32110 - Functional Diagnosis and Disability in School and Community Environments

Learning outcomes

At the end of course the student : - will know the principles of diagnostic assessment, the treatment of major developmental disabilities and the more relevant causes of school uneasiness ; - will be able to carry on a functional assessment of the residual abilities and skills; - will be able to integrate his/her work with other practitioners in schools and the communities.

Course contents

Learning outcomes

The attention to be kept in the psychopathological assessment with adolescents, how to conduct a clinical interview, what and how to observe in the patient and what and how to collect elements from family members and teachers are discussed.

Of the main psychopathological pictures, the prevailing semeiology and possible differential diagnoses are presented.

For each framework, the possible direct role of the School or Community Psychologist is described and the networking he/she must promote.

With respect to the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals of the ONU 2030 Agenda, the teaching contributes, with the topics covered and the proposed working methods, to objectives no. 3 health and well-being, n. 4 quality education and n. 10 reduce inequalities.

Core Knowledge in Psychology and Education

School psychology programs are based on core knowledge of Major Psychopathological Disorders.

Evidence-Based Decision Making and Accountability.

These courses have also a very practical approach and engage students in class discussions on intervention that are documented in the scientific literature,
and in the international, national and local guidelines as well as planning and designing intervention, as part of their project works. Students are always solicited to understand how they can improve the practices/intervention they read about, with which methodologies and data. When they are confronted with clinical cases they have to justify the procedure that would adopt for assessment and intervention and clarify the logic models behind their decisions.

Issues relating to the organization of the school and systems, development and implementation of policies and Home-School-Community Collaboration are addressed.

Transnational/Multicultural School Psychology: Working with children and families from culturally diverse communities

 

Interpersonal Skills - encouraged to reflect on the necessity to be aware of both the extent and limitation of their knowledge and professional competence, to reflect on, and learn from, their experiences and are encouraged to share and discuss concerns they have about any aspects of their work with colleagues. This is done through class discussions, is requested in portfolios and is part of the discussion/presentation of project works. Service – Learning uses reflective logbook to this aim.

Interviewing

During the courses, students are presented with the main techniques of interview in different settings and with methods necessary to facilitate communication with students, school personnel, families, community professionals, and others. Students' knowledge and performance is assessed through case study discussion, discussion of scientific papers, oral/written exams, as well as project work realization. Project works in most cases entail interviewing students, school personnel, families, community professionals, orlocal stakeholders with different aims (assessing needs, evaluating process and activities etc.)

 

Consultation

During the courses, students are presented techniques and methods of working in different situations (e.g. Health promotion, psychological developmental disease, learning disabilities) and the main models of consultation and techniques of treatments and interventions, as well as group and individual consultation techniques. Students' knowledge and performance is assessed through case study discussion, discussion of scientific papers, oral/written exams, as well as project work realization.

 

Course contents

“Functional Diagnosis and Disability in School and Community

Environments” MED/39

Module 1 (Costa) – 40 hours

- Clinical and nosographic diagnosis, diagnostic instruments (observation,

interview, test), clinical documentation (medical records)

- Intellectual disability

- Conduct disorders in adolescence

- Anxiety disorders

- Depressive disorders

- Brief psychotic disorder

- Self-esteem, school problems

- Migrant Children and Adolescent

- Withdrawal (hikikomori)

- History of Child Psychiatry: continuity and discontinuity elements in childhood-adulthood.

Module 2 (Giamboni) – 20 hours

- Autism and ADHD

- Eating behavior disorders

- Personality disorders

- Self-injury and suicide attempt

- gender dysphoria

- substance use/abuse

- Neurology/Epilepsy: clinical signs and related disorders

Readings/Bibliography

Per la preparazione dell’esame sono da leggere i seguenti testi/articoli:

1. Testo: Psichiatria dell’adolescente Aspetti clinici e metodologici della transizione, Rigon G., Diavoletto A., Aracne Editore, 2017

   http://www.aracneeditrice.it/index.php/pubblicazione.html?item=9788825503531

   Pagine da 15 a 23, da 77 a 84, da 89 a 105, da 115 a 123 e da 181 a 190.

2. Articolo (da leggere per intero):Dimensione clinica ed esistenziale nel percorso diagnostico in psichiatria dell’età evolutiva, Giancarlo Rigon, Congresso Nazionale Sezione Psichiatria SINPIA, 2010.

   Gior Neuropsich Età Evol 2011;31 (Suppl.1):9-16

3. http://iacapap.org/wp-content/uploads/C.1-Intellectual-Disability.pdf - Pagine 2 – 5,6,7 (prima metà), da 15 a 21
4. http://iacapap.org/wp-content/uploads/D.3-CONDUCT-DISORDER-072012.pdf - Pagine da 2 a 7, da 17 a 23
5. http://iacapap.org/wp-content/uploads/F.1-ANXIETY-DISORDERS-072012.pdf - Pagine da 2 a 6, da9 a14.
6. http://iacapap.org/wp-content/uploads/E.1-Depression-2015-update.pdf - Pagine da 2 a 7, pag 9, 11 e 12, da 16 a 18
7. http://www.jpsychopathol.it/issues/2013/vol19-3/01b-Suwa.pdf - articolo intero

   NOTA: GLI ARTICOLI NEI PUNTI 2-7 SONO STATI CARICATI COME MATERIALE PER GLI STUDENTI SUL SITO

   Nei rispettivi siti WEB leggere seguenti articoli (per intero):

8. http://www.prevenzionesuicidio.it/Introduzione2.html

   http://www.prevenzionesuicidio.it/psicopatologiaTS2.html

   http://www.prevenzionesuicidio.it/comprensionefenomeno2.html

   http://www.prevenzionesuicidio.it/prevenzioneTS2.html con attenzione alla scuola

9. http://www.autismando.it/autsito/aut_class_tratt/AutismoTrattamenti1.htm#teacch
10. http://salute.regione.emilia-romagna.it/dipendenze/servizi/formazione-e-documentazione/formazione/lo-skills-training-della-dbt-terapia-dialettico-comportamentale-nel-trattamento-integrato-del-disturbo-borderline-di-personalita/sanza_febbraio2011_1.pdf
11. FACOLTATIVO PER APPROFONDIMENTO CASO CLINICO: http://www.psychiatryonline.it/node/1076

Assessment methods

Written test.

The exam consists in the analysis of a clinical case that presents one of the pathologies treated in the course program. For Erasmus students to take the exam tests in English. Starting from the didactic material presented for the course, the development of the following points is required in the analysis of the case:

DIAGNOSIS: what attention should be kept in general, elements of differential diagnosis, which individual and environmental elements to collect.

WORK PROJECT HYPOTHESIS: what concrete elements the psychologist can indicate to educators / teachers / parents NETWORKING: what other actions can be implemented by the various other actors (NPI doctor, school manager / community manager).

EVALUATION CRITERIA: knowledge of the pathology presented in the clinical case Points: 0-5 insufficient knowledge 6-7 superficial knowledge 8-9 good specific knowledge 10 excellent specific knowledge diagnostic skills (general elements and specific aspects related to the individual pathology) Points: 0-5 insufficient knowledge 6-7 superficial knowledge 8-9 good specific knowledge 10 excellent specific knowledge ability to recall concepts derived from the study material of the course, reworking them into concrete indications (hypothesis of intervention project) Points: 0-5 insufficient knowledge 6-7 superficial knowledge 8-9 good specific knowledge 10 excellent specific knowledge

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Costa

See the website of Lorenzo Giamboni