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Course Description
Family-focused, culturally sensitive methods and procedures for facilitating the development of young
children at risk for, or experiencing developmental delays. Includes strategies for assisting parents to be
active partners in intervention, as well as providing intervention in the home or community setting. Brief
overview of similarities and differences between infant mental health and early intervention services.
Recommended Text:
Transdisciplinary Play-Based Intervention: Guidelines for Developing a Meaningful Curriculum
for Young Children (2004); Linder, Toni; Brookes Publishing.
Assignments
1. Intervention/interaction home visits: Plan, implement and videotape 7 home visits with a young child
between 10 and 60 months of age as part of a 2 person team. The child will be assigned to you. The visits
should last a total of 60 minutes-30 minutes per team member. The first visit will consist of an informal
conversation to identify family routines/ activities, and a short play session to identify child’s
strengths/needs. The next 6 visits will be a blend of “child and adult directed” sessions during which you
will practice intervention strategies studied in class and developed with the existing goals already in place
for the child through the Preschool Language Development Program (PLDP)-Callier Richardson or the
child’s ECI program. One visit should include another child if possible (siblings are fine), to give you a
For each home visit you will show in class at least a 5-minute segment of your choosing of each
interventionist from your videotape. You will then turn in: (1) the videotape, (2) plan for each visit and (3)
a critique which includes an evaluation of how the visit went and your self-evaluation. Each session is
worth 10 points (70 points total).
2. Activities from Texas State ECI Competency Demonstration System: Instructor will e-mail them to you.
Activities worth between 1-2 points each (5 points total).
4. Individual Project: Using creativity and the resources from class, develop an intervention activity that
can be used during home visits for a child between the developmental ages of 24 and 54 months. The
activity should target at least 3 different developmental domains. Each person will present and demonstrate
the activity to the class and provide a one page handout for classmates.
Presentations will be on 7/29/08. (5 points).
5. Intervention plan from IFSP (Final exam): On the basis of an assigned case study and IFSP, develop a
3-month intervention plan (15 points). Due by 5:00 pm 8-01-08.
*In addition to the following topics scheduled for lectures, every attempt will be made to build in time, at
the end of class each week, for teams to discuss and plan intervention activities for their child.
Schedule of lectures:
5/27/08: Introduction to course. Play-based intervention overview- (AEPS and TPBI). Activity-based
intervention and developmentally appropriate practices. Naturalistic intervention design. Routines-based
intervention. General considerations for home visits. Intervention session plans. Home visit record form.
Building alliances with families to foster family involvement. Enhancing development through responsive
intervention. Cultural considerations.
Boundaries (saying "hello" and "goodbye") and professionalism.
Choose intervention/curriculum presentation topic.
Readings: TPBI: Chap. 1, and Part I (chaps. 2 – 6) handout
“Prioritizing objectives” handout
“Steps in Planning” handout
AEPS (Birth to Three): Section I (pp.1-48)
6/03/08: Child/family assigned and cross training with the Director of Preschool Language Development
Program (PLDP). Discussion of “hybrid” interaction style during home visits for PLDP children -
combination of child directed and adult directed interactions.
Observing parent-child play interaction and rating characteristics of play partners. Strategies of good play
partners. The importance of play. Family routines and cultural practices. Overview of TPBI.
Assignments: 1-Obtain consent and conduct first home visit-includes discussion of family
routines/activities and a short play session. Have video cued for class next week. Turn
in video, plan, and individual critique which includes an evaluation of how the session
went and student’s self-critique.
2- Complete CDS activity (PD 8-Supplemental Activity 3) Environmental Arrangements.
Due 6/10/08. (1 point)
Readings: AEPS (Birth to Three): pp. 389 – 429*
AEPS (Three to Six): pp. 203- 238*
*for all of the readings in the AEPS, look over suggestions for goals in each area of
development - to be discussed in class as applicable to child team is working with
7/15/08: Facilitating adaptive behavior and activities of daily living. Hand out final exam.
Readings: “Bilingual kids not slowed by second tongue.” go to website:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s720173.htm
“The Impact of Bilingualism on Overall Language Development and Academic Success”
go to website: http://www.brainy-child.com/article/bilingual.html
“Bilingual Babies” website (“cultural issues” sidebar on left of page):
http://www.bilingualbabies.org
Grading Policy
An “A” is earned for exceptional work that goes beyond the basics.
A=92-100; B=82-91; C=73-81
Course Policies
Regular class attendance is expected and absences should be cleared in advance either in person, via e-mail
or voice mail, with the instructor. Absences will be excused only for an obvious illness or family
emergency. It is the student’s responsibilities to access all information presented for the missed class
Course Syllabus-HDCD 6370 Page 3
session from other students in the class and arrange for assignments to be turned in on time. The faculty
instructor is not responsible for ensuring the student has the missed materials.
If a student arrives to a class session after it has begun, he/she is expected to enter quietly and take a seat in
the least disruptive location.
No make-up tests will be given without prior approval. If a student is a “no show” at the time of the class,
the student will automatically earn a zero.
Assignments are due on the designated date (see course schedule presented in this syllabus). Assignments
will not be accepted late, without prior arrangements. Assignments submitted later than the due date will
receive an automatic 5% reduction in grade for every day that it is late. Assignments will not be accepted
after 5 days. Incomplete assignments will also be assessed penalty points.
Please turn off cell phones prior to entering classroom. Under no conditions may you answer a cell phone
while class is in session. You must leave the room completely before answering.
The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of recognized and
established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and Regulations, Board of
Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student
Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and
regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are
available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).
A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship. He or she
is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and
administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such
conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such
conduct.
Academic Integrity
The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the
value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that
degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her
scholastic work.
Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to applications for
enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or material that is not one’s
own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism,
collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to
disciplinary proceedings.
Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source is
unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for
details). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism
and is over 90% effective.
Email Use
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between
faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning
security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official
student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and
staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This allows the
Course Syllabus-HDCD 6370 Page 4
university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individual corresponding and the
security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be
used in all communication with university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T.
Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.
Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where
staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations.
Disability Services
The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities equal to
those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office
hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.;
and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments necessary to
eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary to remove classroom
prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind.
Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral
presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled students with mobility impairments
may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The college or university may need to provide special
services such as registration, note-taking, or mobility assistance.
It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an accommodation.
Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members to verify that the student
has a disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact
the professor after class or during office hours.
Course Syllabus-HDCD 6370 Page 5
Religious Holy Days
The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for the travel
to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property
tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.
The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding the
absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to take the
exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of
the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed
exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the exam or
assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that exam or assignment.
If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of observing a
religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has been given a
reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor
may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief
executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student
and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief executive officer or designee.
These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.