Interdisciplinary perspectives to understand infants, youth, and adults with disabling conditions. Causes, outcomes, and intervention of commonly occurring disabilities and health conditions. A global perspective on how disabilities interact with family, society, stigma, identity, media, government, and the physical environment. Relevant to majors and careers in health, educational, rehabilitation, counseling, human services, and anthropology.
Course Learning Objectives:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the history, philosophy, definitions, and rights related to disabilities and developmental disabilities across the lifespan.
- Demonstrate understanding of and apply conceptual frameworks and tools for understanding inclusionary practices and services for individuals with disabilities across the lifespan.
- Examine the causes, outcomes, and intervention of commonly occurring disabilities and health conditions (e.g., congenital disabilities, diabetes, spinal cord injuries).
- Identify the interaction between disabilities and development across the major life stages.
- Distinguish concepts related to independence, inclusion, choice and self-determination, empowerment, access, stigma, identity politics, and acceptance for individual differences as they relate to disability, life stage, and culture.
- Compare societal responses to disability across cultures.
- Analyze how environments (physical, social, familial, cultural) facilitate or impede outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
Prerequisite
HDFS 101 (Individual and Family Development (GT-SS3)) or PSY 100 (General Psychology (GT-SS3)) or May be taken concurrently.; Sophomore standing.
Textbooks and Materials
Please check the
CSU Bookstore for textbook information. Textbook listings are available at the
CSU Bookstore about 3 weeks prior to the start of the term.
Instructors
Suzanna Paisley
Suzanna.Paisley@colostate.edu
Suzanna Paisley has her Masters in Science in Child Life through Bank Street College of Education and has been a Ceritified Child Life Specialist since 2009. She has worked as a child life specialist at Children's Hospital Colorado from 2010 to the present and has taught the Child Life and Theory course at CSU since 2020. Trauma support and processing has been a focus throughout her career and has published on processing medical truama through play. Suzanna has also worked as a private practice specialist in schools supporting staff, families and students with trauma and grief.
