Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE IAL1009

 
TITLE Home-School-Professionals Collaboration: A Transdiscpilinary Approach

 
UM LEVEL 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 4

 
DEPARTMENT Inclusion and Access to Learning

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit will provide a practical explanation of how persons with disability, parents, educators and service providers can include their specialized skills to improve the PARTICIPATION of persons with disability within an inclusive EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY setting creating a transdisciplinary team. The issue of therapy vs quality of life will be the underlying factor in this study-unit highlighting push-in and wrap around services.

Study-unit Aims:

This study-unit aims at assisting the students to work within a transdisciplinary team based on Home-school-professionals collaboration. Students will understand the philosophy and disability models behind each type of team and which team facilitates the development of self-determination and quality of life. It also aims at providing a clear practical explanation of how persons with disability, parents, educators and service providers can include their specialized skills to improve the learners' with disability level of participation in education and every-day life through push in and wrap-around services. The issue of therapy vs quality of life will be the underlying factor in this study-unit.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Define the concepts of self-determination and quality of life;
- Describe different types of teams;
- Describe how a transdisciplinary team based on Home-school-professionals collaboration works;
- Identify the philosophy and disability models behind each type of team and which team facilitates the development of self-determination and quality of life;
- Explain how persons with disability, parents, educators and service providers may include their specialized skills to improve the learners' with disability level of participation in education and every-day life through push-in and wrap around services;
- Illustrate the issues surrounding the controversy of therapy vs quality of life;
- List the different members forming part of the transdisciplinary team;
- Describe the different roles of the various members of the trans disciplinary team;
- Define teaching objectives which are educationally relevant and necessary to the child's access to the general curriculum;
- Outline some models of transdisciplinary teamwork like MAPs, PATH, COACH and VISTA.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Implement strategies which facilitate the development of self-determination and quality of life;
- Implement strategies for facilitating collaboration between home and school in a transdisciplinary team;
- Execute strategies based on the social model and SEN approach of disability facilitating the development of self-determination and Quality of life;
- Support all stake-holders' ability to include their specialised skills to improve the learners with disability level of participation in education and everyday life through push-in and wrap around services;
- Select and organise opportunities to facilitate one's quality of life through community collaboration;
- Analyse and compare different types of service models;
- Explain the different roles of the various members of the transdisciplinary team;
- Select teaching objectives which are educationally relevant and necessary to the child's access to the general curriculum;
- Compare some models of transdisciplinary / collaborative team work like MAPs, PATH, COACH and VISTA as opposed to multidisciplinary models.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main text:

- Families, Professionals, and Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes Through Partnerships and Trust, Pearson eText with Loose-Leaf Version -- Access Card Package (7th Edition) Pearson. Turnbull A.A. (Author), Turnbull R.H. (Author), Erwin E.J. (Author), Soodak L.C. (Author), Shogren K.A. (Author) (2015).
- AnnTurnbull - "Enviable Lives": A Lifespan Perspective on Family and Community Partnerships
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTIaHW1IyTo

Supplementary readings

- Brown F.E.,(Author), McDonnell J.J.(Author), Snell M.E. (Author) (2015) Instruction of Students with Severe Disabilities, Pearson eText with Loose-Leaf Version -- Access Card Package (8th Edition), Pearson.
- King-Sears M.E. (Author), Janney R. (Author), Snell M.E. (Author), et al., (2015) Collaborative Teaming, (Teachers' Guides) (3rd Edition) Paul H Brookes Publishing Co.
- Ministry of Education and Employment (2007). Job descriptions. Handbook for grades and positions within the directorate for quality and standards and the directorate for educational services. Ministry of Education and Employment, Malta.
- Orelove, F.P. (Editor) Sobsey D., Silberman R. (2004) Educating Children With Multiple Disabilities: A Collaborative Approach 4th Edition. USA: Paul H Brookes Publishing Co (pp1-31).
- Tanti Burlo’ E., (2010) Inclusive education, a qualitative leap in Lifespan and disability. XIII, 2 , 203-221.
http://www.lifespan.it/client/abstract/ENG211_5.pdf
- Tanti Burlo’ E. (2007). Parents and professionals working together. Services in Malta. In M. Carrozzino & P. Ruffinato (eds.) Towards a new humanism ethics and disability. Proceedings of 3rd International Congress “Mediterranean without handicap” pp.216 – 231.
- Tanti Burlo’ E.(2002), in Ed. Angela Mecca & Simona de Simone: I servizzi educative in Italia e in europa, Atti seminario, Grafica Metelliana & csnc. Living for Therapy –living a life p.p.101-125.
- Tanti Burlò ,E. Training of educators in special education in Stilon Ph. (1996), Towards a better future Malta: MUT Publication.
- VISTA Vermont interdepartmental service team approach USA: University of Vermont.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture and Independent Study

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment SEM2 Yes 100%

 
LECTURER/S

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit