A Family Centered, Collaborative Introduction to Developmental Disabilities: Experiential Learning for Undergraduates
Abstract
In this article, we describe the emergence of the support model of services for persons with developmental disabilities. A rationale is presented for persons with developmental disabilities, their families, and university faculty members collaboratively to plan and deliver an introductory undergraduate course in developmental disabilities congruent with the support model. The content and format of a collaboratively planned course that has been taught and revised for the past 7 years are delineated. The major themes of the course include: the family-centered philosophy, respect for the values and strengths of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, collaborative skills, and knowledge of life span issues and needs. A primary vehicle for teaching the themes is assigning hypothetical babies with severe developmental disabilities to teams of students that must then identify and meet their child's and family's needs from birth into adulthood. Course outcomes, both expected and unexpected, are presented.
Get full access to this article
View all access and purchase options for this article.
References
Association for Cerebral Palsy & Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council. (1992). Choosing words with dignity . Montpelier, VT: Association for Cerebral Palsy.
Blake, K.A. (1992). Special education. In P. J. McLaughlin & P. Wehman (Eds.). Developmental disabilities. A best practices handbook (pp. 158-171). Boston: Andover Medical Publishers.
Capone, A. (1989). A model for the preparation of family-centered early intervention personnel. Unpublished manuscript, University of Vermont, Center for Developmental Disabilities, Burlington.
Dennis, R.E., Williams, W., Giangreco, M.F., & Cloninger, C.J. (1993). Quality of life as a context for planning and evaluation of services for people with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 59, 499-512.
Dunst, C.J., Trivette, C.M., & Deaf, A.G. (1988). Enabling and empowering famalies: Principles and guidelines for practice. Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books.
Forest, M., & Pearpoint, J. (1992). Families, friends, and circles. In J. Nisbet (Ed.), Natural supports in school, at work, and in the community for people with severe disabilities (pp. 65-86). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
Giangreco, M., & Putnam, J.W. (1991). Supporting the education of students with severe disabilities in regular education environments. In L. H. Myer, C. A. Peck, & L. Brown (Eds.), Critical issues in the lives of people with severe disabilities (pp. 245-270). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
Johnson, D.W., & Johnson, R.T. (1975). Learning together and alone. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Johnson, D.W., & Johnson, R.T. (1986). Mainstreaming and cooperative learning strategies . Exceptional Children, 52 553-561.
Johnson, D.W., & Johnson, R.T. (1991). Learning together and alone: Cooperative, competitive, and individualistic learning. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Jorgensen, C.M. (1992). In J. Nisbet (Ed.), Natural supports in school, at work, and in the community for people with severe disabilities (pp. 179-216). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
Joyce, B., & Showers, B. (1980). Improving inservice training: The messages of research. Educational Leadership, 37, 379-385.
Knoll, J.A., & Racino, J.A. (1993). Field in search of a home: An exploration of the need for support personnel to develop a distinct personality. In V. J. Bradley, J. Ashbaugh, & B. Blaney (Eds.), From vision to realiiy: Transforming service systems of support for persons with developmental disabilities. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
McGinnis, E., & Goldstein, A.P. (1984). Skillstreaming the elementary school child. Champaign, IL: Research Press.
McLaughlin, P.J., & Wehman, P. (1992). Developmental disabilities: A best practices handbook . Boston: Andover Medical Publishers .
Myer, L.H., Peck, C.A., & Brown, L. (1991). Critical issues in the lives of people with severe disabilities. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
Nisbet, J. (1992). Natural supports in school, at work, and in the community for people with severe disabilities. Baltimore : Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
Slavin, R.E. (1982). Cooperative learning: Student teams. Washington, DC: National Education Association.
Schalock, R., & Bogale, M.J. (1990). Quality of life: Perspectives and issues. Washington, DC: American Association on Mental Retardation .
Snell, M. (1993). Instruction for individuals with severe dlsabilities . New York: Merrill/ Macmillan.
Stainback, S., Stainback, W., & Harris, K. (1989). Support facilitation: An emerging role for special educators. Teacher Education and Special Education, 12, 148-153.
Taylor, S.J. (1988). Caught in the continuum: A critical analysis of the principle of least restrictive environment. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 13, 41-53.
Taylor, S., & Bogdan, R. (1990). Quality of life and the individual's perspective . In R. Schalock & M. J. Bogale (Eds.), Quality of life: Perspectives and issues (pp. 27-40). Washington, DC: American Association on Mental Retardation.
Thousand, J., Fox, T., Reid, R., Godek, J., Williams, W., & Fox, W. (1986). The homecoming model: Educating students who present intensive educational challenges within regular education environments (Monograph No. 7-1). Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Center for Developmental Disabilities.
Thousand, J.S., & Villa, R.A. (1990). Strategies for educating learners with severe disabilities within their local home schools and communities. Focus on Exceptional Children, 23(3), 1-24.
Wolfe, P.S. (1992). Challenges for service providers. In P. J. McLaughlin & P. Wehman (Eds.), Developmental disabilities: A best practices handbook (pp. 124-141). Boston: Andover Medical Publishers.
Wolfensberger, W. (1975). The origin and nature of our institutional models . Syracuse, NY: Human Policy Press .
Cite article
Cite article
Cite article
OR
Download to reference manager
If you have citation software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice
Information, rights and permissions
Information
Published In
Article first published: April 1994
Issue published: April 1994
Authors
Metrics and citations
Metrics
Journals metrics
This article was published in Teacher Education and Special Education: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children.
View All Journal MetricsArticle usage*
Total views and downloads: 23
*Article usage tracking started in December 2016
Articles citing this one
Receive email alerts when this article is cited
Web of Science: 0
Crossref: 0
There are no citing articles to show.
Figures and tables
Figures & Media
Tables
View Options
Access options
If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:
I am signed in as:
View my profileSign out
I can access personal subscriptions, purchases, paired institutional access and free tools such as favourite journals, email alerts and saved searches.
loading institutional access options
Alternatively, view purchase options below:
Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.
Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.
