GC 770 – Grief Support for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

COURSE INFORMATION

The CE course in the Diverse Populations Specialist Certification Program curriculum focused on Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities covers a comprehensive overview and review of grief rituals that are appropriate for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). It then explores the ways that IDD grievers differ in coping with grief, based on their motor abilities and accommodations. Students learn how to support clients with special needs, their families and their caregivers through their grief. This Grief Support for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities course includes readings/study from the assigned textbooks as well as video lectures and presentations.

Course Code: GC 770. Contact hours of education = 35.

Instructor/Course Author: Dr. Elaine Dispo-Rendón, Ph.D., GC-C, PGSS-C

Link to Resume: access here

TEXTBOOK:

There are two (2) required textbooks for this course.

  1. Helping People with Developmental Disabilities Mourn: Practical Rituals for Caregivers.Mark A. Markell, Ph.D., & Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D. (Foreword). Companion Press. 2004.
    ISBN-10: 1879651467
    ISBN-13: 978-1879651463 Paper back edition.

Link to Purchase on Amazon.com: Access Here

  1. A Special Kind of Grief: The Complete Guide for Supporting Bereavement and Loss in Special Schools (and Other SEND Settings).Sarah Helton. Jessica Kingsley Publisher. 2017.
    ISBN-10: 1785922734
    ISBN-13: 978-1785922732 Paper back edition.

Link to Purchase on Amazon.com: Access Here

TIME FRAME: You are allotted two years from the date of enrollment, to complete all of the four (4) courses in the Grief Support Group Certified Specialist continuing education program. There are no set time-frames, other than the two year allotted time. If you do not complete the courses within the two-year time-frame, you will be removed from the course and an “incomplete” will be recorded for you in our records. Also, if you would like to complete the courses after this two-year expiration time, you would need to register and pay the course tuition fee again.

GRADING: You must achieve a passing score of at least 70% to complete this course and receive the 35 hours of awarded continuing education credit. There are no letter grades assigned. You will receive notice of your total % score. Those who score below the minimum of 70% will be contacted by the American Academy of Grief Counseling and options for completing additional course work to achieve a passing score, will be presented.

BOARD APPROVALS: The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is an Approved Provider for Continuing Education by the South Carolina Professional Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists and Psycho-Educational Specialists licensing board, Provider # 4637.

AIHCP is an approved provider of continuing education by the American Institute of Health Care Professionals (The Provider) is approved by the California Board of Registered Nurses, Provider number # CEP 15595 for 35 Contact Hours. Access information

This course, which is approved by the Florida State Board Of Nursing (CE Provider # 50-11975) also has the following Board of Nursing Approvals, for 35 contact hours of CE

The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Arkansas Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Georgia Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the South Carolina Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Professional Registered Nurses. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the New Mexico Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.

Course Refund & AIHCP Policies: access here

ONLINE CLASSROOM RESOURCES AND TOOLS

* Examination Access: there is link to take you right to the online examination program where you can print out your examination and work with it. All examinations are formatted as “open book” tests. When you are ready, you can access the exam program at anytime and click in your responses to the questions. Full information is provided in the online classrooms.

* Student Resource Center: there is a link for access to a web page “Student Resource Center.” The Resource Center provides for easy access to all of our policies/procedures and additional information regarding applying for certification. We also have many links to many outside reference sites, such as online libraries that you may freely access.

* Online Evaluation: there is a link in the classroom where you may access the course evaluation. All students completing a course, must, without exception, complete the course evaluation.

* Faculty Access Information: you will have access to your instructor’s online resume/biography, as well as your instructor’s specific contact information.

* Additional Learning Materials: some faculty have prepared additional “readings” and /or brief lecture notes to enhance your experience. All of these are available in the online classrooms.

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Identify levels of developmental disabilities on profound, severe, moderate, and mild ranges
  2. Discuss statistics and trend patterns of involving individuals with developmental disabilities (IDD) in grief rituals
  3. Discuss misconceptions associated with grief approaches for individuals with developmental disabilities, including lack of inclusion and euphemisms
  4. Describe importance of grief rituals for individuals with developmental disabilities
  5. Explain role of facilitator and who can be a facilitator in grief rituals
  6. Explain challenges of facilitators in creating grief rituals for individuals with developmental disabilities
  7. Discuss the meaning of death with individuals with developmental disabilities
  8. Discuss reactions of death that individuals with developmental disabilities may experience
  9. Assess the needs of individuals with disabilities in grief process, including those who are nonverbal or have limited fine motor skills
  10. Analyze impending death of people on lives of individuals with developmental disabilities
  11. Discuss appropriate settings of grief rituals in terms of time sequence and frequency
  12. Discuss appropriate settings of grief rituals in terms of location
  13. Discuss appropriate settings of grief rituals in participants
  14. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals for individuals with developmental disabilities
  15. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using photographs
  16. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using storytelling
  17. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using memory objects
  18. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using plants or trees
  19. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using drawing
  20. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using music
  21. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using writing
  22. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using stones
  23. Define and describe process plus explain examples of griefrituals using photos of the death
  24. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using space and location
  25. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using daily objects
  26. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using daily memory
  27. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using packing up belongings
  28. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using pendants or ornaments
  29. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using heart pictures
  30. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using light
  31. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using burying an object
  32. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using memory gifts
  33. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using Play-Doh
  34. Define and describe process plus explain examples of grief rituals using food
  35. Define special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) schools and describe the nature of frequency of deaths at SEND schools
  36. Explain recommendations of how to help SEND schools and staff and students with SEND and their families during grief
  37. Explain the differences among individuals with complex needs (CN), profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), and severe learning difficulties (SLD)
  38. Define euphemisms and identify examples thereof that should not be used about death
  39. Describe Worden’s four tasks of mourning
  40. Describe grief signs and behaviors to be mindful of for people with SEND
  41. Explain how to involve people with SEND in funeral and memorial services
  42. Define “goodbye” service
  43. Explain how to support people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in their grief
  44. Explain how to support people with SEND who are nonverbal or prefer not to express themselves through words during grief
  45. Explain how creative and physical activities help with grief
  46. Define Intensive Interaction as a way to help children with SEND with their grief
  47. Describe holistic methods for grief
  48. Identify how children’s developmental and cognitive ages differ in understanding of death
  49. Identify subjects that can teach lessons about life, death, and loss
  50. Explain examples of how to support aging adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their grief

COURSE CONTENT:

A brief abstract of content:

  • Intellectual quotient levels Individuals with developmental disabilities
  • Individuals who are nonverbal
  • Individuals who lack fine motor skills
  • Facilitator roles and functions
  • Importance of grief rituals
  • Photographs in grief rituals
  • Storytelling in grief rituals
  • Memory objects in grief rituals
  • Plants (or trees) in grief rituals
  • Drawing in grief rituals
  • Music in grief rituals
  • Writing in grief rituals
  • Stones in grief rituals
  • Photos of the death in grief rituals
  • Space and location in grief rituals
  • Daily objects in grief rituals
  • Daily memories in grief rituals
  • Packing up belongings in grief rituals
  • Pendant or ornament in grief rituals
  • Heart pictures in grief rituals
  • Light in grief rituals
  • Burying an object in grief rituals
  • Memory gifts in grief rituals
  • Play-Doh in grief rituals
  • Food in grief rituals
  • Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) schools
  • Complex needs (CN)
  • Profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD)
  • Severe learning difficulties (SLD)
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
  • Euphemisms
  • “Goodbye” services
  • Grief signs and behaviors
  • Worden’s four tasks of mourning
  • Cognitive development in understanding death
  • Creative activities
  • Physical activities
  • Holistic methods
  • Intensive Interaction
  • Breath awareness
  • Massage
  • Pet therapy
  • Peer support
  • Nonverbal community
  • Pediatric community with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities who grieve
  • Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities who grieve
  • Geriatric community with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities who grief