Special Needs, Giftedness and Counselling

Specialist Courses	Description	Compulsory/ Elective
Advanced Studies in Special Needs, Giftedness and Counselling	With the basis of the study in “Special Needs, Giftedness and Counselling: Global Perspectives”, this course is intended to enable students to explore a topic of particular professional and/or personal interest in the field of Special and Inclusive Education, Giftedness or Counselling, through critical reflection on existing theories, practices and policies which are drawn from international and local sources. Students will also carry out a small scale empirical investigation of this topic.	Compulsory
Creative and Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving	Based on the idea that giftedness is advanced intellectual ability, this course examines the cognitive strategies involved in creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving as both distinct and related cognitive processes. An important aspect of this discussion concerns the relationships between thinking and intelligence. The course will consider the research methods behind the study of these three types of processes as well as the cultural differences in the developmental and recognition of advanced ability. The course will then evaluate a number of education programmes and current pedagogical practices for their potential effectiveness in meeting the intellectual needs of high ability students.	Elective
Social-emotional Development and Special Needs	This course focuses on the social and emotional development of students with special educational needs by tracing the nature of healthy social and emotional development and by showing the ways in which school based education can contribute to this. Particular attention will be given to the ways in which schooling can contribute to the development or exacerbation of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties and the measures that educational professionals can take to prevent such problems from occurring and intervene effectively if and when they arise.	Elective
Special Needs, Giftedness and Counselling: Global Perspectives	This course is intended to enable students to develop the critical thinking and analysis in special needs, giftedness and counselling, through in-depth reflection on existing theories, policies and practices drawn from international perspectives. (This course is the pre-requisite study of the “Advanced Studies in Special Needs, Giftedness and Counselling”).	Compulsory
Supporting Parents and Families with Diverse Needs	This course examines parents and families which might need additional support, such as new immigrant families, lone-parent families, low income families, ethnic minority families, cross-border families, families facing domestic violence, and families with children with special education needs.  Local and overseas models and strategies of support and counselling for families with different needs will be reviewed and evaluated.	Elective

Remark: Courses listed above may not be offered every semester.

#Any aspect of the course and course offerings (including, without limitation, the content of the Course and the manner in which the Course is taught) may be subject to change at any time at the sole discretion of the University. Without limiting the right of the University to amend the course and its course offerings, it is envisaged that changes may be required due to factors such as staffing, enrolment levels, logistical arrangements and curriculum changes.