Autism Spectrum Disorders (PSY 304D)

Fall, 2007

Time:                          MW 4:30-5:45

Classroom:                 101 CVH

Instructor:                   Patricia Egan, Ph.D.

Office:                         214 Beaumont

Phone:                        564-3381

Email:                         eganp@plattsburgh.edu

Office Hours:                 Mon. 3:00-4:00

Weds. 3:15-4:15

Thurs. 1:30-2:30

& by appointment

Course Goals: The focus of the course will be on understanding autism spectrum disorders. The course goals are to improve written and oral communication skills and to develop an improved ability to function in, contribute to, and benefit from small group, intellectual experiences. 

Prerequisites:  PSY 101, PSY 205, PSY 206.

Reading Materials:  Students will read chapters from the Travis Thompson text and additional readings (provided in class). See References page in this document for sources. Students will also need to access peer-reviewed research articles from a range of topics. Short videos will be shown to illustrate many of the concepts discussed in classes. Students are encouraged to keep materials in a 3-ring binder.

SPECIFIC COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Students will keep track of their own points, through the use of individual tracking sheets, which they turn in at the end of each class. Students receive photocopies of their tracking (progress) sheets every 4 weeks (see class schedule, this document) so that they may monitor their progress. Additional progress monitoring is provided in individual student/instructor meetings.

1. Reading summaries (15% of grade).  Students are required to submit a one-page typed summary for many of the assigned readings (see class schedule). State the purpose of the reading (for example, a summary of asperger syndrome characteristics, or a description of an intervention method), and the main points reviewed in the reading. Be sure to include a summary of the conclusion of the author(s). Remain objective, and use technical writing skills. Summaries must be between 1 and 2 pages. Summaries that are longer than 2 pages forfeit a point. One typed page is preferred.

You can earn a total of 10 points for each reading summary, based on the following standards:

a. submitted on time (0-2 points). Papers receive 2 points if they are submitted on time. Any papers submitted late, but by the next class earn only 1 point, and papers submitted any later will not be accepted (0 points). Papers must be submitted in hard copy, not by email.

b. stapled and no more than 2 double-spaced pages (one page is preferred) (0-1 point). Papers 2 pages long must be stapled. Students whose papers are longer than 2 pages forfeit a point.

c. heading is correct (0-1 point). Heading must include the following at the top, flush left: Your name, name of course and/or course number, date the paper is due, title and author(s) of the chapter or reading.

d. summary (0-3 points). Papers receive 3 points if the reading is adequately summarized in the student’s own words, includes all relevant information, and demonstrates the student’s understanding of the material. Papers are scored according to the following scale:

Purpose of the article clearly expressed = 1 point

At least 85% of the main points of the chapter are expressed = 1 point

The author’s conclusion is clearly summarized (briefly) = 1 point

e. grammatically correct and without spelling errors (0-3 points). Use full sentences and correct syntax, follow correct grammar rules, and use spell check as needed. Points will be awarded according to the number of errors (0-2 errors = 3 pts., 3-4 errors = 2 pts., 5 errors = 1 pt., more than 5 errors = 0 points).

Correct revision of summary, based on corrective feedback (0-1 points). For the first 6 summaries, students who don’t score full credit for b, c, d, or e above will have one opportunity to revise each summary to receive another point. Revised summaries must be submitted by the next class (the one following their receipt of feedback), with their original graded summary attached. Revised summaries will only be accepted if they are submitted before or during the following class – no later. Please note that this revision point is not available for Summaries 7-12.

The summaries will be collected during each class, edited, and returned by the instructor in the following class.

Please use 12 font, double spacing, and margins that are at least 1 inch on all sides. Keep your papers 1-2 pages long. Submit hard copies of your papers. Do not send electronically.

2. Quizzes (10%): Quizzes will be given for many of the readings (see schedule). Quizzes will be comprised of five or ten true/false and/or multiple choice and/or short answer questions. No make-up tests will be given, but students may drop their lowest two quiz scores. Students who are absent on a quiz day, even because of illness or family/personal emergency receive a score of 0, but remember that those points can be made up through other assignments; and/or students can drop their lowest two quiz scores.

3. Class discussion leader (8%): Each student will lead discussion for one class, based on that day’s reading assignment. A summary of the article is not necessary. Instead, the leader should start by critiquing the article (e.g., the writing style, the interest of the topic, the organization of material, etc.), and then emphasizing the two (or more) points or concepts the leader found most interesting or appealing. The leader should also review concepts that might be difficult or confusing to some of the class. Class leaders should pose at least 3 questions about the reading to the class. This presentation should last about 10-15 minutes of class time. Points are attained as follows: 

                Critique of article = 1 pt.

                Two or more interesting concepts emphasized and detailed = 2 pts. (1 per concept)

                Three or more questions  = 3 pts. (1 per question)

                Eye contact with the audience = 1

                Posture = 1

                Voice (speak slowly, and with enough volume)  = 1

                Animation (appear interested in the content) = 1

4. Class attendance (20%):  Students will be awarded 1 point per class for attendance. Students should record 1 in the attendance column of their tracking sheet each day they come to class.

5. Class participation (7%): Students are expected to participate in class and contribute to class discussion. Students are awarded 2 points for participating in a class session led by the instructor; or 4 points for participating in a class session led by a student.

Students will keep track of their own points for responses during class, through the use of individual tracking sheets. The maximum number of participation points per class is either 2 (instructor-led class) or 4 (student-led class), but extra participation points should be recorded in the bonus column, for potential extra participation credit (additional participation is worth 2 or 4 additional points (2 pts. during instructor-led classes; 4 pts. during student-led classes).

Students will record only their attendance and participation. The instructor will collect tracking sheets at the end of every class, and will record summary, quiz, and other scores after each class.

6. Research Review Papers (20%):  Each student will select a research topic from a list that is attached to this syllabus. A sign-up sheet will be posted during the first two classes of the semester. Students should sign up for the topic of their choice, but no more than two students per topic, please. Alternate paper topics may be requested, but need to be approved by the instructor. Three research papers will be required throughout the semester, but the papers will be cumulative. Therefore, a student’s first paper will be a synthesis of two peer-reviewed journal articles about the topic chosen. Subsequent papers will build on the same topic – students add an additional article for a total of 3 articles for the 2^nd paper, and a 4^th article for a total of 4 articles which are all integrated to compose the 3^rd paper. The purpose of these papers is to synthesize research studies conducted on the selected topic. Papers should be double-spaced and APA style (including a running head and title), stapled, and without plastic covers. These two sites contain some APA guidelines: http://www.uwsp.edu/psych/apa4b.htm or http://www.apastyle.org/previoustips.html. The Feinberg Library has several copies of the APA manual if you can’t find the information you need online. All primary source articles must be attached to the student’s paper when it is submitted.

Each of the three papers should be between 5 and 15 pages (5 for the first paper – up to 15 for the last paper). The first two papers are worth 5% of the final grade; the third paper is worth 10%. Students will receive extensive feedback on their papers, which should be used to improve their next paper. Students may re-submit the last of the three papers one time, for an improved grade, if their first draft is attached.

Students can earn a total of 20 points for each of their papers, based on the following standards:

Organization of paper = 0-3 pts.

Synthesis of articles = 0-5 pts. Each paper should integrate current and previous articles, rather than simply summarizing each article separately. Compare and/or contrast the conclusions of the researchers/authors. A model will be disseminated in class.

Figure or table = 0-3 pts. Each paper must have at least one table or graph, depicting changes from pre-treatment (baseline) to intervention. Use a graph or table that summarizes ALL the empirical research you’re presenting, if possible. Otherwise select a graph that is representative of the participants’ quantitative results (pre-post intervention). The figure or table should go at the end of the paper (page just before the references).

Grammar, spelling, and APA style = 0-5 pts.

0-3 errors = 5 pts.

4-5 errors = 4 pts.

6-7 errors = 3 pts.

8-9 errors = 2 pts.

10 errors = 1 pt.

more than 10 errors = 0 pts.

Using feedback from earlier papers = 0-3 pts.

Submitted on time = 0-1 pts. Papers will not be accepted more than one class day late.

7. Presentation of research articles (20%).  Students will use PowerPoint to present a total of three research presentations on their research review papers. Each presentation will be a summary of the most recent article reviewed (two articles combined for the first presentation). The 1^st presentation is worth 3%, the 2^nd is worth 7%, and the 3^rd is worth 10%. Presentations will last from approximately 7 minutes to 12 minutes. At least one graph or table must be included in each presentation.

Students can earn a total of 10 points for their presentations, based on their adherence to the oral presentation checklist standards (separate handout).

Class absences

1. Students who miss class are responsible for getting handouts from classmates or the instructor. Notes, etc. must be obtained from classmates.

    2.   The only way to re-gain points for missed class is to gain points in another way and/or in a future class             (e.g., through class participation). Exceptions include students with serious medical issues                                (verification  from medical personnel is required).

CLASS STRUCTURE

·         Instructor returns edited work & tracking sheets (10 min.)

·         Instructor or class discussion leader presentation (20 min.)

·         Instructor presents additional information related to the topic (e.g., videos, etc.), introduces next session’s reading & reviews timelines, etc. for final paper (15-25 min.)

·         Quiz (on quiz days) (15 min.)

·         Student research presentations and discussion (on presentation days) (10-15 min.)

·         Miscellaneous (5-10 min.)

·         Instructor collects summary of assigned reading and/or edited work and tracking sheets (5 min.)

·         Individual student meetings (one student per class) (5 min.)

Final Grade Criteria: 

Final grades are assigned as follows:

ACADEMIC HONESTY

It is expected that all students enrolled in this class support the letter and the spirit of the Academic Honesty Policy as stated in the college catalog. Any incidence of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Provost and will result in severe penalty. Please be sure you are familiar with the Academic Honesty Policy and the Cheating Policy in the college catalog.

References

Grandin, T. (2005). A personal perspective of autism. In F.R. Volkmar, R. Paul,

A.      Klin, & D. Cohen (Eds.). Handbook of autism and pervasive

                developmental disorders. (pp. 1276-1285). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Heflin, L.J. & Alaimo, D.F. (2007). Students with autism spectrum disorders: Effective instructional practices. (pp. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Konidaris, J.B. (2005). A sibling’s perspective on autism. In F.R. Volkmar, R. Paul, A. Klin, & D. Cohen (Eds.). Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders. (pp. 1265-1275) Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Silberman, S. (2001). The geek syndrome. Wired, 9, 2-9.

Thompson, T. (2007). Making sense of autism. Baltimore: Brookes Publishing.

Van Houten, R. & Hall, R.V. (2001). The measurement of behavior. Austin: Pro-

Ed.

CLASS SCHEDULE: FALL 07