Life Span Development Syllabus 1
University of Central Missouri
Coun 5310 Development Across the Lifespan
Instructor: Bobby Kizer
Contact: rekq48@umkc.edu
Course Description: This course is designed to help counselors and other human service professionals
develop a working knowledge of the milestones of human growth and development across the lifespan,
including infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, the middle years, and aging. Emphasis will
be on demonstrating an applied understanding of the needs and tasks related to stages in social, emotional,
cognitive, physical development, as well as development of self-concept. Students will explore the
influence of culture on human development.
Conceptual Framework
Belief Statement
The Central educator is a competent, caring, reflective practitioner committed to the premise that all can
learn.
Mission
As a cornerstone of the institution for over 130 years, the University of Central Missouri's Teacher
Education Program develops teachers and other school professionals who are well grounded in theory,
display competence in content knowledge and instructional strategies, and possess the dispositions to
ensure success for all learners. The Teacher Education Program prepares individuals as professional
educators for an ever-changing, culturally diverse population. Faculty and candidates provide support and
service to schools in meeting their present and future challenges by developing communities that learn
through research and scholarly activities. Educator preparation is a campus-wide responsibility, a
commitment that reflects the honor and worth of serving a vital profession.
Textbooks: Broderick, P.C. & Blewitt, P. (2006). The life span: Human development for helping
professionals (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall. Be sure to check out the
corresponding website: www.prenhall.com/broderick
Prerequisites: Coun 5510, Coun 5610, Psy 4520 or EdCI 5900 and Advanced Status
Course Objectives:
CACREP 3: Human Growth and Development - Students will demonstrate an understanding of the nature
and needs of individuals at all developmental levels, including all of the following:
a. theories of individual and family development and transitions across the life span;
b. theories of learning
c. human behavior including an understanding of developmental crises, disability, exceptional
behavior, addictive behavior, psychopathology, and situational and environmental factors that
affect both normal and abnormal behavior; and
d. strategies for facilitating optimum development over the life-span.
MoSTEP 1.4.1.1 Human Growth and Development: The student will demonstrate knowledge and
understanding of human development and personality and how these domains affect learners and
application of this knowledge in his or her work with learners, including all of the following:
a. theories of individual and family development, transitions across the life-span, and the range of
human developmental variation;
b. developmental stages of individual growth;
c. theories of learning;
d.factors that affect behavior, including but not limited to, developmental crises, disability, addiction,
psychopathology, and environmental factors and strategies to assist learners to develop healthy life
and learning styles; and
e. developmental principles in working with learners in a variety of school counseling activities.
Life Span Development Syllabus 2
Office of Accessibility Statement
This course works in concert with the Office of Accessibility Services and the Office of Equity in meeting
ADA requirements. Students with documented disabilities who are seeking academic accommodations
should contact the Office of Accessibility Services, Union 220, (V) (TTY) 660-543-4421.
Academic Honesty Policy Statement
Honesty in all endeavors is essential to the function of society. Honesty in the classroom among students
and between students and faculty is a matter that should concern everyone in the University Community.
Indeed, academic honesty is on of the most important qualities influencing the character and image of an
educational institution. As higher education is challenged to improve the quality of its programs, there is
great value in emphasizing academic standards and integrity.
It is the University's responsibility to provide an educational process that informs both students and faculty
of their rights and responsibilities regarding such important matters as cheating, plagiarism, and
professional ethics. Most of what is considered unethical or dishonest behavior can be avoided if faculty
and students clearly understand both what constitutes these practices and their consequences. The
university community should also be aware of the procedures to be followed should a breach of academic
honesty occur. (https://www.ucmo.edu/x2761.xml)
Course Requirements
1. Class Attendance:
Students are expected to attend all lectures, seminars, laboratories, and fieldwork for each
registered class and to complete all work assigned by the instructor for the course. Advance
arrangements for unavoidable absences should be made with the instructor whenever possible.
Neither absence nor notification of absences relieves the student of the responsibility for meeting
all course requirements. Make-up of course requirements missed because of extenuating
circumstances shall be worked out between the instructor and the student upon the student’s
initiative. (See attendance policy in current UCM General Catalog). Attendance will be assessed
using the in-class reflections.
2. In-Class Reflections: (5 points each, 75 total)
At the end of each session, students will be given time to complete the in-class reflection questions.
These questions will allow the students to reflect on the material that was covered in that class
session and corresponding readings. These reflections will be handed in at the end of each session.
They will later be returned at least one week prior to exams. Reflections must include the
following questions:
1. What do you feel were the three most important things discussed during this class session?
Why?
2. How will what you learned today influence your practice?
3. Reflective Statements: (25 points)
Each student will prepare a reflective statement addressing CACREP standard 3 addressed in this
course (Refer to "Course Objectives."). Students pursing a concentration in school counseling will
include the associated MoSTEP standard in their reflective statement. A guide for writing
reflective statements is available in the documents section on the Counselor Education Program
Blackboard site.
4. Notebook: (10 points)
Each student will prepare a notebook for submission at the end of the course. This notebook will
document the student's mastery of course objectives as they relate to CACREP and MOSTEP
Standards.
5. Black Board Discussion: (10 points each, 70 total)
Part of professional counseling in today’s world is the use of technology to discuss relevant
Life Span Development Syllabus 3
subjects. This is done through various listservs, company e-mail, journal readings, etc. Seven
times throughout the semester, the professor will post a discussion topic on Blackboard about a
particular developmental issue. Each student will participate in an on-line discussion about the
topic. One student each week (to be assigned) will be the primary responder. This response must
include references from the textbook as well as at least one journal article and one website. After
this response, all students will respond, critique, analyze, expand, and offer further insight. These
blackboard discussions will then be reviewed and continued in class.
6. Mid-Term and Final Exams: (50 points each, 100 total)
Exams will consist of multiple choice as well as essay questions. They will assess the student’s
knowledge, comprehension, and understanding of the material covered throughout the course.
The final exam will be comprehensive.
7. Community Mental Health Awareness Presentation with PowerPoint: (100 points)
As a professional counselor you will be called upon to make community presentations
concerning specific life span developmental issues. For this project, students are to present a 30-45
minute PowerPoint Presentation on one of the following topics below. Topics will be chosen on
the first day of class. On the day of the presentation, students must submit an accompanying paper.
This paper must be in APA style, including a title page, abstract, body (including literature
review) and bibliography (including a minimum of 5 credible citations, primarily use journal
articles, not just internet sources). Do not enclose your paper in a folder. Make sure your paper
reflects university-level writing skills. You may wish to take advantage of the university’s writing
lab to critique the mechanics of your writing.
The body of the paper (and the content of your powerpoint) should include: (1) a review of
the issue such as historical information, major theories, prominent psychologists, and current
research, (2) how the issue is related to individual/system health, (3) suggestions for counselors.
Also include how to cope with an individual who fits in your topic, for example, how does a
parent cope with the challenges of having an autistic child?
For all topics: Use the book as a reference. In addition to the chapter listed, see if your
topic is mentioned elsewhere. Apply your presentation to the entire lifespan. For example, if
presenting on early childhood, be sure to mention how it might impact adulthood.
Grading Scale
Attendance/In-class reflection
Reflective Statement
Notebook
Reflective Statements
Blackboard Discussion
Midterm Exam
Mental Health Project
Final Exam
Total
75
25
10
15
70
50
100
50
395
A
B
C
D
F
354-395
315-353
275-314
236-274
0-235
U Grades: A semester grade of U will be assigned when, for justifiable reasons (procrastination is NOT a
justifiable reason), a student does not complete required course assignments. The student must initiate the
request for the U grade with a written proposed timeline for completing remaining assignments submitted
to the course instructor at least two weeks prior to the final class period. The final grades for students who
do not initiate a request for a U grade will be computed incorporating grades recorded for completed
assignments and F grades for incomplete assignments. (Please see the UCM 2006-7 Calendar Handbook,
pp 32-33).
Life Span Development Syllabus 4
Life Span Development Syllabus 5
Presentation Topics
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Chapter 2
o Genetic Disorders- Coping with children who have a Genetic Syndromes
o Infertility- Coping with and overcoming Infertility
o Physical disability- Coping with rearing a child diagnosed with a physical
disability
Chapter 3
o Parts of the brain, brain development, and mental disability-Coping with
rearing a child diagnosed with a mental disability
Chapter 5
o Parenting, styles of parenting, coping with “difficult” children.
Chapter 6
o Cognitive development-Coping with rearing a child who are either above or
below expected grade level
Chapter 8
o Sex-Role stereotypes, peer pressure, sexism-Coping with the pressure and
stereotypes of being male or female
o Gender identity-Coping with a child/adolescent who does not fit the gender
stereotype (may include Gender Identity Disorder (transgender)).
Chapter 9
o Sexual Behavior-Coping with an adolescent’s sexual activity.
o Sexual Orientation- Self-identity (struggle with the awareness that a person is
LGBT). Coping with one’s own sexual identity or coping with a
child/adolescent who is a gay male, lesbian, or bisexual.
Chapter 10
o Social Deviance and Risk Taking. Coping with the difficulties of parenting a
teenager. Also include how to counsel a teenager who doesn’t want to be in
therapy
o Eating Disorders-Coping with a client/adolescent who is diagnosed with an
eating disorder
Chapter 12
o Vocational/Career counseling-Coping with job loss and/or being in a new job
and/or being in a job that one does not like.
o Family (biological clock/social pressures)- Coping with looking for in an ideal
partner for marriage or a permanent monogamous committed relationship.
Coping with raising children in a stepfamily
Chapter 13
o Divorce-Coping steps to take to save a marriage and/or coping with divorce
Chapter 14
o Life-Satisfaction/Happiness- Coping with the steps to insure one’s physical
and emotional wellbeing in adulthood. Coping with Every Day Stressors
Chapter 15
Life Span Development Syllabus 6
o Aging- coping with retirement, coping with loss of energy and increasing
illness
o Death/Dying/Bereavement-Coping with the death of a loved one
o Coping with your or your partner’s diagnosis and treatment of physical/mental
disease (such as Alzheimer’s or cancer.)