KINESIOLOGY 181

SPECIAL POPULATIONS -SPRING 2016

Christine Milner
Contact information: Contact information:
milner@westmont.edu; 565-6289
Office Hours: Tuesday 9-12; Thursday 9-11or by appointment
Class Meetings: Monday evenings 6:00-9:15 PM

Because of the variety of topics covered in this course, we will not use a traditional textbook. The following
autobiography will be used during the first third of the course: Murphy, R. F. (1987). The body silent. New
York: H. Holt. Otherwise, selected reading assignments will be used to supplement course content. These can
be accessed by going to my weebly website, which can be accessed at http://christinemilner.weebly.com/. Click
on Special Populations to gain access to course materials. This site is password protected. The last page of this
syllabus lists the articles required for this course with either links to the article or instructions to access them on
the weebly website.
Course Description
Attention to diverse populations is an important aspect of the kinesiology major. This course is designed
to broaden your awareness of disability beyond traditional cultural attitudes and norms. You will be
challenged to examine your own presuppositions regarding disability and will be encouraged to shape a
new perspective reflecting a respect for diversity and an expanded worldview. My sincere hope is that
you will leave this course with a determination to speak for those who have been silent in our society
because of the cultural stigma of disability. In addition, you will be exposed to the description, etiology,
and characteristics of a variety of physical and cognitive disabilities.
In addition to those general goals, this course meets a General
Education requirement. Some of Westmonts Institutional Learning
Outcomes have also been thoughtfully and purposefully woven
throughout this course and identified below when appropriate.

General Education
Compassionate Action. Students will participate in a course-related service project or an
internship that is explicitly integrated into the academic content of the course and which includes
significant involvement in responding to social issues. Through this experience, students will raise
their awareness of issues of justice such as those grounded in social class, gender, ethnicity, human
disability, the environment or the impact of technology. In completing this option, students will
examine their own presuppositions and develop their skills in their exercise of charity and
compassion (College Catalog). Philosophical and scholarly study will be practically applied to form
the service component of this course. For these reasons, this course has been designated to meet
the General Education requirement for Serving Society; Enacting Justice; one of two options
available for meeting the Compassionate Action requirement of the general education program
at Westmont.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Students will evaluate how attitudinal and architectural barriers create great obstacles for people in our
society with disabilities. (Institutional Learning Outcomes: Written Communication; Diversity)
Methods of assessment: Journal; Simulation/interview paper
2. Students will investigate philosophical approaches for working with people with disabilities based on
person-first terminology and Christian principles. (Institutional Learning Outcome: Christian
Understanding, Practices and Affections; Diversity)
Method of assessment: Daily assignments
3. Students will demonstrate increased sensitivity for differences through planned, regular exposure with
individuals in the community who experience impairment. (Institutional Learning Outcome: Global
Awareness; Diversity)
Method of assessment: Journal
4. Students will describe potential disabilities throughout the lifespan, beginning with pre-natal influences
and culminating with dementia-related conditions for older adults.
Method of assessment: Exams
Assignments
1. In groups of three, students will research a disability of their choice and present findings in class.
Presentations will be given in class using power point as the medium for communicating research
findings. Presentations will be approximately 20 minutes in length. Consult hand-out distributed in class
for additional information about these presentations. Because oral communications skills are crucial to
maximizing effectiveness in many, if not all, professional settings, your ability to communicate your
findings will be as important as the findings themselves.
2. Assigned journal readings and text: Students can expect to complete a quick write in class, quiz or a
written response outside of class to various readings as assigned.
3. Students will be required to observe and participate in a community program designed to meet the needs
of individuals with impairments. The first six hours are due by mid-March. A total of 12 hours are due
by the Friday of the last week of class. A journal must be kept and submitted of the observational
experience. This assignment will be evaluated on the basis of total number of hours completed, the
quality of the experience itself, and the quality of the journal entries. Journals should be approximately
4 pages per turn-in date (double spaced). Entries should include integration of material learned in class
with the volunteer experience. Because the intent of the assignment is to expose students to different
situations and impairments throughout the semester, accumulating the majority of the required hours
during the end of the semester will result in a lower grade. No journal entries will be accepted after the
last day of class. Students will not receive a passing grade in this course without successfully
completing this assignment. Note: Please do not attend a volunteer observation if you are experiencing
any signs of illness. This is not fair to the people you will be observing and serving. Note: In order to
ensure a variety of experiences, no one volunteer session can count for more than 2 hours.
4. We will be learning the ways in which disability is defined by the interactions between individuals and
their environments, including attitudinal and architectural environments or barriers. To reinforce this
concept, students will complete one of two options: 1.Conceive and design a 2-hour exercise simulating

a physical impairment, such as using a wheelchair. What is most important is that you conduct yourself
in a safe and respectful manner. For example, driving with a simulated disability is an unsafe activity.
Going with a partner is a safe way to conduct this simulation. It is also important that you conduct
yourself in a respectful manner. If someone inquires about your disability simulation, tell him or her
directly that this is a simulation to help you understand what it is like to experience a disability in our
society. This is a social science experiment and you need to abide by research protocols. If at any time
during the simulation you feel unsafe, you should discontinue your experiment. Please honor the
confidentiality of the people you meet (do not mention them by name). 2. Conduct an interview with a
parent of a child with a disability or an adult with a disability. Submit the questions ahead of time for
approval. Follow guidelines given in class. Whichever option is chosen, notice the architectural and
attitudinal barriers encountered. Now go to the literature and find one scholarly journal article (from a
peer-reviewed journal) that pertains to issues such as ADA legislation, stigma, attitudes about
disabilities, etc. Make sure that this article connects in some way to what you experienced while doing
your simulation or interview. Using the article and material learned in class; relate this experience to
your simulation or interview in your paper. If you chose to do the simulation, give attitudinal and
architectural barriers equal emphasis in this paper. This assignment rests largely on the quality of the
simulation, connections with class material and one very good scholarly article, thoughtfully integrated
throughout the paper. Reflect on these and your experiences in a 5-page paper. Use APA format,
strictly adhering to professional ethics regarding the use of source information. Attach the article to your
paper for submission with a large paper clip. If your article is more than 10 pages, submit the first page
of the article with the abstract instead of the full paper.
Evaluation

1.
2.
3.
4.

Assignments (quizzes, essays, presentation)

Volunteer hours/journal
Paper/simulation
Exams

20%
20%
20%
40%

Academic Accommodations
Students who have been diagnosed with a disability are strongly encouraged to contact the Office of
Disability Services as early as possible to discuss appropriate accommodations for this course. Formal
accommodations will only be granted for students whose disabilities have been verified by the Office of
Disability Services. These accommodations may be necessary to ensure your equal access to this course.
Please contact Sheri Noble, Director of Disability Services. (310A Voskuyl Library, 565-6186,
snoble@westmont.edu) or visit the website for more information:
http://www.westmont.edu/_offices/disability
Academic Integrity
Dishonesty of any kind may result in loss of credit for the work involved and the filing of a report with
the Provosts Office. Major or repeated infractions may result in dismissal from the course with a grade
of F. Be familiar with the Colleges plagiarism policy, found at:
http://www.westmont.edu/_offices/provost/plagiarism/plagiarism_policy.html
Attendance
In accordance with college policy, students will be allowed 1 absence. Due to the discussion/interactive
format of this course, attendance is very important. Further absences will adversely affect the final
grade. If you are ill and cannot attend class, let me know by e-mail prior to the class. Remember, though,
that quizzes or other class assignments are not waived for minor illnesses or other situations that cause
you to miss class. Any student with excessive absences, either excused or unexcused, will be asked to
drop the class. If the excessive absences are acquired beyond the add/drop deadline, students cannot
expect to pass this course. Use your one absence wisely!

A final note: Although I can be reached by e-mail, text or phone, I much prefer corresponding with
students by e-mail. If you are not accustomed to checking your Westmont e-mail, please remind yourself
to do so regularly during the course of this semester.

Cell phone use

Please be respectful of your peers and me by turning off cell phones while attending class.
Computer use
Outlines of power point presentations will not be provided daily, but outlines will be posted on my
website as part of the exam study guide. Use of your computer for anything other than note taking in
class will demonstrate a disrespectful attitude to me, your professor, as well as other students in the
course.

COURSE SCHEDULE: KNS 181

DATE

TOPIC

ASSIGNMENT (due on date assigned)

Jan. 11

Wk.
1

Introduction; philosophy

19

Wk.
2

Spotlight: Cerebral palsy

Vanier-1 p. reflection due; Milner article

25

Wk.
3

Spotlight: Down Syndrome;

Stigma theory

Kersh and Siperstein article;; Murphy Intro, Ch.

1 and 2(10 quotes total due)

Feb. 1

Wk.
4

Stigma theory, cont.

Murphy Ch. 3 and 4 (10 quotes due each

chapter); LA Times article; Wolff article

Wk.
5

Legislation; Inclusion debate

Murphy Ch. 5 and 6 (10 quotes due each

chapter); Mostert article (1 p. reflection due)

15

Wk.
6

4 day Holiday

22

Wk.
7

Social/Psychological theories;
Spotlight: Tourette syndrome

Wk.
8

Exam #1; Disability in film

Wk.
9

Spotlight: Learning
disabilities; Seizure disorders;
Disabilities worldwide

Dolnick article; Find, highlight and bring a

scholarly article (min. 5 pp.) about disability in
any country but the U.S.)

14

Wk.
10

Spotlight: Early intervention;

Infant reflexes and reactions

1st journal due; Browne article

April 4

Wk.
11

Presentations (3); Sensory

integration

Work on paper

11

Wk.
12

Presentations (3)

Work on paper

Wk.
13

Spotlight: Autism spectrum

disorder

Paper Due (5 pp.); Park and Grandin articles

Wk.
14

Spotlight: Aging; Dementia

Wagner, Kalb and Simmons articles;

29

Journal due on Friday

2nd Journal due (please submit electronically)

May 2

Final exam: Mon. 7-9

29
March 7

18
25

The Inclusion Debate paper due (2 pp.) Dupuis

article and Seans Story must be referenced in
this paper

Articles for course (in order of reading assignments) If you have trouble pulling up these links, simply copy
and past URL into your web browser.
Seeing God in Others by Jean Vanier. http://www.renewedpriesthood.org/ca/hpage.cfm?Web_ID=814

LArche and the Christian College Graduate in the Allied Health Fields: A Potential Collaboration by Christine
Milner (posted on weebly website: christinemilner.weebly.com)
The Positive Contribution of Special Olympics to the Family by Kersh and Siperstein.

http://www.specialolympics.org/uploadedFiles/LandingPage/WhatWeDo/Research_Studies_D
esciption_Pages/Athlete%20in%20the%20familiy%20final%20report_10.14.08.pdf
The 2004 Athens Games and Olympians with disabilities: Triumphs, challenges, and future opportunities by
Alexander Wolff (posted on weebly website: christinemilner.weebly.com)
LA Times article: Sterilized by North Carolina, she felt raped once more
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-forced-sterilization-20120126,0,2398463.story
Useless Eaters: Disability as Genocidal Markers in Nazi Germany
http://courses.washington.edu/intro2ds/Readings/Mostert%20Useless%20Eaters.pdf

Does Inclusion Help Students: Perspectives from Regular Education and Students with Disabilities by Bonnie
Dupuis, MA, et al) http://www.naset.org/782.0.html
Deafness as Culture by Edward Dolnick) http://ezproxy.westmont.edu:2048/login?
url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=afh&AN=9312091218&site=ehost-live
New Perspectives on Premature Infants and Their Parents by Joy Browne
http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/health-nutrition/vol24-2a.pdf
How Safe are Vaccines (Time magazine) by Park

http://ezproxy.westmont.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=a9h&AN=32182037&site=ehost-live
Whats Right with the Autistic Mind (Time magazine) by Temple Grandin and Richard Panek.
http://ezproxy.westmont.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=bsh&AN=90429964&site=ehost-live
The Centenarians are Coming by Cynthia Wagner (weebly website)
The Meaning of Falling by Claudia Kalb (weebly website)
Hey Doc, I Still have a Lot of Living to Do (Newsweek 2002) by Sylvia Simmons.

http://ezproxy.westmont.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/214290750?
accountid=14990