People with Developmental Disabilities

Graduate Certificate in
Developmental Disabilities
Interdisciplinary Human Development Institute
University of Kentucky

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Coursework

What are the course requirements?

Ten or eleven credit hours, depending on the elective chosen by the individual student, will be required for the certificate.  Three courses (HDI 600, 602 and 604) and one practicum course (HDI 603) are required for the certificate.  All HDI-listed courses are two credit hours.  In addition to the required courses, two or three hours of elective coursework will also be required: either HDI 601, HDI 605 or one elective from outside of HDI-listed courses and courses required in the student’s degree program.  A suggested list of elective courses will be provided.  The elective course is subject to approval by the certificate director.

Course Requirements for Certificate

 

HDI 600 - Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Needs of Persons with Developmental Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs

Fall Semester

Credit: 2 Hours          

Course Description: This course provides a base of core knowledge and experience in interdisciplinary services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities and/or special health care needs and their families. This course is structured in an interdisciplinary seminar format, illustrating the application of each discipline's expertise to the needs of persons with disabilities and their families.  Lecture, three hours per week. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

Course Objectives: This course will enable the student to:

  • Understand the historical perspective and current relationship between society's values and beliefs and the services and supports provided for individuals with disabilities and their families.

  • Understand life span issues from prenatal care, early childhood, elementary through post-secondary education, community living and employment Issues, through aging with a disability.

  • Identify the criteria for a system of services/supports that is interdisciplinary, coordinated, community-integrated, family-focused, and person-centered.

  • Describe various disabling conditions such as mental retardation, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, autism and others.

  • Describe the strengths/weaknesses of disciplinary, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary models of assessment, planning and intervention.

  • Demonstrate skills needed to function successfully as a member of an interdisciplinary team.

  • Describe the existing system of services and supports for persons with disabilities and special health care needs and their families.

  • Identify gaps/barriers in the current system related to criteria for an interdisciplinary, coordinated, community-integrated, family focused, person-centered system of services and supports for individuals with disabilities and special health care needs and their families.

  • Describe the needs and resources available to individuals with disabilities and other special health care needs as they grow into adulthood and age.

  • The case method of instruction (CMI) will be used throughout this course to give students the opportunity to explore a wide variety of real-life scenarios by putting themselves in the positions of family members and professionals and analyzing facts, defining problems, comparing alternatives, and formulating solutions.

HDI 601 - Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Needs of Persons with Developmental Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs: Practicum

Fall and Spring Semesters, Four Week Intersession and Eight Week Summer Session

Credit: 2 Hours        

Course Description: Participants engage in a wide range of structured site visits and other university-based clinical and community-based learning experiences, related to services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities and/or special health care needs and their families. Lecture, one hour every two weeks; laboratory, eight hours per week. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

Course Objectives: This course will enable the student to:

  • Describe at an in-depth-level the experiences of one family with a family member with a disability, the impact of the member’s disability upon the family, as well as the gifts that the family member brings to the family.

  • Visit and critically react to a series of university and community clinic and agency sites serving people with disabilities and their families.  Over the course of the semester, each participant will observe 18 programs, including two extended visitations.

  • Identify skills needed to function successfully as a member of an interdisciplinary team, and give relevant examples of these skills in the context of the participant's own discipline.

  • Based upon agency/clinic visitations, the family mentorship program, and class discussions, identify gaps/barriers in the current system of services and supports for people with disabilities and special health care needs and their families.

  • Describe the needs and resources available to people with disabilities and other special health care needs as they grow  into adulthood and age, in the context of existing community programs and supports in the Bluegrass area.

  • Make thoughtful recommendations for improving/refining services and supports for people with disabilities and their families at both the individual agency and the systems levels.

HDI 602 - Interdisciplinary Supports

Spring Semester

Credit: 2 Hours                    

Course Description: This course will build on the disciplinary clinical competence of participating students and enhance their knowledge and skills related to specific issues regarding the needs of persons with developmental disabilities and other special health care needs. Topics covered include: Epidemiology, Prevention of Developmental Disabilities, Micro Environment, Early Childhood, School Age and Adult Issues, Cultural Diversity, the Rural and Underserved Population, Politics, Law and Health Care Reform Issues and Advocacy. Lecture, three hours per week. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

Course Objectives: This course will enable the student to:

  • Describe the role, responsibilities, and unique contributions of families in meeting the needs of persons with disabilities and with other special health care needs.

  • Describe the roles, responsibilities, and unique contributions of a wide range of disciplines that provide services for persons with disabilities and other special health care needs and their families.

  • Describe how environmental factors impact the incidence of disabilities.

  • Understand the role genetics plays in the causes, identification, and management of specific syndromes and disabilities.

  • Describe how prenatal and micro environmental prevention effects the incidence of disabilities.

  • Identify assessment/evaluation and service delivery models for working with persons with disabilities and their families.

  • Describe federal and state laws that mandate services for persons with disabilities.

  • Identify services, supports, and issues for school-age students with mild disabilities.

  • Describe applications of assistive technology (including augmentative communication systems) to support a person’s participation in inclusive school and community environments.

  • Describe how attention to cultural diversity can impact effectiveness of service providers and caregivers in working with families.

  • Describe how politics and law interface with effectiveness of services for persons with disabilities and their families.

  • Understand current health care reform proposals, managed care models, and issues and ramifications for competition for services to persons with disabilities and their families.

  • Describe the advocacy role from an individual/agency perspective and identify Advocate Organizations currently serving children and adults with disabilities and their families.

  • The case method of instruction (CMI) will be used throughout this course to give students the opportunity to explore a wide variety of real-life scenarios by putting themselves in the positions of family members and professionals and analyzing facts, defining problems, comparing alternatives, and formulating solutions.      

HDI 603 - Interdisciplinary Supports Practicum

Fall and Spring Semesters, Four Week Intersession and Eight Week Summer Session

Credit: 2 Hours        

Course Description: The course will include practica experiences in interdisciplinary assessments and/or activities, as well as a long-term individualized student practicum. The practicum seminars will focus upon problem-solving strategies in providing high quality supports to persons with developmental disabilities and their families. Lecture - one hour every two weeks; seminar - 2 hours every two weeks; Laboratory - 8 hours per week at approved placement.  Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

Course Objectives: This course will enable the student to:

  • Practice skills needed to function successfully as a member of an interdisciplinary team, and evidence these skills in the context of the participant's own discipline in assessment and/or long-term practicum settings.

  • Evidence the ability to work with people with disabilities and their families in a positive and supportive manner in assessment an/or intervention/program settings.

  • Critically reflect upon his/her own performance in working with people with disabilities and their families.

  • Participate in family mentorship.

Class Activities:

  • Development of individual learning contracts which maximize the practicum experience.

  • Discussion of values-based practice and family-centered practice.

  • Discussion and comparison of agency policies/guidelines versus best practice model.

  • Discussion of the interdisciplinary approach to practice.

  • Ethics in practice.

  • Discussion of coping strategies and the importance of the family perspective.

  • Attend and participate in seminars.

HDI 604 - Interdisciplinary Leadership Seminar

Four Week Intersession - Summer

Credit: 2 Hours        

Course Description: This course will provide a base of core knowledge and experiences in leadership, systems change, strategic planning, proposal development, group facilitation, conflict resolution, and interagency collaboration principles and strategies. These topical areas effectively represent key functions for those who would assume leadership roles in promoting inclusive community supports for person with developmental disabilities and their families. The course will utilize faculty and Institute staff from a wide range of disciplines. Lecture, three hours per week. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

Course Objectives: This course will enable the student to:

  • Develop an understanding of leadership functions.

  • Identify relationships between leadership and management functions in organizations.

  • Develop an understanding of collaborative processes in interagency planning and development.

  • Identify key elements of strategic planning.

  • Identify key principles in effecting 'systems change' in human service systems at the local, state, and national level.

  • Identify strategies for resolving staff and/or consumer conflicts in human service programs.

  • Identify key components and strategies for effective proposal development.

  • Demonstrate skills needed to function successfully as a member of an interdisciplinary team.

  • Identify effective group facilitation skills in agency and interagency planning.

  • Develop an understanding of the importance and application of information technology and the related issue of information accessibility.

HDI 605 – Interdisciplinary Leadership Project

Fall and Spring Semesters, Four Week Intersession and Eight Week Summer Session

Credit: 2 Hours        

Course Description: This course will include the trainee's individually designed leadership project. Options for projects include: research, development and preparation of grant applications, development and delivery of inservice training, or development of evaluation plans. As a final requirement for this course, the student will be required to develop a Leadership Project Summary, and make a class presentation on the Leadership Project.  Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor. 

Course Objectives: This course will enable the student to:

  • Participate in a community-based leadership project to create expanded opportunities for persons with disabilities and their families.

  • Integrate the cumulative knowledge and skills obtained over the duration of the IHDI Graduate Certificate in Developmental Disabilities into an important activity of individual interest.

  • Demonstrate the capacity to design and implement an interagency and/or interdisciplinary planning, training, or policy development activity.

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