Faculty Contact Information:
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e-mail: tsommerfield@faculty.ed.umuc.edu
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Consultation:
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Office Hours: Before and after class on Saturdays and Sundays
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Required Texts and Readings:
McWhirter, J., et al (2004). At Risk Youth. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Wicks-Nelson, R. and Israel, A. (2003). Behavior Disorders of Childhood. Columbus, OH: Prentice-Hall.
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Supplementary Readings:
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All graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library at http://www.umuc.edu/library/. The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students’ research and writing skills.
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Recommended Journals:
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Course Description:
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This course is designed as an integrated study of the interaction of human behavior, learning, and the environment. Emphasis is placed on the symptoms, causes, and mediation of deviant behavior among children, adolescents, and young persons. Trends and practices in community mental health are studied. Instruction in the writing of a case study report is also given.
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Course Goals:
As a required course in the M.Ed. in Guidance and Counseling, this course seeks primarily to:
1. improve the professional counseling skills of the participants,
2. provide graduate students with foundational knowledge of the various
mental health problems of children and youth, and
3. familiarize graduate students with remedial measures that affect
changes in the child, adolescent, or young adult.
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Course Objectives:
Students will:
1. identify and recognize, particularly within school-based settings, children and adolescents with mental health problems,
2. understand the causes of mental health problems in children and adolescents,
3. understand how theory provides a framework for remediation of presented problems,
4. study remedial measures that affect changes in the child or adolescent with poor mental health with special emphasis on the school, home, and community settings,
5. review trends in community, home, and school-based interventions for children and adolescents with emotional and/or behavioral problems,
6. obtain an in-depth awareness of mental health concepts as applied to school-age children,
7. develop a basic knowledge of how to access mental health resources, programs, organizations and referral services.
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Grading Information:
Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 90%
B 80 – 89%
C 70 – 79%
F Below 70%
Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog, available at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/general_info/publications/catalogs or in your local Education Center.
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Course Requirements:
Graduate school at the master's level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society.
In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, you are required to:
Participate in classroom discussions 10%
Oral Presentation 30%
Complete midterm and final written examination(s) 30%
Complete a graduate level final paper in appropriate APA style format 30%
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Description of Course Requirements:
Participation in classroom discussions and exercises (worth 10% of final grade). Students will be graded on the quality and not the quantity of their participation in class discussions.
Oral presentation (worth 30% of final grade). Students will be assigned a topic from At Risk Youth (McWirter et. al., 2004) and will be required to present the topic to the class.
Two non-cumulative exams (each is worth 15% of the final grade for a cumulative total of 30% of the final grade). The exams will cover the material in the primary text. The exams are designed to assess students understanding of and ability to apply the material.
Graduate level final paper on a topic approved by instructor. Should be APA style format. The body should be 8-10 pages in length at a minimum not including title page, abstract, and reference pages.
Write graduate level papers or case studies: You are required to conduct professional-level research, including appropriately citing works of others and avoiding plagiarism. Resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC, UMUC-Europe or BSU), partially or in its entirety, is not acceptable in this course and will result in an automatic failure on the assignment.
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Course Schedule:
The following is an outline to the content of the course and suggested reading in Behavior Disorders of Childhood (2003) by Rita Wicks-Nelson & Allen Israel and At Risk Youth (2004) by McWhirter et. al. It is subject to slight modification.
Saturday, 21 August 2004
Introductions
Review of syllabus
Clarification of goals, objectives and requirements
Orientation to subject
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Disordered Behavior: The Developmental Psychopathology Perspective
Sunday, 22 August 2004
Chapter 3 Influences and Risks in the Developmental Process
Chapter 5 Classification, Assessment and Treatment
Saturday, 11 September 2004
Chapter 6 Anxiety Disorders
Chapter 7 Mood Disorders
Chapter 8 Conduct Disorders
Film & Discussion: The Children Are Watching
Quick Review for mid-term exam.
Saturday, 18 September 2004
Morning Midterm Exam
Chapter 9 Attention-Deficit hyperactivity Disorder
Chapter 10 Learning and Language Disorders
Chapter 11 Mental Retardation
Sunday, 19 September 2004
Chapter 12 Autism and Schizophrenia
Chapter 13 Disorders of Basic Physical Functions
Chapter 14 Pschological Factors Affecting Medical Condition
Film & Discussion: A Good Smack
Saturday, 2 October 2004
Morning Final Exam
At Risk Youth: Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
Begin Oral presentations.
Sunday, 3 October 2004
Finish Oral presentations
Wrap Up
Course evaluation
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Academic Policies:
Note: Any written assignment in this course may be submitted to TurnItIn.Com. This statement constitutes prior notice.
The official university policy on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty can be found at http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa15025.shtml. Section I.C. states: "Faculty may determine if the resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC), partially or in its entirety, is acceptable when assigning a grade on that piece of course work. Faculty must provide this information in their written syllabi. If the resubmission of course work is deemed to be unacceptable, a charge may not be brought under this Policy and will be handled as indicated in the written syllabi."
Please refer to Description of Course Requirements for specific information on how resubmissions will be treated in this course and to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
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Faculty Bio:
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Dr. Tom Sommerfield earned his A.A. in General Studies, a B.S. in Psychology, and a M.Ed. in Counseling & Personnel Services all through University of Maryland programs. He earned his Ph.D. in Psychology with a specialization in Family Psychology. His primary interests are with parenting styles, divorce issues, and children’s exposure to media and/or domestic violence. Dr. Sommerfield has lived in the Heidelberg, Germany area for about 16 years since leaving high school and joining the U.S. Army. After four successful years as a soldier, he has been working as a "civilian" in the Heidelberg military community since 1990. He is married and has a beautiful little family. His son Jerome Thomas is four and his daughter Sydney Joy is three. When not working, he has "another side of life" while drumming in a very successful music project in the Heidelberg/Karlsruhe area. If interested in surprising him at a show, please visit their site to check the "termine" or schedule at: www.sammy-goes-nuts.de
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