Special Needs Psychology Course

Lesson 1 • Ethical and Rights-Based Frameworks

Core ethical principles and rights-based mandates governing exceptional learner services are introduced. Students apply these principles to case-based dilemmas.

Lesson 2 • Prevalence and Classification Systems

Major classification frameworks and prevalence data are examined. Students connect category labels to practical educational implications.

Lesson 3 • Theoretical Models of Human Development

Developmental theories—cognitive, ecological, and sociocultural—are applied to exceptional populations. Students use these lenses to interpret atypical developmental trajectories.

Lesson 1 • Brain Structure and Learning Functions

Key brain regions and their roles in attention, memory, and language are mapped. This knowledge links neurological differences to observable learning behaviors.

Lesson 2 • Genetic and Prenatal Influences

Genetic syndromes, chromosomal variations, and prenatal risk factors are examined. Students distinguish heritable from environmental contributors to exceptionality.

Lesson 3 • Neuroplasticity and Developmental Windows

Neuroplasticity principles explain how experience shapes brain development across sensitive periods. Students apply this to early intervention rationale.

Lesson 1 • Behavioral and Social-Emotional Assessment

Rating scales, observations, and interviews assess behavioral and emotional functioning. Students integrate multi-informant data into a coherent clinical picture.

Lesson 2 • Culturally Responsive Assessment Practices

Bias sources and culturally responsive adaptations are applied to assessment selection and interpretation. Students adjust practices to ensure equitable evaluation outcomes.

Lesson 3 • Principles of Psychoeducational Assessment

Reliability, validity, standardization, and fairness are examined as assessment cornerstones. Students evaluate instruments against these criteria before selection.

Lesson 4 • Cognitive and Intellectual Assessment

Major cognitive assessment frameworks and their subtests are analysed. Students interpret score profiles to identify processing strengths and weaknesses.

Lesson 1 • Language-Based Learning Disabilities

Oral language deficits underlying academic difficulties are traced from phonology to discourse. Students connect language profiles to reading and writing intervention needs.

Lesson 2 • Intervention Frameworks for Learning Disabilities

Multi-tiered support systems and structured literacy principles guide intervention design. Students build tiered intervention plans aligned to individual learner profiles.

Lesson 3 • Dyscalculia and Mathematical Learning Disabilities

Number sense deficits, procedural errors, and spatial reasoning challenges in dyscalculia are analysed. Students identify assessment indicators and evidence-based maths interventions.

Lesson 4 • Dysgraphia and Written Expression Disorders

Motor, orthographic, and language-based writing difficulties are differentiated. Students select accommodations and interventions matched to each subtype.

Lesson 1 • ADHD Subtypes, Diagnosis, and Prevalence

Diagnostic criteria, subtypes, and prevalence patterns of ADHD are reviewed. Students differentiate ADHD from other conditions with overlapping presentations.

Lesson 2 • Executive Function Components and Deficits

Working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and planning are examined as executive function components. Students map deficits to academic and social outcomes.

Lesson 3 • Behavioural and Environmental Interventions

Behaviour management, environmental modifications, and self-regulation training are applied to ADHD. Students construct classroom-based intervention plans with measurable goals.

Lesson 4 • Attention Systems and Regulatory Processes

Selective, sustained, and divided attention are distinguished alongside their neural substrates. Students connect attention system failures to specific classroom behaviours.

Lesson 1 • Social Cognition and Theory of Mind

Theory of mind, empathy, and social information processing are analysed in autism. Students connect social cognition deficits to peer relationship and communication challenges.

Lesson 2 • Autism Spectrum: Characteristics and Heterogeneity

Core features of autism—social communication differences and restricted patterns—are examined across the spectrum. Students recognise the wide variability within the diagnosis.

Lesson 3 • Evidence-Based Interventions for Autism

Applied behaviour analysis, naturalistic developmental approaches, and social skills training are evaluated. Students match intervention approaches to individual learner goals and contexts.

Lesson 4 • Inclusion, Self-Advocacy, and Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity perspectives and self-advocacy frameworks are integrated with inclusive practice. Students balance clinical support with respect for autistic identity and autonomy.

Lesson 1 • Transition Planning and Life-Skills Development

Person-centred transition planning addresses employment, independent living, and community participation. Students construct transition plans aligned to individual strengths and preferences.

Lesson 2 • Instructional Strategies for Intellectual Disability

Systematic instruction, task analysis, and embedded learning are applied to ID populations. Students design lessons using evidence-based strategies for skill acquisition and maintenance.

Lesson 3 • Cognitive and Adaptive Learning Profiles

Memory, processing speed, and generalisation challenges in ID are analysed alongside adaptive strengths. Students use profile data to set realistic and meaningful learning goals.

Lesson 4 • Defining and Diagnosing Intellectual Disability

Intellectual disability is defined through intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour criteria. Students apply diagnostic standards to distinguish ID from other developmental conditions.

Lesson 1 • Social-Emotional Needs of Gifted Learners

Asynchronous development, perfectionism, and existential concerns unique to gifted learners are examined. Students design counselling and mentorship supports addressing these needs.

Lesson 2 • Differentiation and Acceleration Strategies

Curriculum compacting, acceleration, and enrichment are evaluated for gifted and advanced learners. Students select and justify programming options based on individual learner data.

Lesson 3 • Conceptions and Identification of Giftedness

Multiple conceptions of giftedness—intellectual, creative, and domain-specific—are compared. Students evaluate identification practices for cultural and socioeconomic equity.

Lesson 4 • Creativity, Motivation, and Talent Development

Intrinsic motivation, creative thinking, and domain expertise development are examined in gifted populations. Students design talent development pathways that sustain long-term engagement.