The course aims to provide students with basic knowledge of the theoretical and methodological foundations of the psychology of disability and inclusion, with a particular focus on assessment and rehabilitation programs centered on enhancing the resources of individuals and communities, from a bio-psycho-social perspective of health and well-being promotion.

Specifically, the acquired knowledge aims to develop awareness and understanding of the several psycho-social, cognitive, and emotional factors that revolve around the main physical/motor, sensory, intellectual, and acquired cognitive disabilities, with particular attention to conditions that alter body image and body self. Additionally, the course provides the basic elements to acquire the appropriate language to use in communication and interaction with people with disabilities and in promoting health in this area; understand the importance of integrating deficit assessment with the enhancement of strengths and optimization of residual capacities; acquire the terminology and knowledge necessary to adequately interact with other professionals working in the field of disability and health, particularly in relation to clinical conditions (increasingly prevalent due to the rising life expectancy and the progressive aging of the population) where motor disability is often associated with cognitive impairment.

The program is divided into three parts:

1. Disability in the biopsychosocial perspective (20 hours)

- Introduction, statistical data, and a brief historical overview of disability.
- Theoretical models of disability: the medical model, the social model, the biopsychosocial model; the capability approach.
- Definition and classification according to the World Health Organization: the International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps (ICIDH) and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF).
- The words of disability and inclusion: the effects of culture and language.
- Long-term implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on disability.
- Sensory, physical/motor, intellectual, psychic, and acquired cognitive disabilities: psychological aspects.
- Body, body image, body self, and identity in physical disability; implications of "visible" and "invisible" disabilities.
- Stigmatization, prejudice, and stereotypes about disability: causes, consequences, educational programs, and strategies for promoting change.

2. Disability assessment (12 hours)

- General guidelines for assessment; ecological, qualitative, and quantitative assessment.
- The neuropsychological assessment and the role of the neuropsychologist.
- Behavioral observation, functional analysis, and task analysis.
- From the assessment of deficits to strengths-based approaches: the contribution of Positive Psychology.
- Psychological and social factors influencing resilience and coping abilities.
- Psychophysiology and mind-body relationship: characteristics and methods.

3. Rehabilitation interventions (17 hours)

- Re-habilitation: definition and guidelines.
- Foundations of psychological rehabilitation; cognitive rehabilitation; interventions for the development of life skills.
- The contribution of new technologies: assistive technology, biofeedback, brain-computer interfaces, virtual reality; Design for Diversity.
- Characteristics and promotion of inclusive education and employment.
- Characteristics and promotion of quality of life and social skills.
- Evaluation of the outcomes of rehabilitation interventions.
- Social policies and disability: implications for rehabilitation, research, and education.

None.

Knowledge and understanding:
Upon completion of this course, the student will be required to demonstrate:
a. knowledge and mastery of the theoretical and methodological principles of the biopsychosocial approach to disabilities and rehabilitation;
b. knowledge of the main psychological factors characterizing different types of disabilities across the lifespan, with particular attention to body image alterations;
c. knowledge of educational strategies for promoting well-being and quality of life in this area;
d. understanding of the role played by individual resources and the social context in assessment and rehabilitation programs;e. understanding of the importance of the multidisciplinary contribution of educators, health professionals, and social workers to intervention strategies and inclusion processes.

Applying knowledge and understanding:
The student will be required to demonstrate the ability to apply the knowledge learned about the biopsychosocial approach to disability, rehabilitation, and inclusion in their respective fields, in order to formulate individual intervention hypotheses by interacting with various professionals operating in the field of health promotion.

Making judgements:

The student will need to demonstrate the basic ability to critically evaluate the role of psychological and social factors involved in disabilities, rehabilitation, and inclusion, identifying their limitations and implications for professional practice, formulating working hypotheses, identifying unresolved issues, and independently deepening their knowledge.

Communication skills:
The student will need to demonstrate the ability to use appropriate language in the field of disabilities, to clearly and coherently present the learned concepts, and to master the specific terminology related to the biopsychosocial approach to the study of disabilities and inclusion, also for the purpose of effectively communicating with other professionals in this field.

Learning skills:
The student will have acquired a good level of autonomy in integrating study materials, reading and interpreting information related to the multidisciplinary aspects of the main phenomena involved in disability, rehabilitation, and inclusion, and in finding scientific information useful for deepening and updating their knowledge in this field.

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

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

- Intellectual disabilities: from IQ to adaptive functioning.
- Neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation in acquired cognitive disabilities associated with motor disabilities: clinical cases.

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

The lectures will be enhanced with interactive presentations on the Mentimeter platform to promote active learning and self-assessment and to receive real-time feedback from students on the lesson content. Additionally, the educational practices of debate and problem-solving will be employed.

Attendance

Attendance is not mandatory, but it is stronlgy recommended.

Course books

• Soresi, S. (a cura di). Psicologia delle disabilità e dell’inclusione. Il Mulino: Bologna, 2016.
• The lecture slides, which will be available on the Blended Learning course platform, are part of the study material.

Assessment

The expected learning outcomes will be assessed through an oral examination during which questions will be asked on various topics covered in the program. The evaluation criteria are as follows: relevance and effectiveness of responses in relation to program content; articulation level of the response; appropriate use of disciplinary language; ability to identify and highlight connections between different topics.

In order to pass the exam, a minimum grade of 18/30 is required, according to the following levels of proficiency:

0-17 (insufficient): the learning outcomes specified in the "knowledge and understanding" section are not achieved.
18-20 (sufficient): the learning outcomes specified in the "knowledge and understanding" section are achieved.
21-23 (fully sufficient): the learning outcomes specified in the "knowledge and understanding" and "applying knowledge and understanding" sections are achieved.
24-26 (good): the learning outcomes specified in the "knowledge and understanding," "applying knowledge and understanding", and "making judgements" sections are achieved.
27-29 (very good): the learning outcomes specified in the "knowledge and understanding," "applying knowledge and understanding", "making judgements", and "communication skills" sections are achieved.
30 and 30 cum laude (excellent): the learning outcomes specified in the "knowledge and understanding", "applying knowledge and understanding", "making judgements", "communication skills", and "learning skills" sections are fully achieved.

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 encouraged to refer, besides to the lecture slides, to the educational material uploaded on Blended Learning (videos, exercises, etc.), through which they can supplement their study of the materials listed in the "Textbooks" section. Students may seek explanations and clarifications from the instructor regarding the course topics during the designated office hours.

Attendance

Attendance is not mandatory.

Course books

• Soresi, S. (a cura di). Psicologia delle disabilità e dell’inclusione. Il Mulino: Bologna, 2016.
• The lecture slides, which will be available on the Blended Learning course platform, are part of the study material.

To allow non-attending students to compensate with independent study for what is covered during the lectures, it is recommended to use all the materials available on the Blended Learning platform (videos, exercises, supplementary materials, sample exam questions for each section of the program), which are particularly useful for a full understanding of the program content.

Assessment

The expected learning outcomes will be assessed through an oral examination during which questions will be asked on various topics covered in the program. The evaluation criteria are as follows: relevance and effectiveness of responses in relation to program content; articulation level of the response; appropriate use of disciplinary language; ability to identify and highlight connections between different topics.

In order to pass the exam, a minimum grade of 18/30 is required, according to the following levels of proficiency:

0-17 (insufficient): the learning outcomes specified in the "knowledge and understanding" section are not achieved.
18-20 (sufficient): the learning outcomes specified in the "knowledge and understanding" section are achieved.
21-23 (fully sufficient): the learning outcomes specified in the "knowledge and understanding" and "applying knowledge and understanding" sections are achieved.
24-26 (good): the learning outcomes specified in the "knowledge and understanding," "applying knowledge and understanding", and "making judgements" sections are achieved.
27-29 (very good): the learning outcomes specified in the "knowledge and understanding," "applying knowledge and understanding", "making judgements", and "communication skills" sections are achieved.
30 and 30 cum laude (excellent): the learning outcomes specified in the "knowledge and understanding", "applying knowledge and understanding", "making judgements", "communication skills", and "learning skills" sections are fully achieved.

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 instructor to obtain study materials in English. Additionally, if they wish, they can request to take the exam in English by emailing the instructor at least one week before the examination date.

Optional articles (in English) will be made available for each topic on the Blended Learning platform during the course.