Course

This website offers a free online course about the development of children who are between the ages of birth and 12 years. The course is divided into two main sections, each of which is comprised of four modules. Section one covers the birth to 6 years age range and section two covers the six to twelve years age range. The four modules (for both sections) are:

Early Childhood

• MODULE ONE: typical and atypical development
• MODULE TWO: disorders and conditions
• MODULE THREE: professionals in the fields of early intervention and special education
• MODULE FOUR: putting it all together: how parents and professionals can use this course and where can parents go from here

Middle Childhood

• MODULE ONE: typical and atypical development
• MODULE TWO: disorders and conditions
• MODULE THREE: professionals in the fields of early intervention and special education
• MODULE FOUR: putting it all together: how parents and professionals can use this course and where can parents go from here

The course can be quite beneficial to parents of children with special needs and to any professional who works with these parents and their children. It helps parents and professionals put a child’s development (or developmental delay) in perspective, as it delineates the typical developmental stages that most children go through, and how and why some children do not develop typically. It further describes the most common types of developmental disorders and mental illnesses that are likely to be identified between the ages of birth to twelve years, as well as prenatally. The course also lists some of professionals who usually work with children with special needs, both in therapeutic, educational, and medical settings.

This course is a very good place to start, if you are:

• A parent concerned about his/her child’s development
• A parent who has a child with an identified special need
• A foster parent of a child in care
• A professional who works with young children, in any capacity