The course aims to provide basic knowledge about the theoretical and methodological fundamentals of psychology of disability and inclusion, with special reference to assessment and rehabilitation programs focusing on the enhancement of individual and community resources, in line with the biopsychosocial perspective on health.

The program is divided into three parts:

1. Disability in the biopsychosocial perspective

- Introduction, statistical data, brief historical excursus on disability.
- Theoretical models of disability: the medical model, the social model, the biopsychosocial model; the capability approach.
- The definition and classification of disability according to the World Health Organization: the International Classification of Impairment, Disabilities and Handicaps (ICIDH), and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).
- The words of disability and inclusion: effects of culture and language.
- The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on disability.
- Sensory, physical/motor, intellectual, and psychic disabilities: psychological aspects.
- Body/self and identity in physical disabilities; the implications of “visible” and “invisible” disabilities.
- Stigma, stereotype, and prejudice toward disability: causes, consequences, and strategies for change.

2. Disability assessment

- General guidelines; ecological, qualitative and quantitative assessment.
- The neuropsychological assessment.
- Behavioral observation, functional analysis and task analysis.
- From the assessment of deficits to the enhancement of existing qualities: the contribution of Positive Psychology.
- Psychological and social factors affecting resilience and coping abilities.
- Psychophysiology and the body-mind relationship: main characteristics and methods.

3. Rehabilitation interventions

- Re-habilitation: definition and guidelines.
- Principles of psychological rehabilitation; cognitive rehabilitation; interventions for the development of life skills.
- The contribution of new technologies: assistive technology, biofeedback, brain-computer interface, virtual reality; Design for Diversity.
- Characteristics and promotion of school and work inclusion.
- Characteristics and promotion of quality of life and social abilities.
- The evaluation of rehabilitation outcomes.
- Social policy and disability: implications for rehabilitation, research, and education.

None.

Knowledge and understanding:

Upon completion of this course the student must demonstrate:

a. the knowledge and mastery of the theoretical and methodological principles of the biopsychosocial approach to disability and rehabilitation;
b. the knowledge of the main psychological factors characterizing the different types of disability across life span;
c. the understanding of the role played by individual resources and social contexts in assessment and rehabilitation programs;
d. the understanding of the relevance of the multidisciplinary contribution of education, health, and social professionals to the intervention strategies and to the processes of inclusion.

Applying knowledge and understanding:

Students must demonstrate the ability to apply the acquired knowledge on biopsychosocial approach to disability, rehabilitation, and inclusion to their relevant areas of expertise, with the aim of formulating intervention hypotheses while interacting with different professionals working in the health promotion field.

Making judgements:

Students must demonstrate the basic ability to critically judge the role played by the psychological and social factors implicated in disability, rehabilitation, and inclusion, to identify open questions, and to independently deepen their knowledge.

Communication skills:

Students must demonstrate the ability to clearly and coherently convey the acquired knowledge, and to master the specific terminology in the field of biopsychosocial approach to disability and inclusion, with the additional purpose of adequately understanding the relevant scientific literature.

Learning skills:

Students will have acquired a good ability of independence in integrating the study material, in reading and interpreting information on the multidisciplinary aspects of the main phenomena implicated in disability, rehabilitation, and inclusion, in purchasing useful scientific information to deepen and update their knowledge.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Three supplementary seminars will be held by experts in the field:

- Intellectual disabilities: from Intelligence Quotient to adaptive functioning.
- Neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation in acquired cognitive disabilities: clinical cases.
- Biofeedback for the improvement of cognitive performance, emotion regulation, and wellbeing.

Teaching

The course will include frontal lectures, seminars, presentation and discussion of clinical cases that will deepen course topics, video-clip projections, participation activities using online instruments.

Innovative teaching methods

Frontal lectures will be enriched with interactive teaching activities on Kahoot!/Mentimeter platforms.

Attendance

Attendance is not mandatory, but it is stronlgy recommended.

Course books

- Soresi, S. (2016). Psicologia delle disabilità e dell’inclusione. Il Mulino: Bologna.

The lecture slides, which will be available on the Moodle course platform (Blended Learning Uniurb), are part of the study material.

Assessment

The learning achievements will be assessed through an oral examination, using the following evaluation criteria: relevance and efficacy of the answers in relation to the course topics; level of organization of the answers; adequacy of the employed terminology; ability to critically discuss the relevant issues. The final evaluation is expressed in thirtieths.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Non-attending students are asked to refer to the instructional material uploaded on the Moodle course platform (lecture slides, videos, exercises, etc.), through which they can integrate the study of the textbook recommended in the “Course books” section.

Course books

- Soresi, S. (2016). Psicologia delle disabilità e dell’inclusione. Il Mulino: Bologna.

The lecture slides, which will be available on the Moodle course platform (Blended Learning Uniurb), are part of the study material.

Assessment

The learning achievements will be assessed through an oral examination, using the following evaluation criteria: relevance and efficacy of the answers in relation to the course topics; level of organization of the answers; adequacy of the employed terminology; ability to critically discuss the relevant issues. The final evaluation is expressed in thirtieths.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Foreign students can contact the lecturer to get information on the course material in English. Moreover, they can take the exam in English upon request, by sending an e-mail at least one week before the date of the exam.

Some optional (nonmandatory) scientific papers (in English) will be available on the Moodle course platform during the course.