Entry requirements

Completed courses (or started courses in certain cases) in Developmental psychology 7.5 credits, Cognition and psychology of learning 7.5 credits, Neuropsychology I 4.5 credits and the Child's language development, several and second language learning 7.5 credits. The programme is based on clear progression, which is why the student should follow the courses in order.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should

• be able to account for normal oral-motoric development and function at number and eating.

• be able to account for oral-motoric abnormality and effect on number and eating.

• be able to account for and distinguish deviations in oral-motoric, phonological, grammatical, semantic, and pragmatic development of children with one or more native languages.

• be able to account for stuttering of children and recommended measures.

• be familiar with different tests and examination methods of number and language.

• be familiar with assignments relevant for medical history and journal documentation.

• be able to justify proposals for measures regarding deviant development.

• be able to clarify the communicative and social consequences of the difficulties from a holistic perspective.

Content

The course is based on previously acquired knowledge in anatomy and physiology, as well as previously acquired knowledge of the child's language and communication development from linguistic and psychological perspectives.

The course gives basic theoretical knowledge of oral motor function for speech and eating, including functional anatomy, motor function, oral-motoric abnormality, functional deviations and plastic surgery for lip, jaw and palatal abnormalities, orthodontics and dentistry with a specialisation in the speech therapy.

Furthermore, basic theoretical knowledge is given of disturbances in speech, language and communication development in situtations of monolingualism, multilingualism and second-language learning and stuttering of children. The deviations are studied from motor, linguistic, neuropsychological and communicative aspects. How different linguistic and cognitive abilities interact in a linguistic communicative whole, and how deficiencies in some ability can turn out in linguistic communication, are discussed. The course communicates an overall view on children's communication development, so that the student should be able to decide when languages and the communication development is deviant or delayed for children with one or more native languages. Further, assignments for absorption are treated by medical history and journal documentation.

The course includes information about the United Nations Children's Convention.

Instruction

The teaching is given as lectures, seminars with exercises as well as case work.

Assessment

The students show results of their learning through examined components. The assessment may be oral or written. Passing the course requires both participation in compulsory learning activities and passed results of examined components. Regulations and guidelines regarding examined components or compulsory learning activities are made available at the beginning of the course.

A pass mark on course A pass for all compulsory elements of the course and a passed written examination are required for a pass for the course as a whole. Written examination of theoretical components. Oral or written presentation of case work.

Students who have not passed the examination have a right to make 4 additional examination attempts (i.e. 5 examination attempts in total). If special circumstances apply, the programme committee may allow further additional examinations. Each occasion the student participates in an examination is regarded as one examination attempt. Submission of a so-called blank examination counts as an examination attempt.

The student has the right to request a change of examiner after two failed examinations.