PSYCHOLOGY OF DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION

This course is aimed to provide students with knowledge about recent findings in the field of disability, focusing on technical statements, evaluation and treatment. At the end of the course students shall be able to know the theoretical basics of the psychology of disability as well as its diagnostic and intervention features. The main aspects students have to know are: the concept of disability as proposed by the ICF (WHO); the main classification systems (DSM 5 and ICD 10), the recent terminologies used and the nosographic classification of the most frequent forms of disability; intellectual disability (diagnostic tools, multidimensional approach, habilitation interventions, co-morbidities); the main syndromes associated with Intellectual Disability; the main psycho-educational and neuropsychological intervention models; multidisciplinary team work; the main parent-training models.

Lesson contents will deal with main psychological approaches to diagnosis, rehabilitation and programs for school and social inclusion. The assessment of sensory, motor, mental and intellectual impairments will be analyzed, based on new WHO classifications and terminology. The main intervention models to deal with different disabilities, especially intellectual disabilities and common syndromes, will be introduced from varying perspectives. A important section of the course will tap on the relationship between family and disability, issues on school, social and job inclusion as well as quality of life. Finally, the designing and planning of rehabilitation activities and parent-training sessions by a multidisciplinary team of experts will be introduced.

1) Soresi, S. (2007). Psicologia della disabilità. Bologna: Il Mulino. Chapters to be studied 2°, 3°, 4°, 5°, 7°, 9° (total pages 163)

2) Vianello, R. (2015). Disabilità Intellettive. Bergamo: Junior. Chapters to be studied (1°-15°) (total pages 190)

3) Di Nuovo, S., Buono, S. (2010). Strumenti psicodiagnostici per il ritardo mentale. L’assessment psicologico nella disabilità intellettiva. Milano: Franco Angeli

From this book, the chapters concerned with the final exam will be as follows: Part I (Chapters I and II, total number of pages: 40) and 1 Chapter of Part II to be freely chosen among Chapters I, II, and VIII (not exceeding 49 pages).

At the end of the course, useful contributions and materials used during the teaching lessons will be made available as PDF files.