HDCD 6310: Parent Education

Summer 2005
Instructor: C. Annette Anderson, LCSW, BCD, LPC
Office Phone: 972-480-5310
Fax Number: 972-509-9062

Catalogue Description: Skills needed by professionals to assist parents in understanding and promoting their children’s
development and adjustment. Includes effective communication techniques, basic counseling skills, and strategies to
enhance parental effectiveness within the family and community.

Instructor’s Description: Knowledge needed by professionals to gain understanding of the impact of a child with chronic
illness and/or disability on the family. Skills and information necessary to make the intervention process with each family
individualized and effective. Development of sensitivity to family strengths and needs. Awareness of personal bias and
it’s impact on practice with families. Knowledge needed of basic counseling skills with families experiencing severe
mental health and environmental challenge.

Competencies and Desired Outcomes:

Competencies:

PD 5 – Knows how family dynamics affect infant and toddler development.

FCP 2 – Knows the stages of the grief process and understands how family may be impacted as they go through the
grief process.

FCP 4 – Respects families’ insights into their own situations and into their children’s behavior and development.

PROF 7 – Displays openness to, and understanding of, diversity in lifestyles, culture, gender, socioeconomic status,
religious beliefs, and language. Recognizes the potential for conflicts and misunderstandings due to cultural
differences.

PD 7 – Implements practices that respect family cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Course Policies:

1. Expected hours of work: The general expectation is that students will, across the semester, put in a total of 45 hours
of work for each semester credit hour they are enrolled for. For a typical 3-hour commitment during the semester, the
student should expect to devote 135 total hours of effort.

2. Students with disabilities: If you have a documented disability, you can arrange for accommodations by registering
with Disability Services (DS) at 972-883-2098 (voice or TTY). You are required to provide DS with appropriate
documentation and they will provide you with a form to present to the course instructor. You must register with DS
each semester you are enrolled at UTD and wish to use accommodations. Faculty are not authorized to provide a
student with disability related accommodations without prior approval from DS. Additional information is available on
the UTD web site under Disability Services.

3. Scholastic dishonesty: As a member of the UTD academic community, please adhere to the following guidelines: (a)
reference all work; (b) do not use projects from previous courses; (c) do not plagiarize. Please review the UTD
regulations on the UTD web site under Scholastic Dishonesty.

4. Attendance policy: The expectation for this class is that students will be on time (9am-1:00pm) and in attendance. The
student is responsible for informing the professor prior to class of an absence, either in person or voice mail. My
voice mail can be used 24 hrs a day. It is the student’s responsibility to access all information presented for the
missed class session from other students in the class. The instructor is not responsible for ensuring the student has
the missed materials. No make-up tests will be given without a written Doctor’s excuse. If a student is a “no show”
on the day of the test, the student will automatically earn a zero. 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.

5. Assignments are due on or before the designated date. No late assignments will be accepted regardless
of the excuse. If you have received prior approval for missing a class, you will be responsible for turning in
required assignments prior to the due date. In the event of a verified illness, assignment may be faxed to my office
prior to 5:00pm on the due date for credit. No exceptions will be made.

6. Written assignment criteria: All written material submitted should be typed. If you have difficulty in the area of
written communication skills, you must obtain the assistance of the UTD Learning Resource Center Writing Lab (on
web site and at 972-883-6707).

7. Students are expected to demonstrate professional behavior in this class. Students should be prepared for class by
reading assigned materials and to participate in class discussions in a constructive manner both to the instructor and
other students. Cell phones and beepers must be turned off prior to entering the classroom.
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8. Unlike other courses in college, this course requires that students develop insight into their personal feelings,
thoughts and behaviors that may negatively or positively impact future work with families. The course content can be
distressing at times. Students must understand that the nature of work with families can be emotional and sometimes
traumatic. The instructor would encourage students to be responsible for monitoring their level of distress and seek
support as appropriate. Due to the emotional nature of this course the instructor asks all students to respect the
diverse opinions of class participants.

9. The instructor reserves the option of changing the class schedule based on the educational needs of the students.

10. All case discussions are considered confidential and cannot be discussed outside of class.

Readings:

Required readings from various sources have been compiled in a packet available at Off-Campus Books.

Textbook: Nonfinite Loss and Grief: A Psychoeducational Approach

Authors: Elizabeth J. Bruce and Cynthia L. Schultz.
Publisher: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company
Copyright: 2001
www.amazon.com or www.brookespublishing.com
ISBN Number: 1-55766-517-6
Assignments:

Students will interview a family with child, age 0-3, using assessment tools presented in class. Students will prepare a 15-
20 minute oral presentation of their family interview. They will present their experience, assessment, and insights to the
class. Students will prepare a transparency or handout, which demonstrates their use of 3 assessment tools during the
presentation. Students may choose from lifeline, genogram, life cycle matrix, psychosocial history, or ecomap.

Students will write a 3-page essay, single space, on a personal loss – an object, dream, or person. The loss essay should
include the student’s personal observations of the impact of this loss on their life. The essay will address the impact of
this loss on their past and future personal/professional relationships, behavior, emotions, life philosophy, and cognition.
Students should explore in this essay how this loss experience could assist or hamper their sensitivity in work with
families of children with chronic illness and/or disabilities. Also, students should address their style of handling “good-
byes” whether personal or professional. The loss essay will not be presented in class and will be considered confidential
by the instructor. Grade will be based on student’s attempt to understand the loss and it’s impact on their life. Students
may refer to various theories of loss and grief learned in class but the most important goal of the paper is self-reflection.

Students will construct a Genogram of their family, including at least three generations (the student, their parents, and
grandparents), using the symbols presented in class. Students will write a 3-page essay describing their Genogram.
Students will include their own interpretation and chronology of family events and how their family of origin dynamics
might impact their work with families. Again, the Genogram will be considered confidential. Only the instructor will read
the Genogram and essay.

Students will read an assigned article provided by the instructor. The article will address an issue that might impact family
systems. Each student will develop a typed outline of important points. A copy of this outline will be copied for each
student in class. Student should be prepared to present the article in class. Dates of presentation will be based on the
topic.
…..........

Attendance:

To successfully complete this course, students will be required to complete all assignments on time. Assignments are
due at the beginning of class on the designated due date. Assignments turned in after the designated date and time will
not be accepted. Attendance and participation are essential to the integration of course material and the student’s ability
to demonstrate proficiency. One unexcused absence will result in a ten point drop in grade.

Grading: The Loss essay and Genogram will constitute a final exam. Grades will be determined by test scores, completion
and demonstration of understanding class concepts through assigned work, and participation. Tests will be multiple
choice, True/False and short essay.

Family interview 10
Loss Essay 15
Genogram and Essay 15
Two tests 20 points each 40
Assigned journal article 10
Participation/Attendance 10

Total 100 Points

Grade Scale:

92-100 = A
80-91 = B
70-79 = C