Psychology & Brain Sciences 491D - S-Impact of Disabilities/Fam.

Families of children with disabilities have a broad range of experiences. This seminar will address the positive and negative impacts of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities on the well-being of various family members across the lifespan, through discussion of empirical research and family stories. We will focus on consequences for parents (e.g., diagnosis, family organization, stress and coping, resilience), siblings (e.g., sibling relationships, future caregivers), as well as grandparents and other extended family members. These topics will be explored through the lens of family theories with an emphasis on application to public policy and intervention.

DDHS (Developmental Disabilities and Human Services) students only. Registration is only open to students in the Specialization in DDHS Program for the first month of registration. Other students may seek permission after that time. Prerequisites may be waived for non-Psych majors. Non-DDHS students should visit blogs.umass.edu/ddhs to request registration in this course (or email ddhs@umass.edu). You cannot register through SPIRE.