COURSE OUTLINE (2022-2023 First Semester)

Course Title Knowledge and intervention for SEN children

Course Code SOWK 6313 No. of Credits 6

Social Work and Social
Department Faculty Social Sciences
Administration
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
N/A N/A
Course Code Course Code
Course
Dr. Ben Law
Coordinator(s)
Email blaw@hku.hk Telephone No. Email correspondence
Other Course
N/A
Teacher(s)/Tutor(s)
Interactive Lectures and presentations: 27 hours
Learning Hours
Site visit: 3 hours
Student Quota
48 (MSW FT and PT students, and MSS students)
Course Type Core Course Compulsory  Elective Other ________________
Offer in Academic
1st Semester 2nd Semester Summer Year Long Other
Year
___________
2019-20

COURSE DESCRIPTION
In light of increasing number of special educational needs (SEN) children in school settings, this course
focuses on the characteristics and needs of children with three key types of SEN (SpLD, ASD and ADHD) by
providing basic knowledge and intervention strategies for social workers working in family services, schools
and integrated youth services settings. Attention is drawn to the assessments and the needs of these children,
the needs of families, and the roles of different professionals with related multi-disciplinary collaboration.
Students are expected to understand the social workers’ roles in working with SEN children. More importantly,
various types of interventions, such as applied behavioral analysis, social story and learning strategies are
discussed.

The course is delivered through interactive lectures, case analyses and discussions on role plays in tutorial
groups. Students will also learn through review of literature, agency visit, and preparations on interview reports
and intervention plans.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. To understand the nature and related assessment of SEN children

2. To understand the roles of different professionals for multi-disciplinary collaboration
3. To understand the needs of families with SEN children
4. Introduce individual, group, family and societal intervention for SEN children and their families

GUIDELINES ON GRADING AND STANDARDS OF ASSESSMENT

General Course Grade Descriptors

Please note: HKU has adapted standard-based assessment, thus, when using standard-based assessment
as opposed to norm-based assessment, descriptors should be established so that students are clear about
what is expected of them. Students will receive a score based on these benchmarks as opposed to a ranking
based on a norm.

Grade
Marks Grade Grade Description
Standard
 Student demonstrates excellent qualities and thorough
understanding of counselling concepts and ethical
80 or
A+ issues, with brilliant application of all theories and
above
approaches in casework (and groupwork if applicable),
and report writing.
Excellent
Student demonstrates generally very well qualities and
detailed understanding of counselling concepts and
75-79 A ethical issues, with bright application of all theories and
approaches in casework (and groupwork if applicable),
and report writing.
Student demonstrates generally very well qualities and
detailed understanding of counselling concepts and
70-74 A- Very Good ethical issues, with bright application of all theories and
approaches in casework (and groupwork if applicable),
and report writing.
Student demonstrates good qualities and manage to
67-69 B+ understand major counselling concepts and ethical
Good issues, and able to apply suitable theories and
63-66 B approaches in casework (and groupwork if applicable),
and report writing.
Student demonstrates average qualities and manage
to identify basic counselling concepts and ethical
Borderline
60-62 B- issues, and able to apply suitable theories and
Good
approaches in casework (and groupwork if applicable),
and report writing.
Student demonstrates fair qualities and manages to
57-59 C+
apply basic counselling concepts in case and/or group
Satisfactory work.
53-56 C
Student demonstrates limited qualities and
Borderline understanding of counselling concepts, and contains
50-52 C-
Satisfactory inaccurate conceptualization in casework (and
groupwork if applicable), and report writing.
Student demonstrates inadequate understanding of
counselling concepts, and contains some errors in
46-49 D+ Pass
conceptualization in casework (and groupwork if
applicable), and report writing.
Student demonstrates inadequate understanding of
Borderline counselling concepts, and contains serious errors in
40-45 D
Pass conceptualization in casework (and groupwork if
applicable), and report writing.
Student is unable to show understanding of
counselling concepts, and contains serious errors in
39 or below F Fail
conceptualization in casework (and groupwork if
applicable), and report writing.

COURSE CONTENT AND SCHEDULE

No. Date Topic
1 7 Sept Introduction of SEN and SpLD (Identification)
2 14 Sept Diagnosis and family needs for SpLD children and adolescents
3 21 Sept Intervention with SpLD: An overview
4 28 Sept Roles of professionals
Guest lecture on IQ assessment and high-functioning ASD cases (To be
5 5 Oct
confirmed)

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 6 19 Oct Visit to SEN resources in a community-based centre
7 26 Oct* ASD (identification, diagnosis and family needs)
8 2 Nov* ASD intervention
9 9 Nov* ADHD (identification, diagnosis and family needs)
10 16 Nov* ADHD intervention
*: Student-course instructor collaborative learning

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

Aligned
Programme
Course Learning Outcomes Learning
Outcomes
1
1. Review the nature and related assessment of SEN children 2
2. Review the roles of different professionals for multi-disciplinary collaboration
4,5
3. Review the needs of families with SEN children
4. Apply appropriate individual, group, family and societal intervention for SEN children and their 3,6
families

COURSE TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Aligned
Course
Course Teaching and Learning Activities Learning
Outcomes
1,2,3,4
1. Lectures
2. Presentation and group discussion 4
3. In-class discussions 3,4

COURSE ASSESSMENT METHODS

Aligned
Description Course
Assessment Tasks Weight
Learning
Outcomes
Case Each student has to design a case, either with SpLD, ASD
60% 1,2,3,4
intervention and ADHD. S/he should provide an assessment and
protocol intervention report from a social work perspective (2000 word
BEFORE 30 November 2022)

Written guidelines:
1. Set the topic related to the special educational needs
issues, e.g. learning social rules for ASD children in daily
lives.
2. Expect social workers can use the manual readily alongside
the instructions and the checklists.
3. Include the following in the intervention protocol manual:
a. Assessment (In terms of checklist)
- For a helping professional, how could s/he diagnose the
case?
- Inclusion of other significant social systems (family, peers)
for a comprehensive assessment
b. Intervention (in terms of flow chart)
- For the child/adolescent, how would a helping professional
intervene? Discuss the case flow from initial stage, middle

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 stage and final stage. Differentiate the training aspect and the
psychosocial aspect.
- For the families, how would a helping professional
intervene? (home-based training, family work)
- Relevant community resources
- Case inter-disciplinary cooperation with different
professionals and stakeholders. Differentiate the roles
c. Differentiate the intervention manual guideline (original
writing) from other already published docuents like paired
reading protocol.
d. Provide down-to-earth reminders relevant to the case,
especially highlighting intervention yardsticks.

Mark distribution:
Formulation of assignment & originality (10%): Formulation of
topic, understanding of topic, Originality, literature & concepts
(15%): Coverage of literature review and relevant concepts,
Conceptual framework, application, analysis, argument &
critique (55%): Case flow, description of case, usability of the
protocol in real settings,
Structure, presentation, language use & referencing (20%):
English, APA format and presentation
Group presentations Each group has to present two times for ASD and ADHD
40% 1,2,3
(X2)
READINGS: (Journals, books, website addresses etc.)
Updated journal articles related to specific learning Dyslexia, ADHD and ASD, including:
European Journal of Special Needs Education
International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Journal of Attention Disorders
Journal of Learning Disabilities

Books
1. American Psychiatric Association (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th
ed., Text Revision (DSM-T-TRTM). US: American Psychiatric Association.
2. Martin-Denham S., & Watts. S. (2019). The SENCO Handbook: Leading Provision and practice. UK:
Sage
3. Frederickson, N., & Cline, T. (2015). Special educational needs, inclusion and diversity. 3rd Ed.
McGraw Hill Education: Open University Press.
4. Glazzard, J., Stokoe, J., Hughes, A., Netherwood, A. & Neve, L. (2019). Teaching and supporting
children with special educational needs and disabilities in primary schools. UK: Sage.
5. Murphy, L.K. (2021). Co-regulation handbook: Creating competent, authentic roles for kids with social
learning differences, so we all stay positively connected through the ups and downs of learning.

MEANS/PROCESSES FOR STUDENT FEEDBACK ON COURSE

The SETL questionnaire is one of the ways HKU courses and teaching are evaluated. HKU places significant
importance on student learning and on the continuous enhancement of teaching and learning outcomes.
Students are asked to complete this evaluation of their learning experiences at the conclusion of each course
in which they enroll. Questionnaire items relate to the overall evaluation of the course as well as an evaluation
of teaching.
Feedback on the course contents and learning activities are most welcome during the first month.

COURSE POLICY (including plagiarism, academic honesty, attendance etc)

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 Unless otherwise stated, the normal course administration policies and rules of the Faculty of Social
Sciences apply. For the policy, see http://www.ss.hku.hk .

Submission of Assignments
All assignments should be submitted on time. According to the Departmental regulations, late submission
of assignment will receive the following penalties:

Penalty for late submission

Late for % of marks to be deducted
1 day 10%
2 days 20%
3 days 30%
4 days 40%
5 days 50%
6 days 60%
7 days 70%
More than 7 days No mark will be given

Academic Conduct
The University Regulations on academic misconduct will be strictly enforced. Please refer to
http://www.hku/hk/student/plagiarism/ for further details. In addition, students should familiarize themselves
with http://lib.hku/hk/turnitin/, and submit their written assignments with Turnitin reports

Academic dishonesty is behavior in which a deliberately fraudulent misrepresentation is employed in an

attempt to gain undeserved intellectual credit, either for oneself or for another. It includes, but is not
necessarily limited to, the following types of cases:
1. Plagiarism - The representation of someone else's ideas as if they are one's own. Where the
arguments, data, designs, etc., of someone else are being used in a paper, report, oral
presentation, or similar academic project, this fact must be made explicitly clear by citing the
appropriate references. The references must fully indicate the extent to which any parts of the
project are not one’s own work. Paraphrasing of someone else’s ideas is still using someone
else's ideas, and must be acknowledged.
2. Unauthorized Collaboration on Out-of-Class Projects - The representation of work as solely one's
own when in fact it is the result of a joint effort. Where a candidate for a degree or other award
uses the work of another person or persons without due acknowledgement.

Penalty
1. The relevant Board of Examiners may impose a penalty in relation to the seriousness of the offence.
2. The relevant Board of Examiners may report the candidate to the Senate, where there is prima facie
evidence of an intention to deceive and where sanctions beyond those in (1) might be invoked.

Important note to students sitting examinations/quizzes (There will be no sit-in examinations or

quizzes in this course)

Students are reminded that “all electronic devices MUST be switched off and put under the chair/on
your desk throughout the examination/quizzes in a position visible to the invigilators. Make sure that you
do not have any printed/written matter, mobile phone, or any other electronic/communication/sound-
making devices in your pocket or on your body throughout the examination/quizzes. Unless you have
obtained the prior permission of an examiner or invigilator, you are not allowed to access the content of
your bag at any time during the examination/quizzes. Students do not comply with the above-mentioned
instructions may be disqualified.”

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 ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION

The Course Coordinator is available for consultation at times that are displayed on the coordinator’s office notice board
(outside KKLR009) and on http://ss.hku.hk/skelly. Queries may also be emailed to the Course Coordinator directly at
skelly@hku.hk

ACADEMIC COUNCIL APPROVAL

Signature Ben Law Date 27 June 2022 .

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