| Psycho-Educational Therapy (PsyEdTx in short) is an extension from the original field of Educational Therapy (EdTx in short) except that it leans more toward applied psychology. Applied psychology is a field that focuses on putting practical research into action. It focuses on the implementation of real-world results over abstract theories and laboratory-based experiments. This discipline validates educational psychology theories in order to achieve tangible results in intervention for children with special needs.
Unit 1: Introduction to Educational Therapy: The History
Learning objective: The historical origin of Educational Therapy (EdTx for short) began in the 1940s in Germany during the World War II but it was not called educational therapy at that time. Known as heilpädagogik or therapeutic pedagogy (in the English translation), it is very much influenced by the work of two German pioneers August Aichorn (b.1878-d.1949) and Katrina DeHirsch (b.1903-d.1996). It was DeHirsch (1977), who wrote about the ‘Treatment Alliance’ between the ET and the child, or interactions between the ET and his/her client, to distinguish the differences between educational therapy and psychotherapy. The field was somewhat eventually brought into the United States in the 1970s, and it is now widely known as Educational Therapy (EdTx) with the founding of the Association of Educational Therapists (AET) in 1978-79. Today, the AET is the US national professional association for educational therapists. Learners will also learn about different forms of educational therapy in selected countries, especially in South-East Asian region.
Unit 2: Key Domains & Core Principles of Educational Therapy
Learning objective: In this unit, Learners will learn about the different domains of educational therapy (EdTx), the skill areas and treatment goals that an educational therapist covers, and the 13 core principles of the practice of educational therapy (EdTx) will be covered from building good rapport with a client, working collaboratively with parents and teachers, creating supportive learning environment for the client, educating and guiding the parents and/or teachers in managing the client, etc.
Unit 3: Specific Treatments in Educational Therapy
Learning objective: In this unit, Learners will learn about client issues (e.g., dyslexia, non-verbal learning disorder, reading and writing difficulties, math difficulties, etc.), which also include attitudinal problems and study skill, addressed by an educational therapist. Areas of treatment for educational therapists include academic aspects of learning, and social and emotional aspects of learning.
Unit 4: Introduction to Applied Psychology: The History
Learning objective:In 1908, psychologist Hugo Munsterberg defined applied psychology as research adjusted to fit the problems encountered in everyday life. In works on industrial psychology, advertising, and education, Munsterberg, Scott, and others began exploring the possibilities of an applied psychology. In this unit, Learners will learn more about the applied psychology in the context of education, especially in special education and allied therapies.
Assignment: Learners will write a short essay on their personal reflection on applied psychology in the field of educational therapy. Length: 1000 words (max).
Unit 5: Basic Principles of Applied Psychology
Learning objective: This unit touches on the 20 basic guiding principles in the applied psychology. These 20 principles are organized into five areas of psychological functioning: (1) Cognition and learning; (2) Motivation; (3) Social and emotional dimensions; (4) Context and learning; and (5) Assessment. Each of the individual principles listed in the document includes an explanation of the concept, its relevance for instruction, specific tips for teachers and a comprehensive list of related references.
Assignment: There will be a multiple-choice-questions type of test given at the end of this unit.
Unit 6: Specific Treatments in Applied Psychology
Learning objective: In this unit, Learners will be introduced to many different types of applied psychological therapies. However, they all have the same objective, one common therapeutic goal. They seek to facilitate changes towards well-being. Thus, instead of asking oneself which of these applied psychological strategies is the best or worst, the therapist should first ask what the client needs.
Assignment: A short essay on 3 selected applied psychological therapies and discuss about the advantages and disadvantages of each therapy. Length:1500 words (max)
Unit 7: Educational Therapy and Applied Psychology: Integration
Learning objective: This unit is built on the previous Modules 1 and 2. Learners will have to show a good understanding how educational therapy and applied psychology can work collaboratively or be integrated to develop a better approach to manage challenging issues related to learning and behavior in class/school or at home.
Unit 8: Key Domains & Core Principles of Psycho-Educational Therapy
Learning objective: This unit is built on the previous Modules 1 and 2. Learners are required to demonstrate their good understanding and ability to bring together the key domains and core principles of educational therapy and applied psychology to form the basis for psycho-educational therapy.
Unit 9: Specific Treatments in Psycho-Educational Therapy
Learning objective: Like the two earlier units in this module, this third unit is a continuation but its focus is now shifted to the specific treatments employed in psycho-educational therapy. In this unit, Learners will learn about the six levels of treatment: (1) pre-emptive, (2) preventive, (3) corrective, (4) remedial, (5) compensatory, and (6) spiritual. There is also a seventh level: psycho-forming (like terraforming), which will also be touched on briefly. Not all the levels are applicable in psycho-educational therapy. Learners will learn about what they can do to help their clients with different learning and/or behavioral problems.
Unit 10: Introduction to the 4 Behavioral Potentials: The CCAS Model
Learning objective: The CCAS Model consists of four key behavioral potentials: (1) Cognitive, (2) Conative, (3) Affective, and (4) Sensory. The interaction among these four behavioral potentials plays an important role in a typically developed individual in learning process and behavior development. Any impairment or deficit in one or more of these behavioral potentials can result in learning/behavioral difficulties, dysfunctions, disabilities, and/or disorders.
Unit 11: Triple-D Model in Case Management
Learning objective: In this unit, Learners are introduced to the Triple-D model containing of three key components: Diagnostics, Dialogics and Didactics. The first component concerns the measurement of a condition; the second concerns the collaborative consultation with parents/guardians and professionals about a condition affecting a client; and the third concerns the implementation of a treatment plan for the client. This constitutes a case management system that an educational therapist must be familiar with in order to facilitate a case from the beginning until the client is discharged depending on the treatment outcomes.
Unit 12: Triple-T Model in Case Treatment
Learning objective:In this unit, Learners will be introduced to the Triple-T model consisting of three key components: Episteme (What of Knowledge for Learning), Telos (Why of Knowledge for Learning) and Techno (How of Knowledge for Learning). The model is used in deciding on the content knowledge as well as functional skills required by an individual with special needs to be adequately equipped for basic daily living skill, functional vocational skills, independent living, etc.
Unit 13: The Trajectories of Learning & Behavioral Developments
Learning objective: This unit explores the trajectories of an individual’s development in terms of the learning process and also the behavioral changes as one grows and matures. There also episodes when an individual regresses, delays, degenerates or accelerates in learning and/or behavioral development resulting in all kinds of disabilities and/or disorders.
Unit 14: Introduction to Educational Nosology of Disabilities & Disorders
Learning objective: In this unit, it focuses on nosology. The term nosology (from Ancient Greek νόσος (nosos) ‘disease’, and -λογία (-logia) ‘study of’) is the branch of medical science that deals with the classification of diseases. In educational nosology, it concerns fully classifying a learning and/or behavioral condition that is required to know and understand its cause (and that there is not always only one cause but many), the effects it has on an individual, the symptoms that are produced, and other factors.
Unit 15: Introduction to The Educator’s Diagnostic Manual
Learning objective: In this unit, Learners are introduced to The Educator’s Diagnostic Manual of Disabilities & Disorders (EDM), which represents the very first manual created specifically for the field of special education (including educational therapy). It provides definitions, symptoms, characteristics, types, and subtypes for almost all disabilities and disorders that professionals and/or parents need to understand within educational settings.
Unit 16: Human Lifespan Development: From Cradle to Grave
Learning objective: In this unit, Learners will learn about the human lifespan development as a process of transactional adaptation. Human beings create and are created by their developmental contexts. A comprehensive understanding of development necessitates the systemic integration of multiple disciplines.
Unit 17: The Hierarchy of Abilities & Skills
Learning objective: This unit covers on cognitive abilities and skills at the five different levels: (1) innate, (2) sensory behavioral, (3) adaptive behavioral, (4) socio-emotional behavioral, and (5) cognitive behavioral. This offers a systematic framework in decision-making that concerns the types of assessment to be done for a client depending on his/her condition and its degree of severity.
Unit 18: The Hierarchy of Learning & Behavioral Problems
Learning objective: This unit covers the three domains and six levels of learning & behavioral (L&B) problems or challenges. The three domains of causality of origin: (1) sociogenic, (2) psychogenic, and (3) neurogenic. The six levels of L&B problems: (1) disadvantages, (2) differences, (3) difficulties, (4) dysfunctions, (5) disability, and (6) disorder.
Unit 19: Introduction to CHC Periodic Table of Abilities: The History
Learning objective: The CHC periodic table of human abilities refers to the Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory of cognitive abilities. It is a hierarchical model of intelligence that combines the Cattell-Horn Gf-Gc (1987) and the Carroll tri-stratum models (1993) of human cognitive abilities (see McGrew, 2005, 2009).
Unit 20: Application of CHC in Diagnostic Assessment & Intervention
Learning objective: This unit is a continuation from the previous unit. It introduces basic contents of CHC theory and the assessment system of cognitive ability on the basis of this theory. It concludes that CHC theory plays an important role in cognitive ability assessment and strategy intervention to students with learning & behavioral disabilities: (1) It is beneficial to determine the causes of individual difference; (2) It can provide effective proof for psychoeducational intervention strategies; (3) It can promote theoretical research on learning & behavioral disabilities.
Unit 21: Single-Battery Assessment & Diagnostic Screening Test
Learning objective: Learners will be introduced to selected formal, informal and non-formal tests used in PsyEdTx. They will also learn how to administer, score and interpret the results. They will learn when to use these tests appropriately for different clients.
Unit 22: Multiple-Battery Assessment & Cross-Battery Assessment
Learning objective: Cross-battery assessment (X-BA for short) is the process by which assessors use information from multiple-battery assessment (i.e., various IQ tests) to help guide diagnostic decisions and to gain a fuller picture of a client’s cognitive abilities than can be ascertained through the use of single-battery assessments.
Unit 23: Psycho-Educational Treatment
Learning objective:Treatment is divided into types: (1) Intervention; (2) Rehabilitation; and (3) Management. However, not all the three types are applicable in PsyEdTx. In addition, the Response to intervention (RTI) Initiative will be covered in this unit.
Unit 24: Learning Activity System in Treatment
Learning objective:Known as LAS in short, it is a systematic approach to customized collaborative learning activity, where a therapist can monitor the learning status of a client within a given context (e.g., clinic, classroom or home).
Unit 25: Introduction to Case Study Approach
Learning objective: Case study approach (CSA) is an in-depth, detailed examination of a particular case (or cases) within a real-world context. For example, case studies in PsyEdTx may focus on an individual patient or disability/disorder.
Unit 26: Cases Studies in Learning Challenges
Learning objective: 5 different case studies related to learning disabilities will be covered in detail.
Unit 27: Cases Studies in Behavioral Challenges
Learning objective:5 different case studies related to behavioral disorders will be covered in detail. |
