Module PSYC3951: Developmental Neurodivergence

Department: Psychology

PSYC3951: Developmental Neurodivergence

Prerequisites

• 60 credits from Level 2 Psychology

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• In this module you will learn about forms of developmental neurodivergence (e.g. autism, ADHD, Williams Syndrome), informed by multiple perspectives (e.g. lived experience) and areas in psychology, (e.g. social, developmental, behavioural, cognitive, and neuroscience).

Content

• This module examines neurodivergence from multiple perspectives. You will learn about the history of developmental diagnoses, and the approaches that we take today.
• You will learn about different aspects of neurodivergent experience, and content could include everyday lived experiences, ways of thinking and behaving, and how the neurodivergent brain works.

Learning Outcomes

• Detailed knowledge of developmental neurodivergence including current theory and evidence.
• Critical understanding of conceptual and historical issues as they relate to developmental neurodivergence.

• Ability to review critically and consolidate understanding of a coherent body of psychological knowledge and apply it appropriately.

• Good written communication skills.
• Good IT skills in word processing.
• Ability to work independently in scholarship and research within broad guidelines.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Students' acquisition of detailed knowledge will be facilitated by lectures, within-lecture interactive activities such as problem-based-learning tasks and discussions, audio-visual materials, and reading lists.
• These modes of teaching provide students with detailed knowledge of the key theories and the skills needed to evaluate different theoretical positions in light of current evidence.
• Lectures and within-lecture interactive tasks will also give students the opportunity to interpret and evaluate the significance of empirical work.
• The use of group discussions and interactive problem-based-learning tasks will ensure that students are exposed to a range of different theoretical positions and encouraged to understand their inter-relations.
• The portfolios will assess students' detailed subject knowledge via their choice of assessment format (e.g. blog posts, letters to government) across different modalities (e.g. written, spoken).
• An assessment of the range, recency and appropriateness of sources will be included in the overall assessment of the portfolios.
• The portfolios assess students' acquired knowledge of theoretical principles and empirical studies and their ability to organise and synthesise them coherently and critically.
• The portfolios will also assess students' communication skills, including the ability to communicate to specialist (academic) and non-specialist (e.g. the public) audiences.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Students will be able to seek formative feedback on portfolio work during lecture activities in Michaelmas and Epiphany terms.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University