opportunities to take varied perspectives on the ways in which social and environmental factors come to define the experience of disability. Students explore disability and inclusive education through multiple lenses, such as autobiography, personal narrative, film, social policy, and research. 3 sh.

ECSE505: Early Learning and Development in Young Children With and Without Disabilities (3 hours lecture)

In this course, students develop a contextually based understanding of child development from conception to age five. They examine various theories and research on the issues of child development, focusing particularly on the impact of risk and protective factors on early development. They consider typical and atypical developmental pathways in relation to their implications for children's learning. Students learn the etiologies, behavioral characteristics, range of developmental outcomes, and family impact associated with various disabilities and childhood disorders. They learn methods for observing and interpreting the physical, motor, cognitive and socio/emotional development of children and develop intervention strategies that are best suited to meet the individualized learning needs of young children with and without disabilities. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: FCST 214 or FCST 512 or departmental approval.

ECSE508: Strengthening Partnerships with Families of Children with Disabilities (3 hours lecture)

Addresses family-professional partnerships in early childhood special education. Students gain knowledge, skills and dispositions to work collaboratively with diverse families to support the development and education of young children with special needs. Various models including family-focused practice and family systems theory are discussed. Starting Summer 2012: This course is designed to enhance students' understanding of the importance of meaningful family-professional partnerships. Students gain knowledge, skills, and dispositions to work collaboratively with diverse families to support the education of children with disabilities. The influence of historical, social, cultural, and community influences are deeply embedded in course content. Various approaches including family-focused practice and family systems theory are explored. Students draw from course readings, presentations by guest speakers, and personal and professional experiences to participate in class discussions, complete assignments and expand their understanding of issues vital to families of children with disabilities. 3 sh.

ECSE518: Neuromotor Development of the Young Child (3 hours lecture)

The study of typical and atypical patterns of neuromotor organization and development, including general principles of stability, mobility, and the equilibrium as they influence postural stability is presented. Implications for the educator of young children with disabilities will be stressed. 3 sh.

ECSE519: Language and Early Literacy Development (3 hours lecture)

Explores the development of language, communication and early literacy in children birth to age five, focusing on both typical and atypical development pathways. Considers how children acquire language in social context and the relationships between communicative skills and literacy. Within a theory to practice framework, the course covers topics that include the family's role in early language development, language socialization across cultures, bilingualism and second language acquisition, speech and language impairments, and the emergence of literacy in both home and preschool settings. The role of early childhood teachers in fostering language and literacy development in children with diverse needs and backgrounds is highlighted. 3 sh.

ECSE580: Conceptual Foundations of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Bio-Psych-Social Perspectives (3 hours lecture)

This course introduces students to the core features and core developmental profile of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Students examine the nature of human attachment and the interpersonal nature of human development and neurobiology. They review historical and contemporary perspectives on the origins and interventions for ASD, including a comparative analysis of the models of human development underlying major educational and therapeutic approaches. Students explore the central role of affect in organizing development along multiple lines and the affective and relational precursors of communication. Using a bio-psycho-social perspective, they examine the field of sensory processing disorders (SPD), regulatory disorders and language development, so they are informed about the critical importance of developing a child's unique profile. Students also examine the socio-cultural context of autism, and understand the role of educators as change agents. 3 sh.

ECSE581: Observation, Assessment and Wonder in Autism Intervention (3 hours lecture)

In this course, students and instructor together examine the complex and at times perplexing presentation of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in young children. Students examine the ways in which children with ASD might be viewed through the eyes of parents, peers, and naive, untrained persons. They review the classification categories used in special education in New Jersey and survey other classification/diagnostic systems that address ASD. They survey screening and assessment instruments and learn to assess each child's individual profile by considering their visual-spatial abilities, tactile sensitivity, auditory/language processing, motor planning and play. Students also examine the sociocultural factors of observation and assessment, as well as differences in observation and assessment methods across environments (i.e. home, school, clinic, community). In keeping with bio-psycho-social perspective, students evaluate transdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to assessments within play-based activities. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: ECSE 580 may be taken as prerequisite or corequisite.

ECSE582: Inquiry and Praxis: Developmental Approaches for Autism Intervention (3 hours lecture)

In this course, students review the predominant methods and approaches for ASD intervention and consider empirical or evidentiary support for alternative or supplemental methods of intervention, including holistic approaches, dietary restrictions, and the use of assistive technologies. They examine and practice developmental and relationship-based models of intervention for ASD, specifically the DIR/Floortime Model. They formulate strategies that integrate behavioral and developmental/relational models, emphasizing the need for reflective practice and considering the disciplinary boundaries and cross-overs inherent in work that considers all areas of development as integrated. In addition, students analyze the cultural and systemic context surrounding a child diagnosed with ASD, including early educational/ intervention programs, inclusion models of special education, the role of individualized plans (IFSP/IEP) in the development of the child, and the reciprocal impact of the label of ASD on peers, siblings, family, community, and social policy. Students explore the implications of "least restrictive environments" and the policies established by educational code. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: ECSE 580 and ECSE 581.

ECSE583: Practicum: Reflective Practice in Autism Intervention (3 hours lecture)

In this culminating course for the Cert in Developmental Models of Autism Intervention, students participate in an intensive practicum with children on the Autism Spectrum. They apply knowledge of the Developmental, Individual-Difference and Relationship-based model; multi-disciplinary perspective; ability to integrate insights from a variety of approaches; and skills in identifying goals and objectives for education and intervention. Through practical work experiences with children on the Autism Spectrum, students gain an understanding of the interplay between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the child, family, school, clinical setting, and community. They analyze their experience through a reflective supervision framework and examine their own cultural and early childhood experiences, their feelings about working with children on the Autism Spectrum, and the professional boundaries and ethical considerations that are inherent in working in a relationship-based model. The course is comprised of a weekly seminar and 100 field-based practicum hours (usually in the student's work setting, pre-approved by the instructor) for the semester. In addition to reading the scholarly and professional literature, students use vignettes, case-based learning, videos, and audio recordings to evaluate their practicum experience. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: ECSE 580, ECSE 581, ECSE 582.

FCST518: Families, Communities, and Schools: Diversity, Culture, and Democracy (3 hours lecture)

Provides students with an understanding of how social and cultural influences shape children's development and learning. The relationships among teacher, parent, child, and community as they affect learning will be explored. Methods for developing school/family partnerships will be discussed. Students will learn to take into account issues of child diversity and culturally responsive teaching as they create learning experiences. Crosslisted with Early Childhood, Elementary, and Literacy Education, ECEL 518. Starting Summer 2012: Students gain an understanding of how social and cultural influences shape children's development and learning. Students also explore how relationships among teacher, parent, children and community can affect learning and discuss how to develop school and family partnerships. Students learn to take into account issues of child diversity and culturally responsive teaching as they create learning experiences. 3 sh.

MUTH501: Psychology of Music (3 hours lecture)

Psychological foundations of music, including cognition, perception, emotional meaning; musical development and learning; testing for musical ability; research methodology. Cross listed with Music, MUED 501. 3 sh.

PSYC561: Developmental Psychology (3 hours lecture)

Philosophical, conceptual, theoretical and research issues pertinent to human development from prenatal life to adulthood are presented. The core conceptual issues of development, such as the nature-nurture controversy, the continuity-discontinuity issue, and the issue of stability-instability, are discussed, and their relationships to the major theories in developmental psychology are examined. 3 sh.

PSYC573: Behavioral Neuroscience (3 hours lecture)

The physiological bases of normal and abnormal behavior with emphasis on the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the human nervous system are discussed. Starting with the nerve cell, the course progresses through the receptors, spinal cord, cortical and subcortical structures, psychosurgery, biofeedback, and other topics. 3 sh.

PSYC582: Behavior Modification (3 hours lecture)

This course reviews applications of conditioning principles to changing human behavior in clinical, educational, occupational and community settings. Selected topics include operant and classical conditioning, social learning theory, token economies, experimental design, cognitive behavior modification, aversive control, cognitive restructuring, biofeedback, and ethical issues in behavior modification. The course is designed to enable students to construct and implement behavior modification programs. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Departmental approval, and an undergraduate course in learning or the equivalent.

PSYC679: Family Systems and Childhood Disorders: A Multicultural Approach (3 hours lecture)

This course will use a multicultural lens to examine the various family therapy approaches such as Structural, Bowenian, Behavioral, Strategic and Paradoxical approaches and their corresponding techniques. Special emphasis will be placed on applying these approaches to the prevailing childhood DSM diagnoses (e.g., Childhood Depression and Anxiety, Substance Abuse, Eating Disorders, ADHD, Developmental Disorders, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder). A segment of the course will focus on special topics and their relevance to family functioning (e.g., trauma, incest/sexual abuse, domestic violence, illness/death, poverty and parental psychopathology). 3 sh.

Prerequisites: PSYC 565 or PSYC 667.