Children & Society

Bridging Disciplines Programs allow you to earn an interdisciplinary certificate that integrates area requirements, electives, courses for your major, internships, and research experiences.

The Children and Society BDP offers you the opportunity to explore a variety of disciplinary approaches to the psychology and development of children and the social forces that impact them. The strands are designed to complement a range of majors and to prepare students for careers in fields such as advocacy, health care, research, public policy, and teaching. Through the Connecting Experiences component of the BDP, you can participate in some of UT’s most innovative faculty research or develop your knowledge through work with community groups, corporations, and schools.

Upon completion of 19 credit hours from the options listed below, you will earn a certificate in Children & Society.

Note: Course descriptions available here are from a recent offering of the course, and they may not reflect the description for the next offering of the course.

Note: Courses with an ** are focused on topics relevant to Children & Society, but the courses themselves may have minimal child-focused content. You may count no more than one of these courses toward your BDP certificate requirements.

View all courses

Forum Seminar Courses   (1 credit hours)

All students in the Children & Society BDP are required to take a Forum Seminar. Choose one Forum Seminar Course.

CS Forum
BDP 101 Children and Society
Children and Society focuses on children and their development within social systems such as families, schools and communities, as well as the individual characteristics and broader cultural values that influence development.
BDP 101 Health Inequality in Childhood and Adolescence
Health inequality in childhood and adolescence appears in all stages of the human life course as a function of the stratification of American society by race, social class, gender, and other factors. In childhood and adolescence, inequalities emerge in mental health, obesity, health behavior, and other aspects of health that lay a foundation for the even greater inequalities in health, including life expectancy, that characterize adult populations. Thus, combating early health inequalities can have long-term, lasting effects on the general well-being of American society as a whole. Because the first step in combating such early health inequalities is to understand them, this seminar will investigate in detail the various inequalities in health that arise and persist during the early life course by listening to experts from the health field, reading research articles on health, and discussing both the causes of health problems and possible methods of preventing such problems.

Foundation Courses   (3 - 6 credit hours)

Foundation Courses introduce key methodologies and issues related to Children & Society. Choose one Child Development Foundation Course.

Child Development Foundation Course
HDF 113L Child Development Laboratory

*Taken concurrently with HDF 313.

HDF 313 Child Development
Motor, language, cognitive, social, and emotional development in the family context.
PSY 304 Intro to Child Psychology
General introduction to physical, social, and cognitive development fromconception onward.
PSY 333D Intro to Developmental Psych
Physical, social, and cognitive development in humans.
Optional Additional Foundation Course

This category allows students across any strand the option to pursue more advanced coursework in child development. If you would like to count one of these courses toward your certificate, it must be in a discipline outside of your major. If you choose to complete a course from this category, you will complete only six credit hours of Strand Courses.

EDP 350G Adolescent Development
Addresses contemporary adolescent development in relation to major transitions, contextual influences, and psychosocial tasks, with additional emphases on aspects of adolescent identity development. Application to education and teaching adolescents is stressed. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing; six semester hours of upper-division coursework in education or behavioral sciences.
EDU 321 Play in Early Childhood Devel
This course is designed to examine play from various political, anthropological, sociological, educational, and social justice perspectives. In an era where play is increasingly disappearing in schools and neighborhoods, it is essential that anyone who cares about or for children have a deep understanding of the connections between play, learning, healthy living, and capability expansion. In this course, we critically evaluate research on play and try to understand better the role of play in our lives and the lives of children. We investigate how society and culture shape the ways we think about play and how much access to play we have in our daily lives.
HDF 342 Devel of Psychopathology from Infancy thru Adolescence
This course will survey psychological problems in children and adolescents from a developmental perspective. It will emphasize multiple factors related to individual differences in the development of social, emotional, cognitive and behavioral problems. You will be exposed to important concepts in the field of developmental psychopathology (e.g., risk and resilience, continuity and discontinuity, transactional and ecological models of development). Common approaches to treatment and the importance of prevention will be highlighted. This course will also introduce you to some of the research methods used by developmental psychopathologists. Upon completion of the course, you will be able to: 1. Discuss key principles, concepts, and methods of developmental psychopathology. 2. Describe how multiple factors (e.g., environments, biology, and developmental phase) contribute to the development of child and adolescent psychopathology. 3. Explain the assessment, diagnosis, and classification of major child and adolescent disorders. 4. Describe common approaches to prevention and treatment and their effectiveness. 5. Critically analyze research on psychopathological development in children and adolescents.
HDF 371 Adolescent Development in Context
The biological, cognitive, and social changes that occur during the second decade of life, including the developmental issues faced by adolescents.
HDF 378K DIVERSITY IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
This course examines fundamental, conceptual, and empirical knowledge regarding dimensions of diversity as they relate to human development. Specifically, we will draw from a social constructivist perspective and explore how issues related socially constructed categories (e.g., culture, race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexuality, and so forth) inform human development as well as systems of oppression and privilege. The basic premise of a social constructivist perspective is that our reality is socially constructed – that is, what we view as reality is created and recreated through social norms and interactions. From this point of view, we will learn how the “differences” between groups of people that we take for granted (e.g., differences based on the social construction of gender, ethnicity, race, sexuality, etc.) were created and continue to be recreated. We will also examine how experiences related to socially constructed categories (e.g., culture, race, ethnicity, gender, age, etc.) influence our identities, values, and behaviors. The overall goal of this course is to equip students with awareness, knowledge, and skills that students can apply in their personal and professional life as students navigate an increasingly diverse and globalized society.
HDF 378L Theories of Child and Family Development
1. To explain the nature and functions of developmental theory in the study of human development. 2. To survey classic and recent theories of human development. 3. To compare and evaluate the breadth, accuracy, precision, and utility of theories. 4. To apply theoretical analysis to issues of child development, education, and socialization in order to solve practical problems of children, parents, teachers and caregivers. 5. To reason in conceptual terms and write a logical and concise paper that presents the topic in a convincing, scholarly and well-documented way.

Connecting Experiences   (6 - 9 credit hours)

Your BDP advisor can help you find internships and research opportunities that connect Children & Society to your major and interests. We call these opportunities “Connecting Experiences” because they play such an important role in integrating your studies. Each Connecting Experience counts for 3 credit hours. You will need to complete two Connecting Experiences.

For more information and for examples of past Connecting Experiences, visit the BDP website and consult your BDP advisor. BDP students must propose Connecting Experiences to the BDP office. Current BDP students should view the BDP Advising Canvas site for Connecting Experience resources and proposal instructions.

Strand Courses   (6 - 9 credit hours)

In addition to your Foundation Courses and Connecting Experiences, you must complete 6-9 credit hours of Strand Courses, to bring your total credit hours toward the BDP certificate to 19 hours. You should work with your BDP advisor to choose Strand Courses that will focus your BDP on your specific interests, and that will provide you with an interdisciplinary perspective on your BDP topic. In order to create an interdisciplinary experience, you must choose courses from a variety of disciplines.

Choose one of the following concentrations, and complete 6-9 credit hours from within that concentration:

Please speak with your BDP advisor about your plan for fulfilling your Strand Course requirements. Note that only one of your Strand Courses may come from your major department(s), or from courses cross-listed with your major department(s).

Adolescence

The following courses should not be taken together due to overlap in content: EDP 350G, HDF 371, and PSY 333S.

E 3440 Pop Music & Youth Subcultures
Not available.
E 344L Young Adult Fiction and Film
This course will focus on young-adult fiction (also known as young adult literature) that has broad critical and/or popular appeal beyond its intended audience. As an additional critical component of the course, we will augment the readings with films and books inclusive of diverse experiences and interests but that do not necessarily have the benefit of popular or commercial appeal.
EDC 339F Adolescent Literacy
Social, political, cultural, emotional, and personal perspectives on adolescent literacy. Subjects may include adolescent literacy practices in and out of school; literacy in relation to identity, peer communities, meaning, communication, and social engagement; curricula that emphasize the social and civic purposes of literacy; and motivation, fulfillment, and democratic participation as educational outcomes.
EDP 350G Adolescent Development
Addresses contemporary adolescent development in relation to major transitions, contextual influences, and psychosocial tasks, with additional emphases on aspects of adolescent identity development. Application to education and teaching adolescents is stressed. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing; six semester hours of upper-division coursework in education or behavioral sciences.
EDP 350L Human Sexuality
**
Selected approaches to the study of the dynamics of behavior, its antecedents and its appraisal.
HDF 371 Adolescent Development in Context
The biological, cognitive, and social changes that occur during the second decade of life, including the developmental issues faced by adolescents.
HDF 378K Sexuality in Human Development and Families
This course is designed to provide an introduction to contemporary understandings of sexuality in the context of human development and families. The course is organized around major topics in the field of sexuality studies. This is not primarily a lecture course: we will focus on contemporary research and debates in human sexuality, and strive for applied learning, critical reflection and synthesis, and discussion. The course is not “taken” or given” but will be an experience that we create together. Thus, class attendance and participation is required. The primary course reading and classroom discussion materials will be original research articles. Through these readings we will explore contemporary research questions while: Understanding and applying relevant theories for the study of human sexuality, Understanding and interpreting research methods for the study of human sexuality, Understanding and applying public policy (and policy debates) to human sexuality, and Understanding and analyzing public debates and controversies regarding human sexuality and related research. For reasons that we will discuss, sexuality has been a topic characterized by controversy, shame, sensation, and thus, misinformation and myth. The result has been cultural divisions for what is “normal” sexuality, thus defining everything outside of that as “abnormal” (notably there have been shifts across history in what is deemed “normal”). Thus in this class we will examine the boundaries or edges of sexuality in human development and in families / relationships; these are the places where we might learn most about how sexuality is managed socially, and experienced personally.
HED 329K Child and Adolescent Health
The foundations of child, adolescent, and adult health; health education; and the biological, environmental, and behavioral health determinants of health. Includes the application of evidence-based child, adolescent, and adult health promotion concepts; prominent health risk behaviors established during youth that increase the risk of morbidity and mortality; and the application of personal health and wellness information.
HED 366 Human Sexuality
**
Analysis of the physiological, psychological, and social factors in human sexuality.
I 310 Young Adult Literature-Wb
This course is a survey of young adult literature (YAL) commonly read by people ages sixteen to twenty-five years old. The genres of fantasy, autobiography, historical fiction, realistic fiction, science fiction, and fan fiction will be explored. In addition to genres, students will also become familiar with YAL authors, formats, popular banned books, social movements, and literature adapted for the movies. Note: ?This course contains books with adult themes including sexual assault, murder, suicide, nudity, and other controversial topics. Learning Outcomes By the end of this course, students will: ? Identify common themes associated with YAL novels by identifying various plots and genres. ? Examine various social phenomena and artistic movements outside of or in parallel with the literary field to understand the underlying world of storymaking including banned and censored books, book cover art, films utilizing YAL plots and subject matter from published materials, and attention paid to the lives and literary careers of significant YAL writers. ? Evaluate reading materials for young adults in context to the maturing and evolving lives of the characters within the YAL novel and determine the intended audiences within the age group of sixteen to twenty-five. ? Evaluate how the characters and audience of YAL differ from their pre-modern counterparts and the social cultural crisis and life events that mean the most to this group of young adults or teenagers. ? Distinguish between genres and recognize recurring themes within YAL, with an emphasis in fantasy, historical, science fiction, realistic, autobiographical, and fan fiction.
PSY 333S Devel Sci of Adolescence
The goal of this course is to provide an introduction to “thinking like an adolescent developmental scientist.” Why is this valuable? We were all adolescents once, and so the field is rife with folk wisdom and common sense-- much of which is actually nonsense. In this class, we will talk about evidence from scientific studies, and how it speaks to enduring themes about the second decade of life. We will furthermore connect those scientific insights to issues of personal, practical, and societal importance. The course expects you to improve at: 1. Scientific thinking about adolescence, by using the tools of scientific inquiry; 2. Leadership in your chosen field, by accumulating knowledge at the frontiers of the developmental science; 3. Stewardship, by using the knowledge to make contributions to friends, family, or civic life. The course covers the key developmental theories, findings, methods and issues that help us understand adolescence. Adolescence begins with the onset of puberty and ends with relative independence from parents. This period of life is a transition that poses unique developmental challenges for adolescents, families, teachers and friends, and how well teenagers negotiate this transition has important implications for later outcomes across the lifecourse. Some of the topics that we will address include: puberty and neurophysiology of adolescence, cognitive and social-personality development, the struggle for self-identity and autonomy; the role of peers, schools, and the media on sculpting the contours of adolescence, and the nature of adolescent risk behavior and what to do about it.
PSY 333T Adolescent Development
This course surveys the developmental events that distinguish the transition from childhood to adulthood as a unique period in the life span. For example, we explore the issues of: puberty, the onset of intimate relationships, and identity formation. We also examine how the adolescent's heightened capacity for abstract thinking impacts not only academic problem solving, but also reasoning about interpersonal experiences. These 'special' issues of adolescence are considered within the contexts of family, peers, school, and the media.
RHE 309J When Topic is Appropriate
For topics courses labeled as “When Topic is Appropriate” on a BDP curriculum sheet, please note that all topics for this course number are not automatically approved to count toward your BDP. In advance of registration for a particular semester (and as part of the BDP seat request process), the BDP office will inform current BDP students of the topics for the course number that are approved for their BDP.
RHE 309K TOPICS IN WRITING
Coming-of-age narratives saturate U.S. popular culture. Young adult novels, comics, soap operas, and films depict the difficulties of growing up. In addition to portraying the growing pains of adolescence, narratives of teen angst reflect their socio-political contexts. Teenagers are powerful forces of change, and they represent the future of our society as they simultaneously shape it. How will the next generation approach questions of race, gender, sexuality, and disability? In this course, we will engage with television, movies, and comics that represent the teenager in U.S. popular culture from the 1950s to the present day. From Rebel Without a Cause to Riverdale, what can the rhetoric of teen angst teach us about the formation of current U.S. culture?
RTF 359S Girls' Media and Cultural Studies
None
S W 360K Youth, Delinq, and Juv Justice
None
S W 360K Working With Youth Gangs
None
Children & Health
EDC 314 Children's Movement
Introduction to children's movement, physical activity, and fitness; professional standards, policy, and legislation; physiological principles and learning principles. Movement skills and appropriate teaching strategies to provide future teachers with the knowledge and skills to provide and support positive, effective physical education classes for children.
EDP 350L Human Sexuality
**
Selected approaches to the study of the dynamics of behavior, its antecedents and its appraisal.
EDP 358D Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
This course will provide an overview of the nature, structure, etiology and developmental course of psychopathology during childhood and adolescence. Key issues that will be covered include approaches to the classification of psychological disorders, the incidence and prevalence of some major forms of child psychopathology, the role of environments and genes in the etiology of psychopathology, the developmental course of disorders, correlates of and risk factors for disorders, and the clinical implications of the current findings in the field. The goal of this course is to provide an overview of the field of child and adolescent psychopathology, including the symptom presentation, epidemiology, and developmental course of psychopathology in youth. Students will gain an understanding of the systems of classification, the prevalence and course of major disorders, their etiology, and their treatment, including identification of the common types of psychopharmacological and behavioral treatments associated with different diagnoses. We will identify factors that contribute to the risk of, and resilience from, psychopathology throughout childhood, as well as the clinical implications of research on risk and resiliency.
EDP 376T 9-Pediatric Psychology and Health Disparities
The goal of this seminar is to examine current research and practice in pediatric psychology. This includes biological, psychological, and social foundations of pediatric conditions, as well as lifespan health conditions related to development in childhood; pediatric health disparities and impact on public health; research methods used in the field; current research findings; the status of empirically supported methods of assessment and treatment; and critical issues facing the field. The first half of the semester will be devoted to general principles of pediatric psychology, while the second half will focus on disease-specific topics (e.g., cancer, asthma, diabetes, obesity), including developmental processes of risk and resilience and prevention/intervention for these conditions.
GRG 334E Children's Environmental Health
This course discusses these contemporary, and often controversial, issues in environmental health, focusing on how today's environmental issues directly affect children. Environmental contaminants often affect children differently, and more intensely, than they do adults. Pound-for-pound, children eat more food, drink more water, and breathe more air than do adults, which exposes them to higher levels of toxicants. Children engage in activities differently than do adults, such as putting their hands in their mouths, playing on the ground, and putting objects in their mouths, which can result in more intense exposures to contaminants. In addition, environmental contaminants may affect children disproportionately because children are not fully developed - environmental contaminants can interfere with critical pathways of development, their immune systems are not fully functioning, and their ability to remove toxins is less effective. The thousands of chemicals children are exposed to have undergone little to no toxicity testing and their potential health dangers to children are generally unknown. These exposures, in conjunction with the public health achievements of vaccines and antibiotics, have shifted the nature of childhood illness in developed countries from communicable disease to one of chronic illness. The childhood face of toxic environmental exposures is both chronic and acute – from asthma exacerbated by air pollution to delayed development from lead in paint to the complex, chronic conditions of multiple origins, like autism. These are known as the “new pediatric morbidity.” Of particular interest in this new pediatric morbidity is the unequal distribution of exposures among children of different socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. Poor children are disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards, in the home, in school, and outdoors.
HDF 305 HEALTH DEVEL ACROSS LIFESPAN
1. To understand the major determinants of health across the life span • Students will identify major social determinants of health and demonstrate how they influence the most important health problems of the day. • Students will identify factors that drive health disparities across groups. 2. To understand the role of contextual factors in shaping individuals’ health behaviors and health outcomes across the life span • Students will be able to assess how social environment and relationships spanning families and social ties, schools, and neighborhoods influence health outcomes. • Students will learn how to evaluate the reciprocal processes that occur among individuals, their families, and other contextual factors and how these vary across the lifespan. 3. To engage with the theoretical frameworks and scientific methodologies that help us understand the causes and consequences of health, health behaviors, and social and health inequalities, with a focus on the United States • Students will be able to describe the key theories for understanding how social and contextual factors influence health across the lifespan. • Students will be able to explain basic approaches of scientific methods employed to understand health across the life span. 4. To become a critical consumer of both scholarly research and popular writings on population health, thinking more critically about the broader political, social, scientific, economic, and/or cultural issues that influence social and health inequalities • Students will be able to critically evaluate academic and popular writings, as well as public policy, related to health and its social determinants. • Students will be able to develop and support claims related to health and its social determinants.
HDF 378K Intro to Child Life

*Instructor Approval Required

Concepts, theories, and issues in human development and family sciences.
HDF 378K Intro to Early Childhood Intervention

*Instructor Approval Required

HED 329K Child and Adolescent Health
The foundations of child, adolescent, and adult health; health education; and the biological, environmental, and behavioral health determinants of health. Includes the application of evidence-based child, adolescent, and adult health promotion concepts; prominent health risk behaviors established during youth that increase the risk of morbidity and mortality; and the application of personal health and wellness information.
HED 350 Theories of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the theory, processes, activities, and settings for health education/health promotion practice. We recognize that some students may not be majoring in health promotion. The subject matter is applicable to a variety of fields, such as nursing, medicine, and other health professions, communication, education, psychology, sociology, and social work in addition to health promotion.
HED 366 Human Sexuality
**
Analysis of the physiological, psychological, and social factors in human sexuality.
KIN 321M Motor Devel and Performance
The content of this course reviews motor skill development from infancy through adolescence with particular emphasis on the immature mover and the processes by which skill develops. A central theme is that movement is the outcome of interaction of biological characteristics, the task, and the environment. We explore the typical schedule of growth and maturation. We explore how we, as teachers, therapists, and coaches, can manipulate the task and environment to elicit new motor behaviors at each stage of growth and development by understanding the interaction of development and learning.
KIN 334 Chldrn's Exercise & Phys Activ
Children's changing capacity for performance in exercise and sport. Includes performance changes as a function of physical growth and maturation, physiological response to activity and training, the relationship between children's health and adult health, and the psychosocial parameters that influence participation in physical activity.
KIN 360 Prog for People with Disabils
Develop knowledge of current concepts and trends in adapted physical education as well as the ability to plan and implement a physical education program designed to meet the unique needs of individuals.
NTR 315 Nutrition Through Life Cycle
Adapting nutrition recommendations to physiological changes throughout the life span.
PBH 337 MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH
This course will provide students with a broad overview and introduction to selected maternal and child health-related issues and will include a focus on the ways in which poverty, politics, and racial and ethnic disparities affect the health of families, women, children, and adolescents. We will discuss and examine current issues central to maternal and child health, review the latest literature on new directions in the field, explore existing data sources and the uses of data to improve maternal and child health, and discuss the ways in which the political context in a given location affects the health and well-being of families. This course is designed to be a rigorous and engaging undertaking that includes lecture, interactive activities, and shared learning opportunities for each student. Some of the discussion of assigned readings will be led by students in class. Student engagement and participation will be a vital part of class sessions and online activities. By the end of the course, students will be able to: Explain the principles and key concepts of life course theory (LCT). Apply principles of LCT to real-world MCH health issues/problems. Compare and contrast major MCH health programs in the United States. Evaluate the impact of politics, poverty, and disparities on maternal and child health. Identify and utilize sources of maternal and child health data. Evaluate and critique MCH research in the peer-reviewed literature.
PSY 333M Infant Development
Examination of genetic and environmental determinants of social, perceptual, and cognitive development in infants from theoretical and research perspectives.
PSY 339 Behavior Problems of Children
Adjustment difficulties during childhood and adolescence; causation and treatment.
PSY 341K CHILDHOOD TRAUMA ADVERSITY
This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.
S W 360K S W Prac with Abused/Neglected Children/Families
None
S W 360K Spcl Hlthcre Youth Prac/Pol
This graduate level course is offered to students in social work and other healthcare fields to learn about transitioning Youth with Special Healthcare Needs (YSHCN) from pediatric to adult care. The course relies on classroom sessions that promote experiential learning including, information gathering, case review, individual reflection, and group problem solving, allowing students to work throughout the semester in professionally diverse teams to solve socially diverse problems in YSHCN transition. By having assigned readings and written assignments to complete before class, the course will employ a flipped classroom informing and readying students for classroom engagement. The goals of the course are to explore inter-professional teamwork; to introduce students to a comprehensive view of YSHCN transition that includes and goes beyond medical concerns; to guide students toward the importance of the consideration of social and context concerns in all areas of healthcare practice; and to give students experience in employing strategies to promote completion of YSHCN transition in medical home clinic environments. Through learning about transition, students will also learn about a range of issues related to Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs, including mental health issues in transition, overcoming challenges with complex populations, communication in healthcare settings, patient-andfamily centered care, barriers to transition, and understanding the professional role of healthcare professionals in the practice of transition. Course content will include a student review of national, local, and institutional policy on transition practices and will promote competency in social work and other healthcare professional ethics. The importance of cultural and linguistic competency is intentionally woven throughout this curriculum.
SED 303 Autism Spectrum Disorder
Welcome to the world of Autism Spectrum Disorder – you all have actually been living in this world for your whole lives. For some of you, you have been aware of this world as an individual, friend, and/or family member. For others of you, this course will be your first exposure to this world. This world also happens to be filled with dubious claims and controversies. This course delves into what approaches and strategies help improve the lives of people with ASD and which ones are wastes of time and money (and which ones are downright dangerous.) The goal is for you to be an educated consumer of research and how research is used to prove what works and what does not work. We will look at various claims and the research behind each claim. Additionally, we will examine the role research plays in what people know about various claims. We will look at how research findings are communicated - and how we can best translate research findings into everyday language. *Our knowledge about ASD is changing rapidly. In addition, new treatments are continually being touted as the next hottest things. Course topics and readings will change to reflect the current state of research (or lack thereof) regarding ASD. Course Objectives: In this course, students will: Identify current research on the etiology of ASD Examine the history of ASD and the impact of how ASD is defined on prevalence numbers Develop verbal fluency in best practices for working with individuals with ASD Gain familiarity with intervention research designs Develop a critical eye for evaluating the evidence base behind therapies Gain perspective regarding the impact of ASD on daily life
SED 378T AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
Focus on approaches and strategies that help improve the lives of people with ASD. Examines the role research plays in what people know about various claims. Explores how research findings are communicated, and how to best translate research findings into everyday language.
SLH 367K Intro Sp/Lng Dis Asm/Trt Chl
Introduction to assessment procedures and treatment strategies for children with speech and language disorders.
SOC 307K Fertility and Reproduction
**
Why do birth rates rise and fall? How can the U.S. have both record rates of childlessness as well as the highest rates of teen childbearing and unwanted pregnancy in the industrialized world? Why does educating women lower birth rates faster than any population control program in the Third World? This course will explore when, why, how, and with whom Americans bear children, and how we compare to other developed and developing countries in the world. Students will analyze the social control of reproduction and the struggle for reproductive justice, the rapid rise of nonmarital childbearing in the U.S. and other countries, infertility and its treatments, the ethics of surrogacy, foreign adoption, the politics of pregnancy and childbearing, risks of maternal mortality in developed and developing countries, race, class and infant mortality in the U.S., and the rapid aging and population decline of rich countries (including Japan, Italy, and Spain) where women have basically gone on “birthstrikes”.
SOC 369K Population and Society
The study of populations, including their growth, age structure, and patterns of fertility, mortality, and migration; the social causes and consequences of these phenomena.
Children, Media & the Arts
E 3440 Pop Music & Youth Subcultures
Not available.
E 344L Young Adult Fiction and Film
This course will focus on young-adult fiction (also known as young adult literature) that has broad critical and/or popular appeal beyond its intended audience. As an additional critical component of the course, we will augment the readings with films and books inclusive of diverse experiences and interests but that do not necessarily have the benefit of popular or commercial appeal.
E 350R HISTORY OF CHILDREN'S LIT
This course examines children’s literature as a literary genre, focusing particularly on the emergence of childhood as a category distinct from adulthood. We will ask: What does children’s literature do? Is it meant to teach young people? To entertain? We will consider the role of the adult in children’s literature, as well as the genre’s formal elements and contribution to larger movements across global history. We will consider both bestselling “Golden Age” texts, like Lewis Carroll’s Alice books and Frank Baum’s Oz series, as well as less commonly discussed texts that draw on the canon, such as Nathaniel Hawthorne’s retelling of Greek myths and Christina Rossetti’s answer to Carrollian fantasy, Speaking Likenesses.
EDU 321 Play in Early Childhood Devel
This course is designed to examine play from various political, anthropological, sociological, educational, and social justice perspectives. In an era where play is increasingly disappearing in schools and neighborhoods, it is essential that anyone who cares about or for children have a deep understanding of the connections between play, learning, healthy living, and capability expansion. In this course, we critically evaluate research on play and try to understand better the role of play in our lives and the lives of children. We investigate how society and culture shape the ways we think about play and how much access to play we have in our daily lives.
I 310 Young Adult Literature-Wb
This course is a survey of young adult literature (YAL) commonly read by people ages sixteen to twenty-five years old. The genres of fantasy, autobiography, historical fiction, realistic fiction, science fiction, and fan fiction will be explored. In addition to genres, students will also become familiar with YAL authors, formats, popular banned books, social movements, and literature adapted for the movies. Note: ?This course contains books with adult themes including sexual assault, murder, suicide, nudity, and other controversial topics. Learning Outcomes By the end of this course, students will: ? Identify common themes associated with YAL novels by identifying various plots and genres. ? Examine various social phenomena and artistic movements outside of or in parallel with the literary field to understand the underlying world of storymaking including banned and censored books, book cover art, films utilizing YAL plots and subject matter from published materials, and attention paid to the lives and literary careers of significant YAL writers. ? Evaluate reading materials for young adults in context to the maturing and evolving lives of the characters within the YAL novel and determine the intended audiences within the age group of sixteen to twenty-five. ? Evaluate how the characters and audience of YAL differ from their pre-modern counterparts and the social cultural crisis and life events that mean the most to this group of young adults or teenagers. ? Distinguish between genres and recognize recurring themes within YAL, with an emphasis in fantasy, historical, science fiction, realistic, autobiographical, and fan fiction.
I 320 Children's Literature
Evaluation, selection, and proper and creative use of books and other media with children.
INF 382E Materials for Children

*Instructor Approval Required

*Graduate level; instructor consent required

A survey of children's literature; materials in various formats suitable for use by and with children. Evaluation tools, application of selection and evaluation criteria, and planning for the use of materials.
RHE 309J When Topic is Appropriate
For topics courses labeled as “When Topic is Appropriate” on a BDP curriculum sheet, please note that all topics for this course number are not automatically approved to count toward your BDP. In advance of registration for a particular semester (and as part of the BDP seat request process), the BDP office will inform current BDP students of the topics for the course number that are approved for their BDP.
RTF 301N Exploring Children's Media
This course investigates current debates about media use by children within larger historical, social and cultural contexts. We examine the way that media produced for and about children have been used for play, learning, and socialization. Using examples from a diverse archive of children’s books, film, television, and digital media, we analyze the tensions between adults’ visions of childhood and the authentic uses of media by children. We also study the production of new media by children as they explore their own interests and identities. In the process, we focus on recurrent efforts by adults to regulate media and play for children. Using project-based work, we explore innovative ideas for the production of new media products for children and their families.
RTF 365D Children, Youth and Media
In this course, students take an historical look at the uses of media and popular culture by children and teens. Particular focus is placed on recent trends in the uses of digital tools, cultural products, information and media produced by children and youth. An archive of media produced for children will be explored. The course also examines the way that media effects research has been used as a basis for policy, regulation and social movements that seek to both expand and restrict young people’s uses of media over time. Throughout the course, students will be asked to analyze, evaluate and creatively design media products intended for audiences of children and teens.
T D 326C Theatre Studies: Creative Drama
This course is designed to expand your knowledge of and experience in the various techniques and skills associated with the practice of creative drama. You will be introduced to three main approaches: activity-based work, literature-based work/story drama, and situation-based work/process drama. Through readings, in-class activities, discussion, lesson planning, micro-teaching, and written reflection, you will have the opportunity to develop a practical understanding of the various skills and techniques needed to use creative drama strategies as an art form and as a teaching tool in a variety of contexts.
T D 326D Theatre Studies: Young Audiences
Theory and practice of all phases of play production for young audiences.
T D 351T Teach Artists in Schls & Comms
Do you want to explore the range of educational work currently happening in schools, museums and community settings? Do you want to understand more about how to teach in and through the arts? Do you want to consider the power and potential of the arts to make change in education and society? Then, come learn about how to be a teaching artist in the Teaching Artists in Schools and Communities this spring--a dynamic course offered by the Theatre and Dance Dept. in the College of Fine Arts. This practical, interdisciplinary course will explore how to use the arts to educate in arts and non-arts settings (professional arts organizations, after-school programs, schools, museums, and community sites). We will examine the historical role of artists applying their knowledge and skills outside of their traditional environment, and the current move towards aligning artistry with standards and project objectives. As teaching artists, we will consider the role of intentionality, artistic perspective, quality, assessment, and praxis (the relationship of action/reflection) in our work. We will engage with a variety of local arts organizations that hire and train teaching artists including dancers, visual artists, and theatre professionals. Our discussions will be framed by a practical residency experience in a school or community location and the creation of a teaching artist portfolio. No experience in the arts or education is required.
T D 356T Latino Thtr for Young Audience
Theory and practice of all phases of play production of plays about Latino/a characters for young audiences. Reading of several Latino Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) plays with discussions of contemporary issues in Latino TYA plays and productions.
Education, Language & Literacy
CSD 312 Developmental Language Science
The purpose of this course is to give you a solid foundation in current research and theories regarding the development of communication abilities in children, as well as communication changes relevant to adolescents. When you have completed hte course, you should be able to discuss and apply the various theoretical perspectives and recognize examples of communication development in the everyday behavior of children. You will also learn the basic techniques that are used to analyze and understand speech and language performance. COURSE OBJECTIVES: Identify and describe the major properties of speech, language and communication Discuss theories that explain and describe child language acquisition Describe cognitive, physiological and social components of early language development Describe and recognize developmental stages of communication Analyze and understand speech and lagnuage production Discuss similarities and differences in monolingual and bilingual development Identify and describe major language disorders
CSD 314L Sociocul Bases of Communicatn
An introduction to the influences of social and cultural factors, such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic region, on communication acquisition and use, with a focus on cross-cultural communication issues in a diverse society.
E 350R HISTORY OF CHILDREN'S LIT
This course examines children’s literature as a literary genre, focusing particularly on the emergence of childhood as a category distinct from adulthood. We will ask: What does children’s literature do? Is it meant to teach young people? To entertain? We will consider the role of the adult in children’s literature, as well as the genre’s formal elements and contribution to larger movements across global history. We will consider both bestselling “Golden Age” texts, like Lewis Carroll’s Alice books and Frank Baum’s Oz series, as well as less commonly discussed texts that draw on the canon, such as Nathaniel Hawthorne’s retelling of Greek myths and Christina Rossetti’s answer to Carrollian fantasy, Speaking Likenesses.
EDC 339F Adolescent Literacy
Social, political, cultural, emotional, and personal perspectives on adolescent literacy. Subjects may include adolescent literacy practices in and out of school; literacy in relation to identity, peer communities, meaning, communication, and social engagement; curricula that emphasize the social and civic purposes of literacy; and motivation, fulfillment, and democratic participation as educational outcomes.
EDC 341C Early Childhood Education
From Syllabus: Roles of the early childhood educator are studied and experienced as extensively as possible to assure professional confidence and competence in understanding young children’s educational, physical, emotional and social needs. The specific concerns of parents in regard to childcare and early educational programs will be investigated. Starting with a comprehensive analysis of early childhood education, past, present, and future this course quickly moves to classroom applications and curriculum issues for young children. From Instructor's Email: This introductory class exposes the students to what young children are need in order to develop and learn. The students, who are usually not education majors, are required to complete four observations of young children: a childcare of their choice, Habibi’s Hutch Childcare Center, a prekindergarten or kindergarten classroom of their choice and a special education classroom. The students have to lead the class in a fingerplay or song as well as plan and prepare an art or cooking activity for the class to complete. Once we all have some common understandings about what early childhood is like, we spend the second half of the semester looking more in-depth into programs designed for young children. We have a lot of fun – because that is the nature of childhood, but the students always learn much more than I could imagine.
EDC 341D Early Childhood Program Devel
The purposes of this course are to prepare students to develop curricula that are appropriate for early childhood education classrooms. Principles of curriculum formation will be explored, including the contexts of curriculum decision-making (community, state, culture, and politics), developmentally appropriate classroom environments, bases for selecting materials, and frameworks for reflecting on decisions. Within these principles, a variety of instructional plans for practice will be prepared; practice will include integrating content related to language/literacy, science, math, social studies, and the arts. Play as an integrating activity will be emphasized.
EDU 327 Sociocul Influences on Learn
This course provides an introduction to issues of socio-cultural influences on learning, schools, communities, and families. It includes issues of disability, culture, gender, and education/special education. Disability categories come from special education services and include learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and emotional and behavioral disorders.
EDU 329 Acquis Of Langs & Literacies
This course will provide an overview of theoretical and practical perspectives on the nature of language in education, its use and usage. Students will explore principles of discourse, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics as they relate to second language acquisition. We will also cover language varieties, social conventions and linguistic structures. The focus of the course is to prepare pre-service teachers to best meet the linguistic, academic, etc. needs of emergent bi/multilingual students in the K-12 classroom from a holistic multilingual perspective.
HDF 266C GUIDANCE IN ADULT-CHILD RELS
Explore the theory and implementation of positive child and adult interactions, communication, and guidance strategies. Through lectures paired with experiential learning opportunities at the UT Lab School (HDF 266L), students will learn of National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) guidelines, developmentally appropriate practices, guidance strategies, theories of child development, developmental domains and milestones, observational skills, the importance of play, and contextual factors of development in early childhood. This course must be taken concurrently with HDF 266L.
HDF 266L GUIDANCE ADULT-CHILD REL LAB
Interact with children and families at the Priscilla Pond Flawn Child and Family Laboratory while under supervision, to explore the development of skills in positive child and adult interactions, communication, guidance strategies, and observational data collection.
HDF 378K Italian Early Childhood Education
UT Maymester Study Abroad Program Description: A group of 23 undergraduate students will take part in the program from May 26, 2019 to June 21, 2019. This group will have the opportunity to visit several schools with different educational philosophies. Course Objectives: This Maymester program is designed to provide undergraduate students with an integrated and coherent set of course experiences that facilitate growth as an individual and as an advocate for young children and their families. By the end of this course, students will increase their knowledge of: Italy and Italian culture Overview of important child development concepts and theories Importance of early childhood education History and cross-cultural comparisons of early childhood education Major tenets and successful adaptations of the Montessori. Reggio Emilia and Pistoia approaches Bullying during childhood Ethics and advocacy for young children
HIS 365G The History of Childhood
Children preoccupy contemporary western societies. Childhood is regarded as a special period of life that deserves all the attention adults can give it. Biographies emphasize individuals’ early years as the key to understanding their personalities and subsequent development. Many of our most popular movies and television shows dwell on the joys and agonies of growing up. Contemporary politics emphasizes children’s issues, such as education, teenage smoking and drinking, youth crime, and children’s access to health care. Adults envy young peoples’ freedom and irresponsibility, yet they also fear youth gangs and juvenile delinquents; worry about disadvantaged and impoverished youth who grow up in environments that expose them to alcohol, drugs, crime, and violence; and express anxiety about whether young people are prepared to meet the technological challenges of the twenty-first century. This course places contemporary educational, legal, policy, and psychological thinking about childhood and current concerns about children’s well-being into sweeping historical perspective. The course will examine childhood both as lived experience—shaped by such factors as class, ethnicity, gender, geographical region, and historical era—and as a cultural category that adults impose upon children. The class will place a special emphasis on public policy. Adoption, child abuse and neglect, children’s rights, disability, juvenile delinquency, schooling, and social welfare policies are among the topics that this course will address.
I 310 Young Adult Literature-Wb
This course is a survey of young adult literature (YAL) commonly read by people ages sixteen to twenty-five years old. The genres of fantasy, autobiography, historical fiction, realistic fiction, science fiction, and fan fiction will be explored. In addition to genres, students will also become familiar with YAL authors, formats, popular banned books, social movements, and literature adapted for the movies. Note: ?This course contains books with adult themes including sexual assault, murder, suicide, nudity, and other controversial topics. Learning Outcomes By the end of this course, students will: ? Identify common themes associated with YAL novels by identifying various plots and genres. ? Examine various social phenomena and artistic movements outside of or in parallel with the literary field to understand the underlying world of storymaking including banned and censored books, book cover art, films utilizing YAL plots and subject matter from published materials, and attention paid to the lives and literary careers of significant YAL writers. ? Evaluate reading materials for young adults in context to the maturing and evolving lives of the characters within the YAL novel and determine the intended audiences within the age group of sixteen to twenty-five. ? Evaluate how the characters and audience of YAL differ from their pre-modern counterparts and the social cultural crisis and life events that mean the most to this group of young adults or teenagers. ? Distinguish between genres and recognize recurring themes within YAL, with an emphasis in fantasy, historical, science fiction, realistic, autobiographical, and fan fiction.
I 320 Children's Literature
Evaluation, selection, and proper and creative use of books and other media with children.
INF 382E Materials for Children

*Instructor Approval Required

*Graduate level; instructor consent required

A survey of children's literature; materials in various formats suitable for use by and with children. Evaluation tools, application of selection and evaluation criteria, and planning for the use of materials.
LAH 350 Inqlty In the Us Educ Sys

*Restricted to Liberal Arts Honors students.

For centuries many have seen the United States as the land of opportunity. Free public education is often seen as one of the key pillars of opportunity in the U.S. Yet, the quality of public education varies greatly depending on the neighborhood and characteristics of the student. In this class, we will examine how inequality has developed and is maintained within the American public education system. We will pay particular attention to the role of school funding and residential segregation in maintaining disparities in educational quality. We will also learn and critique existing theories of educational inequality such as meritocracy, stereotype threat, and oppositional culture. Next, we will explore the effect of students’ traits on how they interact with and experience school in the U.S. Race/ ethnicity, gender, social class, and special educational needs are just a sample of the attributes that we will investigate. We will conclude by exploring current efforts to combat inequality within the public education system through school choice, magnet programs, accountability campaigns, community-based school reform, and other efforts.
LIN 312 When Topic is Appropriate
None
LIN 350 Bilingual Lang Acquisition
Rationale: By some accounts, more than half of the world’s population is bilingual, and many people are fluent in more than two languages. Frequently, those multilingual individuals are exposed to two languages from birth or from a very early age. In spite of this, a vast majority of our investigation of language acquisition has been conducted on monolingual children. In this course, therefore, we examine descriptions of language acquisition when a child is exposed to more than one language. Our understanding of how humans acquire and manage language has much to gain from the examination of bilingual/multilingual children. Course Aims and Objectives: In this course we will explore various aspects of bilingual language acquisition (including phonology, morphology, and syntax) taking into account different language pairs (e.g., Spanish-English, Dutch-English, American Sign LanguageEnglish, etc.). Among the theoretical questions that we will consider are: Can early development in bilingual acquisition be characterized by two linguistic systems or one? Does bilingual language acquisition provide a child with enhanced linguistic skills (e.g., metalinguistic skills) in comparison the acquisition of a single language? How can we explain what seems to be “universal/predictable/reliable” language acquisition for an L1 (i.e., monolingual) but variable language development for someone exposed to more than one language?
LIN 373C Child Language
ntroduction to the study of the areas of linguistics that involve other disciplines, such as sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, mathematical methods in linguistics. Examination of theory and research concerning the development of language in the child.
MES 342 CHILDREARING IN ISRAEL
Spanning the pre-state years through the late 1950s, this course explores the topic of childrearing in the Jewish Yishuv during the formative years of the State of Israel, and the ways in which it helped shape the norms of mainstream Israeli society. We will open with an exploration of the education system for Jews and Palestinian Arabs in Palestine under the Ottoman rule, the British Mandate, and during the first decade after the establishment of the State of Israel. Turning to the education of kindergarteners and elementary-school children in the Jewish sector, we will continue with the following questions: Who were the teachers, where and how were they trained, and what educational theories and principles guided them in their classroom work and organizational initiatives? What role did teachers and school children play in the revival of Hebrew as a national language? What did children read, and what was read to them? What songs did they sing? What Hebrew and translated literatures were they exposed to? What was the role of literature and youth magazines in inculcating the Zionist ethos in children? What effect did the circumstances of growing up in urban centers and in the kibbutz movement have on leading figures in the Israeli political and cultural scene? While considering these questions and others, we will also explore the historical and cultural aspects of four events with children at their core: The Hurum Air Disaster (1949); The Yemenite Children Affair (~1948-1954); The rescue and adoption of Sinaia Hamdan (1956); and The Yossele Schumacher Affair (1960).
PSY 333P Child Language
Examination of theory and research concerning the development of language in the child.
S W 360K S W in School Setting
This course will focus on the provision of school-based social services to children and adolescents and their families and the roles social workers play in delivering such services. Content discussed will include the historical context of school-based social services and school social work; relevant national and state legislation and policies; a comparison of models used in the provision of school-based services; specific techniques used by school social workers in delivering culturally competent social services and in promoting social and economic justice. Emphasis will be on the effective delivery of intervention strategies to at-risk populations and on the development of quality prevention programs in a school setting.
SLH 312 DEVELOPMENTAL LANG SCI-WB
This course offers us an opportunity to unpack the art and science behind children’s development of language and effective communication, covering ages from infancy through adolescence. We will also explore how cultural, individual, and environmental factors influence communication patterns and our definitions of “typical language development.”
SLH 367K Intro Sp/Lng Dis Asm/Trt Chl
Introduction to assessment procedures and treatment strategies for children with speech and language disorders.
SOC 307J EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
This course introduces students to the sociological study of education. The overarching goal of this class is to enhance students’ understanding of how the educational system works, how schooling shapes the opportunities available to children and adolescents, and how educational attainment influences the lives and wellbeing of adults. This course will begin by introducing various sociological perspectives on education and an overview of the history of the American educational system. We will then explore the myriad factors that shape achievement and learning, beginning when children are young, considering such topics as school readiness, early childhood education, and the role of parents and caregivers in shaping educational opportunities. As we consider older children, our focus will shift toward questions involving the significance of schools, peers, and communities, and topics such as youth culture, identity issues, bullying, truancy, social media, violence in schools, and college culture. We will spend a considerable amount of time exploring differential access to educational opportunities along race, class, and gender lines, and how these social variables shape student experiences and future outcomes. We will also explore the links between educational stratification and employment, income, relationships, health, parenting behaviors, and other outcomes. Finally, throughout the course we will keep an eye on recent debates in and challenges to the educational system in the U.S. including educational reform, the evaluation of teachers and teacher tenure, the charter school movement, and differences between public and private schools at all educational levels
SOC 321L Sociology of Education
Education as a societal institution, with emphasis on the United States educational system: how the system works; the effects of the system; recent changes.
Children & the Family
CMS 357 Family Communication
**
Some of the common issues that face those who live in, counsel, and conduct research with families. The development of traditional families in the United States, different family structures that make up modern society, current issues that affect families, and the impact of communication on family experiences.
HDF 304 Family Relationships
**
The process of family interaction over the life cycle. Application of research findings to the understanding of relationships.
HDF 343 Human Development in Minority/Immigrant Families
Examines the theories of human development and cultural psychology as they apply to the developmental issues of minority and immigrant children and families.
HDF 347 Socioecon Probs of Families
An analysis of socioeconomic factors affecting the economic well-being of families and individuals.
HDF 351 Infant Devel/Attachment Rels
This class will explore infants’ physical, sensory-perceptual, motor, cognitive, language, social and emotional development within the context of family relationships from conception through age three. Infant-parent attachment and its implications for infant development will be emphasized. Course objectives are as follows: • To develop a basic understanding of theory and research in the study of infant and toddler development from prenatal development through age three. • To understand the implications of theory and research in infant and toddler development for caring for young children and fostering their optimal development. • To foster the development of critical evaluation skills, so that “popular” articles and book, as well as scholarly publications, can be read thoughtfully and critically.
HDF 372K Families In Transition
In this course we will be discussing family transitions from both a between and within family perspective. We will examine how family structures have changed and adapted across time and also how they have remained the same. We will identify and explore normative and non-normative transitions within families. This course is a research based course and to that end you will be reading several supplementary journal articles throughout the semester. In addition, you will develop, conduct, write, and present a case study focusing on one within-family transition.
HDF 378L Theories of Child and Family Development
1. To explain the nature and functions of developmental theory in the study of human development. 2. To survey classic and recent theories of human development. 3. To compare and evaluate the breadth, accuracy, precision, and utility of theories. 4. To apply theoretical analysis to issues of child development, education, and socialization in order to solve practical problems of children, parents, teachers and caregivers. 5. To reason in conceptual terms and write a logical and concise paper that presents the topic in a convincing, scholarly and well-documented way.
LAH 351C AFR AM FAM: HIST CONTEM CNTXT
From the time of slavery when their marriages and families were not recognized to the present where many are considered pathological, African American families have been under almost constant attack in the United States. Yet, a close examination of the changing African American family in the United States does not demonstrate its pathology but rather its resilience and adaptability to societal constraints. In this class, we will examine how African Americans managed to maintain a sense of family from the time of slavery to the present trend of mass incarceration. We will analyze how different perspectives on gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, social class and the family have been applied to African American families. In addition, we will discuss the importance of single parent and multigenerational households, extended family, fictive kin and the entire community in raising African American children. Finally, we will critique and evaluate the impact of the portrayal of African American families in academic research, politics, and the media.
LIN 312 When Topic is Appropriate
None
PSY 333G Devel of Attachment Relationship
In this course we will be studying the attachment relationship. We’ll begin with historical foundations for the construct as we understand it today. Then we’ll look at some of the correlates of attachment security. Precursors to attachment security comprise characteristics of the infant (nature) as well as characteristics of the environment (nurture). We’ll examine evidence for the contributions of each of these possible influences. In order to evaluate predictions from security status and precursors to such security, we’ll also look at what attachment looks like beyond childhood. Finally, we’ll look at clinical problems that can arise from insecurity.
S W 332 Socl Work Practice with Indiv/Fams
Theory and knowledge of effecting change in individuals and families, with emphasis on analytical and interactional processes and skills.
S W 360K African American Family
Overview of historical and contemporary issues facing African American families and children. Social service delivery to African American families and communities is emphasized.
S W 360K S W Prac with Abused/Neglected Children/Families
None
S W 360K Parenting Interventions for Diverse Populations
The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of evidence-based interventions aimed at enhancing parenting across diverse populations, with special attention to variations in parenting and corresponding interventions across key developmental transitions (infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence) and critical social contexts (child and parent characteristics, family circumstances, socioeconomic status, cultural background). The class will cover: 1) parenting theory (mothers and fathers) that serves as the foundation for evidence-based interventions; and 2) parenting interventions for a) infants through adolescents; b) special populations (e.g., children with disorders, children of depressed mothers); c) families living in socioeconomic disadvantage; d) ethnically and racially diverse populations; and e) families with diverse family structures. The goal of this course is to provide students with a general understanding of advances and limitations in efforts to support parents in raising healthy and successful children from different backgrounds.
SOC 307C AMER FAMILIES PAST AND PRESENT
Examines trends over time in specific aspects of family life, including marriage, cohabitation, mate selection, divorce, parenthood, family structure, and work-family balance. Study of the methods that sociologists and demographers use to study the family.
SOC 307C American Families: Past & Present
How changes in American family life have affected adults and children in contemporary society. Examines trends over time in specific aspects of family life, which include marriage, cohabitation, mate selection, divorce, parenthood, family structure, and work-family balance. Methods used by sociologists and demographers to study the family will also be reviewed.
SOC 307K Fertility and Reproduction
**
Why do birth rates rise and fall? How can the U.S. have both record rates of childlessness as well as the highest rates of teen childbearing and unwanted pregnancy in the industrialized world? Why does educating women lower birth rates faster than any population control program in the Third World? This course will explore when, why, how, and with whom Americans bear children, and how we compare to other developed and developing countries in the world. Students will analyze the social control of reproduction and the struggle for reproductive justice, the rapid rise of nonmarital childbearing in the U.S. and other countries, infertility and its treatments, the ethics of surrogacy, foreign adoption, the politics of pregnancy and childbearing, risks of maternal mortality in developed and developing countries, race, class and infant mortality in the U.S., and the rapid aging and population decline of rich countries (including Japan, Italy, and Spain) where women have basically gone on “birthstrikes”.
SOC 323 The Family
The American family in historical and comparative perspective. Family history and origins; comparative family systems; social antecedents of family structure and process; family formation and dissolution; family and society; recent family changes and prospects for the future.
Children & Public Policy
GOV 358 Introduction to Public Policy
This course will examine the politics and history of public policymaking in America. We will examine how policy is made, and whether LBJ’s dicta that “good policy is good politics” holds. We will study contemporary policy challenges, especially focusing on financial and budgetary challenges, and health care. We will also examine education, environment, and justice. Since good policies can only come about with good information, properly interpreted, the course will emphasize the roles of ideas and information in the policy process: how elected and appointed political leaders use it to formulate and implement public policies.
HDF 347 Socioecon Probs of Families
An analysis of socioeconomic factors affecting the economic well-being of families and individuals.
HDF 362 Children & Public Policy
The positive and negative effects of policy on children and the policy landscape in several major domains of child and family life in the United States and in other countries.
HDF 378K DIVERSITY IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
This course examines fundamental, conceptual, and empirical knowledge regarding dimensions of diversity as they relate to human development. Specifically, we will draw from a social constructivist perspective and explore how issues related socially constructed categories (e.g., culture, race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexuality, and so forth) inform human development as well as systems of oppression and privilege. The basic premise of a social constructivist perspective is that our reality is socially constructed – that is, what we view as reality is created and recreated through social norms and interactions. From this point of view, we will learn how the “differences” between groups of people that we take for granted (e.g., differences based on the social construction of gender, ethnicity, race, sexuality, etc.) were created and continue to be recreated. We will also examine how experiences related to socially constructed categories (e.g., culture, race, ethnicity, gender, age, etc.) influence our identities, values, and behaviors. The overall goal of this course is to equip students with awareness, knowledge, and skills that students can apply in their personal and professional life as students navigate an increasingly diverse and globalized society.
HIS 365G The History of Childhood
Children preoccupy contemporary western societies. Childhood is regarded as a special period of life that deserves all the attention adults can give it. Biographies emphasize individuals’ early years as the key to understanding their personalities and subsequent development. Many of our most popular movies and television shows dwell on the joys and agonies of growing up. Contemporary politics emphasizes children’s issues, such as education, teenage smoking and drinking, youth crime, and children’s access to health care. Adults envy young peoples’ freedom and irresponsibility, yet they also fear youth gangs and juvenile delinquents; worry about disadvantaged and impoverished youth who grow up in environments that expose them to alcohol, drugs, crime, and violence; and express anxiety about whether young people are prepared to meet the technological challenges of the twenty-first century. This course places contemporary educational, legal, policy, and psychological thinking about childhood and current concerns about children’s well-being into sweeping historical perspective. The course will examine childhood both as lived experience—shaped by such factors as class, ethnicity, gender, geographical region, and historical era—and as a cultural category that adults impose upon children. The class will place a special emphasis on public policy. Adoption, child abuse and neglect, children’s rights, disability, juvenile delinquency, schooling, and social welfare policies are among the topics that this course will address.
LAH 350 Inqlty In the Us Educ Sys

*Restricted to Liberal Arts Honors students.

For centuries many have seen the United States as the land of opportunity. Free public education is often seen as one of the key pillars of opportunity in the U.S. Yet, the quality of public education varies greatly depending on the neighborhood and characteristics of the student. In this class, we will examine how inequality has developed and is maintained within the American public education system. We will pay particular attention to the role of school funding and residential segregation in maintaining disparities in educational quality. We will also learn and critique existing theories of educational inequality such as meritocracy, stereotype threat, and oppositional culture. Next, we will explore the effect of students’ traits on how they interact with and experience school in the U.S. Race/ ethnicity, gender, social class, and special educational needs are just a sample of the attributes that we will investigate. We will conclude by exploring current efforts to combat inequality within the public education system through school choice, magnet programs, accountability campaigns, community-based school reform, and other efforts.
S W 310 Introduction to Social Work & Social Welfare
Introduction to the profession of social work and its roles in the social welfare system, with emphasis on social problems, society's historical response, and contemporary proposed solutions.
S W 360K African American Family
Overview of historical and contemporary issues facing African American families and children. Social service delivery to African American families and communities is emphasized.
S W 360K Spcl Hlthcre Youth Prac/Pol
This graduate level course is offered to students in social work and other healthcare fields to learn about transitioning Youth with Special Healthcare Needs (YSHCN) from pediatric to adult care. The course relies on classroom sessions that promote experiential learning including, information gathering, case review, individual reflection, and group problem solving, allowing students to work throughout the semester in professionally diverse teams to solve socially diverse problems in YSHCN transition. By having assigned readings and written assignments to complete before class, the course will employ a flipped classroom informing and readying students for classroom engagement. The goals of the course are to explore inter-professional teamwork; to introduce students to a comprehensive view of YSHCN transition that includes and goes beyond medical concerns; to guide students toward the importance of the consideration of social and context concerns in all areas of healthcare practice; and to give students experience in employing strategies to promote completion of YSHCN transition in medical home clinic environments. Through learning about transition, students will also learn about a range of issues related to Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs, including mental health issues in transition, overcoming challenges with complex populations, communication in healthcare settings, patient-andfamily centered care, barriers to transition, and understanding the professional role of healthcare professionals in the practice of transition. Course content will include a student review of national, local, and institutional policy on transition practices and will promote competency in social work and other healthcare professional ethics. The importance of cultural and linguistic competency is intentionally woven throughout this curriculum.
SOC 307J EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
This course introduces students to the sociological study of education. The overarching goal of this class is to enhance students’ understanding of how the educational system works, how schooling shapes the opportunities available to children and adolescents, and how educational attainment influences the lives and wellbeing of adults. This course will begin by introducing various sociological perspectives on education and an overview of the history of the American educational system. We will then explore the myriad factors that shape achievement and learning, beginning when children are young, considering such topics as school readiness, early childhood education, and the role of parents and caregivers in shaping educational opportunities. As we consider older children, our focus will shift toward questions involving the significance of schools, peers, and communities, and topics such as youth culture, identity issues, bullying, truancy, social media, violence in schools, and college culture. We will spend a considerable amount of time exploring differential access to educational opportunities along race, class, and gender lines, and how these social variables shape student experiences and future outcomes. We will also explore the links between educational stratification and employment, income, relationships, health, parenting behaviors, and other outcomes. Finally, throughout the course we will keep an eye on recent debates in and challenges to the educational system in the U.S. including educational reform, the evaluation of teachers and teacher tenure, the charter school movement, and differences between public and private schools at all educational levels
SOC 321L Sociology of Education
Education as a societal institution, with emphasis on the United States educational system: how the system works; the effects of the system; recent changes.
SOC 323 The Family
The American family in historical and comparative perspective. Family history and origins; comparative family systems; social antecedents of family structure and process; family formation and dissolution; family and society; recent family changes and prospects for the future.
Early Childhood Intervention

HDF 378K: Intro to Early Childhood Intervention is required of all students in this strand.

EDC 341D Early Childhood Program Devel
The purposes of this course are to prepare students to develop curricula that are appropriate for early childhood education classrooms. Principles of curriculum formation will be explored, including the contexts of curriculum decision-making (community, state, culture, and politics), developmentally appropriate classroom environments, bases for selecting materials, and frameworks for reflecting on decisions. Within these principles, a variety of instructional plans for practice will be prepared; practice will include integrating content related to language/literacy, science, math, social studies, and the arts. Play as an integrating activity will be emphasized.
EDU 321 Play in Early Childhood Devel
This course is designed to examine play from various political, anthropological, sociological, educational, and social justice perspectives. In an era where play is increasingly disappearing in schools and neighborhoods, it is essential that anyone who cares about or for children have a deep understanding of the connections between play, learning, healthy living, and capability expansion. In this course, we critically evaluate research on play and try to understand better the role of play in our lives and the lives of children. We investigate how society and culture shape the ways we think about play and how much access to play we have in our daily lives.
EDU 327 Sociocul Influences on Learn
This course provides an introduction to issues of socio-cultural influences on learning, schools, communities, and families. It includes issues of disability, culture, gender, and education/special education. Disability categories come from special education services and include learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and emotional and behavioral disorders.
HDF 266C GUIDANCE IN ADULT-CHILD RELS
Explore the theory and implementation of positive child and adult interactions, communication, and guidance strategies. Through lectures paired with experiential learning opportunities at the UT Lab School (HDF 266L), students will learn of National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) guidelines, developmentally appropriate practices, guidance strategies, theories of child development, developmental domains and milestones, observational skills, the importance of play, and contextual factors of development in early childhood. This course must be taken concurrently with HDF 266L.
HDF 266L GUIDANCE ADULT-CHILD REL LAB
Interact with children and families at the Priscilla Pond Flawn Child and Family Laboratory while under supervision, to explore the development of skills in positive child and adult interactions, communication, guidance strategies, and observational data collection.
HDF 304 Family Relationships
**
The process of family interaction over the life cycle. Application of research findings to the understanding of relationships.
HDF 338 Developmentally Appropriate Practices with Young Children
Developmentally appropriate practices, the importance of play, arrangingenvironments, material selection, and a basic understanding about centers and activities for young children.
HDF 351 Infant Devel/Attachment Rels
This class will explore infants’ physical, sensory-perceptual, motor, cognitive, language, social and emotional development within the context of family relationships from conception through age three. Infant-parent attachment and its implications for infant development will be emphasized. Course objectives are as follows: • To develop a basic understanding of theory and research in the study of infant and toddler development from prenatal development through age three. • To understand the implications of theory and research in infant and toddler development for caring for young children and fostering their optimal development. • To foster the development of critical evaluation skills, so that “popular” articles and book, as well as scholarly publications, can be read thoughtfully and critically.
HDF 378K Intro to Early Childhood Intervention

*Instructor Approval Required

S W 310 Introduction to Social Work & Social Welfare
Introduction to the profession of social work and its roles in the social welfare system, with emphasis on social problems, society's historical response, and contemporary proposed solutions.
S W 312 Gen S W Prac: Knowl/Val/Skills
Introduction to generalist social work practice, with emphasis on the knowledge, values, and skills used in intervention.
S W 323K Social Welfare Prog, Pol, and Issues
Study of structure and function of service delivery systems, policy analysis, and effects and influences of policy on practice and planning decisions.
S W 332 Socl Work Practice with Indiv/Fams
Theory and knowledge of effecting change in individuals and families, with emphasis on analytical and interactional processes and skills.
S W 334 Social Work Practice in Org and Comm
Theory and knowledge of effecting change in organizations and communities, with an emphasis on analytical and interactional processes and skills.
SED 303 Autism Spectrum Disorder
Welcome to the world of Autism Spectrum Disorder – you all have actually been living in this world for your whole lives. For some of you, you have been aware of this world as an individual, friend, and/or family member. For others of you, this course will be your first exposure to this world. This world also happens to be filled with dubious claims and controversies. This course delves into what approaches and strategies help improve the lives of people with ASD and which ones are wastes of time and money (and which ones are downright dangerous.) The goal is for you to be an educated consumer of research and how research is used to prove what works and what does not work. We will look at various claims and the research behind each claim. Additionally, we will examine the role research plays in what people know about various claims. We will look at how research findings are communicated - and how we can best translate research findings into everyday language. *Our knowledge about ASD is changing rapidly. In addition, new treatments are continually being touted as the next hottest things. Course topics and readings will change to reflect the current state of research (or lack thereof) regarding ASD. Course Objectives: In this course, students will: Identify current research on the etiology of ASD Examine the history of ASD and the impact of how ASD is defined on prevalence numbers Develop verbal fluency in best practices for working with individuals with ASD Gain familiarity with intervention research designs Develop a critical eye for evaluating the evidence base behind therapies Gain perspective regarding the impact of ASD on daily life
SED 322C Individual Differences
The purpose of this class is to learn, discuss, and evaluate topics related to disability. This course is designed to discuss issues related to cultural and linguistically diverse individuals with disabilities at the elementary and secondary school level. Cultural and linguistic competency ensures the proper use of culturally responsive teaching, improves cross-cultural communication skills, promotes more efficient parent/student-teacher relationships and overall increases sociocultural awareness
Intervention & Vulnerable Children
CSD 314L Sociocul Bases of Communicatn
An introduction to the influences of social and cultural factors, such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic region, on communication acquisition and use, with a focus on cross-cultural communication issues in a diverse society.
EDP 358D Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
This course will provide an overview of the nature, structure, etiology and developmental course of psychopathology during childhood and adolescence. Key issues that will be covered include approaches to the classification of psychological disorders, the incidence and prevalence of some major forms of child psychopathology, the role of environments and genes in the etiology of psychopathology, the developmental course of disorders, correlates of and risk factors for disorders, and the clinical implications of the current findings in the field. The goal of this course is to provide an overview of the field of child and adolescent psychopathology, including the symptom presentation, epidemiology, and developmental course of psychopathology in youth. Students will gain an understanding of the systems of classification, the prevalence and course of major disorders, their etiology, and their treatment, including identification of the common types of psychopharmacological and behavioral treatments associated with different diagnoses. We will identify factors that contribute to the risk of, and resilience from, psychopathology throughout childhood, as well as the clinical implications of research on risk and resiliency.
EDP 376T 9-Pediatric Psychology and Health Disparities
The goal of this seminar is to examine current research and practice in pediatric psychology. This includes biological, psychological, and social foundations of pediatric conditions, as well as lifespan health conditions related to development in childhood; pediatric health disparities and impact on public health; research methods used in the field; current research findings; the status of empirically supported methods of assessment and treatment; and critical issues facing the field. The first half of the semester will be devoted to general principles of pediatric psychology, while the second half will focus on disease-specific topics (e.g., cancer, asthma, diabetes, obesity), including developmental processes of risk and resilience and prevention/intervention for these conditions.
EDU 327 Sociocul Influences on Learn
This course provides an introduction to issues of socio-cultural influences on learning, schools, communities, and families. It includes issues of disability, culture, gender, and education/special education. Disability categories come from special education services and include learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and emotional and behavioral disorders.
HDF 342 Devel of Psychopathology from Infancy thru Adolescence
This course will survey psychological problems in children and adolescents from a developmental perspective. It will emphasize multiple factors related to individual differences in the development of social, emotional, cognitive and behavioral problems. You will be exposed to important concepts in the field of developmental psychopathology (e.g., risk and resilience, continuity and discontinuity, transactional and ecological models of development). Common approaches to treatment and the importance of prevention will be highlighted. This course will also introduce you to some of the research methods used by developmental psychopathologists. Upon completion of the course, you will be able to: 1. Discuss key principles, concepts, and methods of developmental psychopathology. 2. Describe how multiple factors (e.g., environments, biology, and developmental phase) contribute to the development of child and adolescent psychopathology. 3. Explain the assessment, diagnosis, and classification of major child and adolescent disorders. 4. Describe common approaches to prevention and treatment and their effectiveness. 5. Critically analyze research on psychopathological development in children and adolescents.
HDF 343 Human Development in Minority/Immigrant Families
Examines the theories of human development and cultural psychology as they apply to the developmental issues of minority and immigrant children and families.
HDF 347 Socioecon Probs of Families
An analysis of socioeconomic factors affecting the economic well-being of families and individuals.
HDF 378K DIVERSITY IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
This course examines fundamental, conceptual, and empirical knowledge regarding dimensions of diversity as they relate to human development. Specifically, we will draw from a social constructivist perspective and explore how issues related socially constructed categories (e.g., culture, race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexuality, and so forth) inform human development as well as systems of oppression and privilege. The basic premise of a social constructivist perspective is that our reality is socially constructed – that is, what we view as reality is created and recreated through social norms and interactions. From this point of view, we will learn how the “differences” between groups of people that we take for granted (e.g., differences based on the social construction of gender, ethnicity, race, sexuality, etc.) were created and continue to be recreated. We will also examine how experiences related to socially constructed categories (e.g., culture, race, ethnicity, gender, age, etc.) influence our identities, values, and behaviors. The overall goal of this course is to equip students with awareness, knowledge, and skills that students can apply in their personal and professional life as students navigate an increasingly diverse and globalized society.
HDF 378K Intro to Early Childhood Intervention

*Instructor Approval Required

KIN 360 Prog for People with Disabils
Develop knowledge of current concepts and trends in adapted physical education as well as the ability to plan and implement a physical education program designed to meet the unique needs of individuals.
PSY 339 Behavior Problems of Children
Adjustment difficulties during childhood and adolescence; causation and treatment.
PSY 341K CHILDHOOD TRAUMA ADVERSITY
This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.
S W 332 Socl Work Practice with Indiv/Fams
Theory and knowledge of effecting change in individuals and families, with emphasis on analytical and interactional processes and skills.
S W 360K Working With Youth Gangs
None
S W 360K Parenting Interventions for Diverse Populations
The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of evidence-based interventions aimed at enhancing parenting across diverse populations, with special attention to variations in parenting and corresponding interventions across key developmental transitions (infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence) and critical social contexts (child and parent characteristics, family circumstances, socioeconomic status, cultural background). The class will cover: 1) parenting theory (mothers and fathers) that serves as the foundation for evidence-based interventions; and 2) parenting interventions for a) infants through adolescents; b) special populations (e.g., children with disorders, children of depressed mothers); c) families living in socioeconomic disadvantage; d) ethnically and racially diverse populations; and e) families with diverse family structures. The goal of this course is to provide students with a general understanding of advances and limitations in efforts to support parents in raising healthy and successful children from different backgrounds.
S W 360K S W Prac with Abused/Neglected Children/Families
None
S W 360K Methods Play Intervention
This course will cover an overview of the history and development of play therapy and applications of play interventions across the life cycle with an emphasis on children; discussion of the major theoretical perspectives which provide the basis for individual play therapy, group play therapy, filial therapy, and play interventions with families, adults, adolescents, children and organizations; examination of the relevant practice research; exploration of the role and desired characteristics of the social work practitioner; acquaintance with the various tools and techniques utilized; and consideration of the implications of diversity for the utilization of play therapy and play interventions.
S W 360K S W in School Setting
This course will focus on the provision of school-based social services to children and adolescents and their families and the roles social workers play in delivering such services. Content discussed will include the historical context of school-based social services and school social work; relevant national and state legislation and policies; a comparison of models used in the provision of school-based services; specific techniques used by school social workers in delivering culturally competent social services and in promoting social and economic justice. Emphasis will be on the effective delivery of intervention strategies to at-risk populations and on the development of quality prevention programs in a school setting.
S W 360K Youth, Delinq, and Juv Justice
None
SED 303 Autism Spectrum Disorder
Welcome to the world of Autism Spectrum Disorder – you all have actually been living in this world for your whole lives. For some of you, you have been aware of this world as an individual, friend, and/or family member. For others of you, this course will be your first exposure to this world. This world also happens to be filled with dubious claims and controversies. This course delves into what approaches and strategies help improve the lives of people with ASD and which ones are wastes of time and money (and which ones are downright dangerous.) The goal is for you to be an educated consumer of research and how research is used to prove what works and what does not work. We will look at various claims and the research behind each claim. Additionally, we will examine the role research plays in what people know about various claims. We will look at how research findings are communicated - and how we can best translate research findings into everyday language. *Our knowledge about ASD is changing rapidly. In addition, new treatments are continually being touted as the next hottest things. Course topics and readings will change to reflect the current state of research (or lack thereof) regarding ASD. Course Objectives: In this course, students will: Identify current research on the etiology of ASD Examine the history of ASD and the impact of how ASD is defined on prevalence numbers Develop verbal fluency in best practices for working with individuals with ASD Gain familiarity with intervention research designs Develop a critical eye for evaluating the evidence base behind therapies Gain perspective regarding the impact of ASD on daily life
SED 322C Individual Differences
The purpose of this class is to learn, discuss, and evaluate topics related to disability. This course is designed to discuss issues related to cultural and linguistically diverse individuals with disabilities at the elementary and secondary school level. Cultural and linguistic competency ensures the proper use of culturally responsive teaching, improves cross-cultural communication skills, promotes more efficient parent/student-teacher relationships and overall increases sociocultural awareness
SED 378D Assmt Prac in Autism/Devel Dis
Assessment practices for developing and evaluating educational programs for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities. Considers the theoretical orientations that underlie the major assessment strategies, including standardized, behavioral, and informal practices. Required for students seeking special education certification.
SED 378T AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
Focus on approaches and strategies that help improve the lives of people with ASD. Examines the role research plays in what people know about various claims. Explores how research findings are communicated, and how to best translate research findings into everyday language.
SLH 367K Intro Sp/Lng Dis Asm/Trt Chl
Introduction to assessment procedures and treatment strategies for children with speech and language disorders.

Integration Essay

A 3-4 page essay in which you reflect on what you learned and accomplished through your BDP experience.

Important Notes on Fulfilling Your BDP Requirements


For more information on courses, please consult your BDP advisor (bdp@austin.utexas.edu) or the course schedule.