Communication,Social Skills & Disability

Subject 460-612 (2009)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2009. Search for this in the current handbook

Credit Points: 25.00
Level: 9 (Graduate/Postgraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2009:

Parkville Campus
For information about these dates, click here.
Time Commitment: Contact Hours: 18 hours online component
Total Time Commitment: 240 hours of non-contact commitment
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Recommended Background Knowledge: None
Non Allowed Subjects: None
Core Participation Requirements:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

Subject Overview: This subject addresses contemporary theories and research into the processes of learning, speech, language and social development; research into the effects of cognitive, sensory, physical and social-emotional impairment on learning, language and social skills; research on the executive functioning system and attention and its affect on language and social skills, the use of observation and informal techniques to assess language and social-pragmatics, plan for intervention in the authentic environment, assessment of the learning and social environment, classification and assessment of preverbal and verbal behaviours; parent-child, teacher-child interaction and techniques for assessment; the research and application of augmentative communication
Objectives: On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
  • Apply contemporary theories of cognitive, language and social development
  • Address the impact of disability on learning, attention, social competence, language and social-pragmatics
  • Apply effective data collecting techniques when observing the play, language and social competence of children and students with a disability
  • Apply the use of multimodal or augmentative communication systems for children and students with a disability
  • Apply the use of informal assessments to assist the programming of language and social skills programs
  • Apply effective differentiated instruction and environmental modifications in the learning and social situations
Assessment: Assignments equivalent to 8,000 words (100 per cent)
Prescribed Texts: None
Breadth Options:

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills: On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
  • Evaluate and apply new knowledge
  • Apply analytical, critical and problem solving in relation to language and social skills intervention
  • Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the impact of disability on language and social skill development
  • Improve capacity and skills to review research
  • Debate practices and approaches in communication and social skills intervention
Links to further information: www.edfac.unimelb.edu.au
Related Course(s): Master of Education (Special Education, Inclusion & Early Intervention)
Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Studies (Sp Ed, Inc & Erly Intv)

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