Course Syllabus

 

Semester & Location:	Spring 2026 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Elective Course - 3 credits
Major Disciplines:	Child Development, Education/Educational Studies, Sociology
Prerequisite:	None
Faculty Members:	Malene Thorup (current students please contact via the Canvas Inbox)
Program Contact:	Department email address psy.cns@dis.dk
Time & Place:	Time: Thursdays 13.15-16.10 Classroom: N7-A23

Description of Course

This course considers children with special needs from a critical disability studies perspective. We examine the topics of inclusion, disability, and quality of life within the Danish social welfare system through the lens of Nordic pedagogy. The voices of disabled persons and families are included in class to help understand how their lives are affected by public and educational policies.

This course expands the traditional construction of ‘special needs’ beyond the lens of diagnosis and disability, to incorporate a Danish approach to “children in vulnerable positions”. From this standpoint, the course will explore how various neurobiological, sociocultural, and psychological factors contribute to exclusion, and we will discuss what families, schools, and communities can do to promote inclusion. We will also consider ethical and pragmatic considerations for the ways practitioners can work to incorporate children’s perspectives into their professional strategies. 

As part of the course, we will participate in field studies outside of the classroom to learn about children with special needs in a Danish context. Our study is situated within the framework of Nordic pedagogy, where we will define the terms "special needs" and "disability" and consider issues of inclusion and quality of life within the Danish social welfare system.

 

Learning Objectives

Students will be introduced to and gain insight into:

• Dialectical interactions between theory and practice
• Social pedagogy and special educational needs within education system
  
• Professional work and methods within the special needs area- Danish/Nordic tradition
• Selected theoretical models of disability
• Issues and dilemmas of diagnosis, systematized pedagogy, and interventions in relation to children with special needs
• Danish and Nordic pedagogical perspectives and practices

By the end of this course, students in this class will...

• Employ methods to reflect on children's abilities and disabilities, especially from the perspective of the child.
• Reflect on classes, field studies, and your experiences and observations.
• Collaborate and draw on the perspectives of others through group discussions and group work
• Apply core concepts from class to everyday situations.
• Be responsible for their own learning - just as in any other Danish classroom.
• Explore disability from a variety of perspectives, including professionals, parents and families, and especially persons with disabilities themselves.
• Create new understandings that can challenge former knowledge and experience.

 

Faculty

Malene Thorup

MA. Educational Psychology (Aarhus University, 2023).

Malene Thorup holds a Master's degree in Educational Psychology (Aarhus University, 2023) with a specialization in "Contemporary Gender Realities in Educational Spaces" and a Bachelor's degree as a primary school teacher (N. Zahles, 2010) with teaching subjects in Danish, history, social studies, and geography. Additionally, she has worked for 12 years as a teacher in primary education, including roles as a special education teacher. Additionally she worked as an educational consultant focusing on inclusive classrooms and guiding teachers and parents within the same field for several years.

 

Readings

Exact class readings and preparation will be posted in the Course Overview, which is found through Canvas in calendar.

Please note that there is no textbook for this course and readings are found exclusively through Canvas. Preparation can include readings as well as videos, webpages or others.

• Charlotte Ringsmose, Jennifer Duncan-Bendix & Heidi Vikkelsø Nielsen 
  (2022): Cultures in Mind: Quality, Values, Standards, and Practices in ECEC in Denmark and the United States, Journal of Research in Childhood Education 

• BUPL: THE WORK OF THE PEDAGOGUE: ROLES AND TASKS 

• SOCIAL POLICY IN DENMARK - Published by The Ministry of Social Affairs and Integration (2012) 

• “Disability at the intersections” Dara Shifrer, Angela Frederick (Department of Sociology, Portland State University, USA, Department of Sociology & Anthropology, 
  The University of Texas at El Paso, USA) (2019) 

• Aarhus university: Disability in the Nordic countries since 1945 (Podcast) 

• Disability or Learning Difficulty? Politicians or Educators? Constructing Special 
  Education in Finland and the United States, Tiina Itkonena and Markku Jahnukainen (2010) 

• Book: Chapter 10: Selections from Stigma, Erving Goffman 
  Sandseter, E. B. H. (2009). Characteristics of risky play. Journal of 
  Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 9(1), 3-21 

• Ines Wenger, Christina Schulze, Ulrica Lundström & Maria Prellwitz (2021) 
  Children’s perceptions of playing on inclusive playgrounds: A qualitative study, Scandinavian. Journal of Occupational Therapy, 28:2, 136-14 

• The IC3-model of inclusion. By Martin Enselmann, BSc in Psychology 

• Book: Ch3: The Squeeze Machine. Temple Grandin - Thinking in Pictures, Expanded Edition. My Life with Autism-Vintage (2006) 

• SENSORY PROfilE iN THE SNOEZElENintervention. María José Cid Rodriguez 
  Ramona Ribes Castells, Kateřina Janků (2021) 

• Appendix to book: “Coping Strategies for Sensory Perception Problems” Willey 1999, Pretending to be normal.  

• Hedegaard Sørensen and Grumløse, 2021: Status of Inclusion.  

• Janne Hedegaard Hansen (2012): Limits to inclusion, International Journal of 
  Inclusive Education, 16:1, 89-98 

• Thorneycroft, Ryan. 2024. “Crip Theory and the Subject of Abledness.” Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research 26(1): 95–109. DOI: https://doi. Org/10.16993/sjdr.1067 

• Essay: Six Ways of Looking at Crip Time1Ellen Samuels (2017) 

• Charmaine Agius Ferrante & Eileen Oak (2020) ‘No sex please!’ 
  We have been labelled intellectually disabled, Sex Education, 20:4, 383-397 

• Karen Ida Dannesboe, Dil Bach, Bjørg Kjær, Charlotte Palludan (2018): Parents of the Welfare State: Pedagogues as Parenting Guides 
• Barbara Larrivee (2008): Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Reflective 
  Practitioners, The New Educator, 4:2, 87-10 

Field Studies

Field Studies are hands-on academic visits to different sites in and around Copenhagen. These serve to complement your course work by giving you hands-on insights into different contexts related to children with special needs, in order to extend and rethink what we read about and discuss in class. Please be ready for each field study by completing all readings and preparing questions in advance.

 

Field Study #1:

Visit at SensOrium

SensOrium is a multi-sensory Snoezel house in Gentofte, designed around a cosmic “planet” theme with six different sensory rooms—Earth (Mission Control), Venus, Mars, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn. Each room invites reflection on how sensory input can affect the body and mind in different ways.

An occupational therapist will give an introduction to the space and explain how sensory experiences are used to support well-being, development, and regulation.

 

Field Study #2: 

Guided walking tour at Vesterbro.

Our guide, Johanne, is a 23-year-old woman. She shares her story of balancing life as a young woman dealing with mental health diagnoses and their associated stigma. She navigates a psychiatric system that often overlooks the person behind the diagnosis, all while striving to maintain a normal, everyday youth life.

 

 

Guest Lecturers

• Jennifer Duncan-Bendix 

Check the course calendar for more detailed guest lecture information. 

 

Approach to Teaching

Welcome to this seminar-style course, where we will examine children with special needs from various theoretical and empirical perspectives through dialogue, debate, and critical thinking. The course is designed to be interactive, and your active participation is essential to its success. I encourage you to contribute meaningful questions and insights during each class meeting and to complete the assigned readings beforehand in order to fully prepare for our discussions and activities.

The course is based on exploring issues and ideas together as a supportive learning community. You are responsible for your own learning and for contributing to the learning of your classmates. I expect you to be responsible and engaged in the classroom, to have completed the required readings, and to contribute thoughtfully and creatively to a safe and collaborative learning space. Through this class, I hope to promote inclusive learning by reflecting on practice. The focus of the pedagogy is on the dynamic interplay between practice and theory. Each class will include reflections on field studies, readings, personal experiences, group work, or everyday cultural encounters.

 

Expectations of the Students

This course relies on discussion and active participation from students. To fully engage with the course materials and assignments, it is important to attend all classes, field studies, and related activities, be punctual and stay for the entire experience, and actively contribute to shared learning by asking relevant questions, offering critical reflections, and responding respectfully to others' comments. 

To be successful in this course, you should be curious, hard-working, and respectful of all, and be able to apply course readings and discussions to field studies and cultural experiences. You should also be creative, open-minded, and able to develop and exercise analytical thinking.

In addition, you should be prepared for each class by completing independent readings and being able to contribute to class discussions with your own questions and reflections based on the readings and other class materials, field study visits, and experiences.

Finally, you should complete assignments on their due dates and have completed the required readings before class.

 

Evaluation

1. Attendance (10%)

Attendance is mandatory for all scheduled classes and field studies. This grade includes presence in class, being on time, and handing in papers on time. Attendance includes both classes and Fields Studies.

Absence will only be excused in serious situations, but informing your faculty regarding your attendance is always necessary. Unexcused absences include traveling or an absence that has not been discussed with the faculty in advance. 

Lateness: Regardless of whether lateness is excused or unexcused, it is still disruptive to the class and you miss out on relevant information.

To be eligible for a passing grade in this class, you must complete all of the assigned work.

 

2. Participation (15%)

You are expected to complete the required readings prior to each class, and to engage in class and group discussions. Active participation also includes showing interest and a well-prepared attitude towards the subject and a respectful attitude towards the class environment, peers and faculty.

To achieve a high participation grade (and to accommodate both introvert and extrovert students) you will have to contribute to class discussions often, both in class and through Canvas.

In class contributions:

• Active and verbal participation in class discussions, group work and field studies.
• Engagement during field studies and site visits; asking good questions and paying attention (also when it becomes hard, everyone is tired and things feel slow).
• Being attentive towards supporting the flow of the class
• Sharing connections and ideas during group work (in an individual dialogue/smaller setting)
• Active support and facilitation of other students’ contributions (listening skills, open-minded, and supportive)

Canvas discussions:

• Uploading reflections or comments on Canvas – including related articles or materials you find elsewhere
• Actively commenting on peer uploads or other contributions

 

3. Reading Mastery - Canvas Quizzes  (25%)

In order to ensure that all students attend class with the same base-level of knowledge for each topic, the course will be structured via a series of reading quizzes on Canvas drawn from the assigned readings for that topic.

The quizzes are targeted to help you outline your understanding of readings and core concepts, and you have the ability to re-take the quiz as many times as necessary to reach a total of approximately 80% correct.  Once you reach 80%, the quiz for the next class will be 'unlocked'.  Your score from each quiz is totaled into the final grade for this assignment as a whole. 

 

4. Diagnosis presentation (20%)

In this group project, you will work in teams of 4 students to research and create a 10-12minute video presentation on a specific diagnosis or diagnosis group within the category children with special needs. The purpose of this assignment is to gain a broad understanding of the variety of diagnoses and the challenges they present for the children who live with them. Your presentation should communicate accurate and evidence-based knowledge, supported by academic sources, in a way that is clear, engaging, and accessible to your classmates.

Your video must cover the definition of the diagnosis or diagnosis group, its causes and risk factors, common characteristics and challenges (cognitive, physical, social, and/or emotional), and possible interventions or support strategies. You are also encouraged to include relevant statistics, research findings, and perspectives from children, families, or professionals. Use a minimum of six academic sources, at least three of which should come from our course materials, and cite them using APA 7th edition both within the presentation and in a final reference slide.

This project will not only help you deepen your understanding of a specific diagnosis but also contribute to a shared knowledge base for the class, allowing everyone to learn from each other’s research. By the end of the assignment, we will have a collection of student-created video resources that you can revisit and use in your future professional practice.

As part of your participation grade, you are required to watch and comment on the other groups’ videos.

 

5. Final Assignment:  Community of Learning (30%)

In this project, you will create an informative resource on a specific diagnosis within the field of childhood special needs. The goal is to communicate the knowledge and insights you have gained during the course in a way that is accessible and relevant to a specific audience — either professionals working with children or the children themselves. You will choose a diagnosis, select a suitable format, and design your material to match the needs of your audience. Your work should be academically sound, visually engaging, and based on reliable sources, including at least six academic references (three from our course materials) in APA 7th edition. In addition to the product itself, you will submit a 3 page reflection explaining your choices and considerations.

The project is also intended to form part of a personal resource collection that you can use in your future professional practice.

 

Grading

The grading breakdown is as follows: 

Assignment	Percent
Attendance	10%
Participation	15%
Reading Mastery / Quizzes	25%
Diagnosis Presentation	20%
Final Assignment	30%

Additional Policies

Academic Accommodations

Your learning experience in this class is important to me.  If you have approved academic accommodations with DIS, please make sure I receive your DIS accommodations letter within two weeks from the start of classes. If you can think of other ways I can support your learning, please don't hesitate to talk to me. If you have any further questions about your academic accommodations, contact Academic Support academicsupport@dis.dk

 

Use of laptops or phones in class

We will use computer and phones in class. There for bring both devices to activities in class as well as on fieldtrips. Unrelated use of electronic devices will affect the participation grade.

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on: 

• Course Enrollment and Grading  
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code 

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