Open Admission

Doctor of Philosophy in Learning and Developmental Disabilities

Introduction

The department of Learning and Developmental Disabilities at Arabian Gulf University aims to develop research, educational skills and community services by focusing on enabling students interested in the special education’s field. To embrace the notion that all students will have equal opportunities to learn and develop in the area of learning and developmental disabilities. In the PhD programme, the department is committed to provide its students with effective tools to actively engage in a range of theoretical, practical and social activities to better understand and enhance individuals with disabilities’ quality of life. Further, the graduates will be able to acquire advanced, up-to-date knowledge and conduct applied research in the field, addressing important issues regionally and globally.

Vision

The Programme of Learning and Developmental Disabilities to be recognised globaly and internationally for its excellence in education, research and community services by focusing on educating students interested in the special education field in a manner consistent with the goals of sustainable development in the GCC countries.
Mission
To facilitate students’ research tasks through a balanced integration of theoretical and practical applications within a framework that addresses the reality and culture of Gulf and Arab society, and the achievement of social and educational development goals to enhance the required balance for sustainable development purposes.

The Department’s Objectives

To provide the PhD students with advanced theortical and practicle knowledge, experience, research skills in the area of learning and developmental disabilities.
To enable students to detect early sings and recogise the red-flags of individuals with learning disabilities, intellectual disability, autism, and social and emotional behavior difficulties.
To enable students to aquire the skill of diagnoses and assessments cases of learning disabilities, intellectual disability, and autism.
To enable students to design and implement appropriate educational plans and programmes for individuals with special needs through preventive approaches and remedial programmes.
To enable students to use scientific research tools and measuers and properly use them in the field of specialisation.
To enable students to deal and communicate with individuals with learning disabilities, intellectual disability and autism and their families to maintain the efficiency and effectiveness of the therapeutic educational activities provided to them.
Emphasise the importance of caring for individuals with learning disabilities, intellectual disability and autism, and following up on contemporary issues related to them globally and internationally.
To Prepare qualified and specialised Gulf cadres at the PhD level to deal objectively, professionally and scientifically with the requirements of the field in terms of diagnosis, evaluation and treatment.
To supporting and accept the diversity within the university, understand differente points of view through dialogue and discussion, and to work in a team spirit as strategies and work mechanisms adopted by the department.

The Department’s Mechanisms

Formation, support and development of cognitive competencies in the field of learning disabilities, intellectual disability and autism through the programme’s courses in addition to the practicum and research proposals.
Formation, support and development of educational competencies through specialised theoretical courses.
Formation, support and development of research and professional skills through research and statistical courses and the practicum.
Formation, support and development of competencies and specialised research skills by preparing the student doctoral dissertation.
Formation, support and development of specialised competencies through training in diagnosis, evaluation and research.

PhD Study Plan (Specialisation: Learning Disabilities)

The study plan for the doctoral degree is divided into three semesters for courses, with a required (52) credit hours distributed between courses (40 hours) and a doctoral dissertation (12 hours). The following is the distribution of the study plan for the courses:

Doctoral Programme
Credit Hour	Course name	Course code
6	Advanced Statistical Methods	GED GED 734	College Requirements
	Advanced Research Methodology	GED GED 735
12	Biological & Cognitive Fundamentals of Behaviour	LRD 730	Department Requirements
	Special Education Laws and Legislation	LRD 731
	Learning Theories & Applications	LRD 732
	Social Justice in Special Education	LRD 733
22	Courses (Learning Disabilities)		Specialisation Requirements
12 hours	Doctoral Dissertation
52 hours	Total Credit Hour
Prerequisite Courses for Students from Other Majors
3	Developmental Learning Disabilities		LRD LD 531
3	Academic Learning Disabilities		LRD LD 533
2	Fundamentals of Early Intervention		LRD ID 524

First Semester
Credit Hours	Course Title	Course No.
3	Biological & Cognitive Fundamentals of Behaviour	LRD 730
3	Special Education Laws and Legislation	LRD 731
3	Learning Theories & Applications	LRD 732
3	Social Justice in Special Education	LRD 733
12	Total Credits

Second Semester
Credit Hours	Course Title	Course No.
3	Diagnostic & Remedial Models of LD	LRD LD 730
3	Advanced Statistical Methods	GED GED 734
3	Advanced Research Methodology	GED GED 735
3	Psychological & Educational Counselling in LD	LRD LD 731
2	Practicum Application (1)	LRD LD 732
14	Total Credits
26 Hours	Total Credits for Second year

Third Semester
Credit Hours	Course Title	Course No.
3	Teaching Methods in Inclusion Classrooms	LRD LD 733
3	Assistive Technology and Innovation in the Field of Learning Disabilities	LRD LD 734
3	Learning Disabilities and Behaviuoral Disorder	LRD LD 735
3	Advanced Research Seminar in Learning Disabilities	LRD LD 735
2	Practicum Application (2)	LRD LD 737
14	Total Credits
40 Hours	Total Credits for Second year

Forth Semester
Credit Hours	Course Title	Course No.
12	Doctoral Dissertation	DISSR LD 799
52 Hours	Total Credits

Fifth Semester
Credit Hours	Course Title	Course No.
12	Completing Doctoral Dissertation	DISSR LD 799

Sixth Semester
Credit Hours	Course Title	Course No.
12	Completing Doctoral Dissertation	DISSR LD 799

Courses Syllabus for the Doctoral Degree in Learning Disabilities

First Semester

Credit Hours	Course Title	Course No.
LRD 730	Biological & Cognitive Fundamentals of Behaviour	3
The biological bases of behaviour and learning, including the fundamentals of brain development, neuropsychology, neurophysiology, neurochemistry. Interactions between the brain, the environment and lifestyle (including diet, exercise, and sleep), and how it impacts brain development, learning, memory, and mental health. This knowledge is applied towards understanding typical maturation, as well as developmental conditions such as learning disabilities, ADHD and autism. The bases of enhancing physiological functions related to attention, perception and memory.
Credit Hours	Course Title	Course No.
LRD 731	Special Education Laws and Legislation	3
International, regional and local laws and legislation in force in the field of special education, regulations, policies and procedures that guarantee the principle of equal opportunities, establishing laws that represent a pillar for ensuring the rights of the disabled in various fields such as diagnosis, evaluation mechanism and public education, in addition to community partnership, preparing specialized cadres and providing support to the disabled and their families, focusing on ethical issues related to special education and how to enact laws that guarantee the protection of the disabled individuals.
Credit Hours	Course Title	Course No.
LRD 732	Learning Theories & Applications	3
The concept of learning, its importance and its affecting factors. The different learning theories like behaviourism, social learning, cognitive and information processing and their applications in behaviour and teaching, focusing on students with special needs. The connection between these theories and the techniques of screening, diagnosis and treatment. The merits and shortcomings of these theories, which help in formulating the students’ own philosophies and principles in learning, teaching and training settings.
Credit Hours	Course Title	Course No.
LRD 733	Social Justice in Special Education	3
Critical understanding of the role of equality and justice in Special Educational Needs (SEN) inclusion education. Diversity and equity in disability, and application of the Capability Approach (CA) and the different models of disabilities. Explore the nature of disabilities such as Dyslexia, Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD); and to understand the multidimensional and multilevel issue of inclusion and SEN. Explore the (CA) and what disabled individuals can achieve when given the opportunities freedoms to obtain their ultimate goals and values.
Credit Hours	Course Title	Course No.
LRD LD 531	Developmental Learning Disabilities	3
The foundations of the relationship between developmental and academic learning disabilities, and the theoretical underpinnings of developmental cognitive processes disorders for people with learning disabilities. Factors and causes of developmental and academic learning disabilities, with a focus on the relationship between developmental and academic learning disabilities, reading disabilities, reading comprehension disabilities, writing disabilities, spelling and written expression disabilities, and mathematics disabilities, cognitive and behavioral disorders of attention, perception disabilities and memory disabilities and how they affect the structure of the cognitive function among people with learning disabilities.
Credit Hours	Course Title	Course No.
LRD LD 533	Academic Learning Disabilities	3
Academic Learning Disabilities and their relationship with Developmental Learning Disabilities in general. Specifically, the reasons of academic learning disabilities including all types of reading learning disabilities, writing learning disabilities, and Math learning disabilities with reference to the characteristics of the children with a specific disability from these disabilities as well as some applications and practices in the field.
Credit Hours	Course Title	Course No.
LRD ID 524	Fundamentals of Early Intervention	2
The importance of early intervention with intellectual disabled and/ or autistic young children, by emphasizing the importance of the family. In addition, the important theories, programs and strategies of early intervention in order to create an elevated state of mind that understands the concept and is able to deal with both the involved child and their family in a professional manner.

Second Semester

Credit Hours	Course Title		Course No.
LRD LD 730	Diagnostic & Remedial Models of LD		3
Learning disabilities, diagnostic models and criteria as discrepancy, special education, developmental, and response to intervention (RTI). Factors that led to the emergence of different models in addition to steps and mechanisms of utilising those models in identifying, diagnosis and remediation of learning disabilities. New trends in RTI research and training.
Credit Hours	Course Title		Course No.
GED GED 734	Advanced Statistical Methods		3
Statistical methods of analysing the data and hypothesis testing through procedures like simple and multiple correlation, simple and multiple regression, logistic regression, factorial & multivariate analysis of variance, covariance analysis, repeated measures, discriminant analysis, and non-parametric statistical tests.
Credit Hours	Course Title		Course No.
GED GED 735	Advanced Research Methodology		3
The major approaches to qualitative, quantitative and mixed research designs, including phenomenology, ethnography, case study, descriptive, correlation, causal-comparative, single, and group experimental research. Develop the idea for the dissertation research. Experience in writing and assessing published work.
Credit Hours	Course Title		Course No.
LRD LD 731	Psychological & Educational Counselling in LD		3
Educational and psychological counselling and guidance concepts, strategies and the importance and need of counselling in special education. Bases and techniques of school and family counselling along with principles of interviews. The obstacles of working with special need students. Parents expected role with special need individuals such as autistic, intellectually disabled and those with hearing and visual impairments.
Credit Hours	Course Title	Course No.
LRD LD 732	Practicum Applications (1)	2
Give workshops and lectures targeting administration staff and teachers. In addition to designing specialised programmes in the field of specialisation. To apply the theoretical courses that are being taught in the current term such as psychological and educational counselling for individuals with learning disabilities, to work on a counselling plan addressed to individuals with disabilities and their families and apply the plan in schools. Similarly, in the diagnostic and remedial models in learning disabilities course, the use of diagnostic methods in schools and evaluate the results.

Third Semester

Credit Hours		Course Title		Course No.
LRD LD 733		Teaching Methods in Inclusion Classrooms		3
The specific applications of methods and strategies for teaching classes with a wide range of students' abilities and exceptional students with learning issues. The techniques of understanding and reaching out to students with a wide range of individual differences, developing individualised means for student success, methods to teach students to develop coping strategies, formal and informal assessment, enhancing teaching, classroom organisation and management. The expected roles of school, teachers, family and local communities.
Credit Hours		Course Title		Course No.
LRD LD 734		Assistive Technology and Innovation in the Field of Learning Disabilities		3
Utilising computer and technology in special education, especially learning disabilities. Programmes of different objectives like word processing, graphic design, slide shows and educational websites. Methods for training and developing abilities of individuals to enhance their independence and reducibility, and the use of different software designed for special education.
Credit Hours		Course Title		Course No.
LRD LD 735		Learning Disabilities and Behaviuoral Disorder		3
The concepts of learning disabilities such as attention difficulties associated with ADHD, in addition to math and reading disabilities. Different types of memories such as visual, hearing and sensory; its impacting factors; and effective techniques and. The relationship between learning disabilities and behavioural disorder; its definition; diagnoses; and classifications.
Credit Hours		Course Title		Course No.
LRD LD 736		Advanced Research Seminar in Learning Disabilities		3
The bases and resources for research problems and enhancing research skills. Connect the theory and the application of different aspects in learning disabilities. The most recent trends and topics in learning disabilities and emphasise the critical reviews and reports of researches and controversial issues which help improve scientific thinking, dialog, discussion and scientific writing skills.
Credit Hours	Course Title		Course No.
LRD LD 737	Practicum Applications (2)		2
Give workshops and lectures targeting administration staff and teachers. In addition to designing specialised programmes in the field of specialisation. To apply the theoretical courses that are being taught in the current term such as advanced research seminar. Write the doctoral research proposal based on the important and contemporary issues observed in the field while participating in schools with inclusive education. Additionally, work on the application of the assistive technology for learning disabilities.