PSYCHOLOGY OF TYPICAL AND ATYPICAL DEVELOPMENT

Academic Year 2026/2027 - Teacher: ELENA COMMODARI

Expected Learning Outcomes

The expected learning outcomes represent the set of knowledge, skills, and competencies (cultural, disciplinary, and methodological) that students should possess upon completion of the course. This course aims to deepen their understanding of typical and atypical trajectories of psychological development and the factors that influence them. The learning outcomes are as follows: knowledge and understanding (DD1): understanding theoretical constructs, research models, and fields of application; Applying knowledge and understanding (DD2): connecting learned content to the appropriate application field; Making judgment (DD3): ability to critically process learned content, including in relation to other psychological knowledge; Communication skills (DD4): ability to adequately express learned content with appropriate use of specialized terminology; Learning skills (DD5): ability to integrate learned content into the corpus of psychological knowledge, navigate texts, and develop flexible approaches to the discipline based on different specific content. The course covers some of the objectives set by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, namely, ensuring GOAL 3: HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education. Target 4.7: Ensure that students acquire clinical and interpersonal skills to work with diverse individuals, developing listening skills, understanding, and respect for cultural and psychological diversity.

Course Structure

Lectures. Exercises, practical activities, and individual and group workshops are also included to foster reflection on content and consolidate knowledge. Seminar activities may also be scheduled. If the course is taught in a blended or distance-learning format, any necessary changes to the previously stated curriculum may be made to comply with the planned program and the Syllabus

Required Prerequisites

Adequate knowledge of developmental psychology, general psychology, and the neurobiological foundations of psychic activity.

Attendance of Lessons

recommended

Detailed Course Content

Il corso di suddivide in due parti. La prima parte costituisce un approfondimento di temi classici della psicologia dello sviluppo, con attenzione ad alcune delle atipicità dello sviluppo di peculiare interesse dello psicologo, come per esempio lo sviluppo percettivo e attentivo atipico. La seconda parte si focalizza sulla specifica fase del ciclo di vita che si colloca tra l’adolescenza e l’età adulta, di cui vengono definite le principali peculiarità e caratteristiche in contesto italiano ed internazionale.

Nel dettaglio verranno affrontati i seguenti argomenti:

Biologia e neurobiologia dello sviluppo: ruolo di genetica e ambiente

Sviluppo percettivo e attentivo: tipicità e atipicità

- Disturbi dell’attenzione

-Disturbi della regolazione della processazione sensoriale

Sviluppo linguistico e comunicativo tipico e atipico

- Sviluppo del linguaggio tipico e atipico

-Bilinguismo e intercultura

-Disturbi del processing uditivo

Adolescenza e disturbi psicopatologici

Disturbi Specifici dell'Apprendimento

Adultità Emergente: caratteristiche psicologiche e socio-evolutive

Textbook Information

1: Pecini e Brizzolara; Disturbi e traiettorie atipiche del neurosviluppo II edizione, Mc Graw Hill

2 Lucangeli e Vicari; Psicologia dello Sviluppo; Mondadori Education

3: Arnett (trad. it. Commodari, La Rosa) L’adultità emergente, Mc Graw Hill, 2026

Eventuale materiale fornito dal docente su Studium.

Per ciascun testo sono da studiare solo le parti indicate nella sezione programmazione (Syllabus).

Course Planning

	Subjects	Text References
1	typical and atypical development	text 1, pag. 3-6,
2	neurobiology and epigenetic	text 1: pag. 6-14; 20-29; text 2: pag.26-36 e 41--68 -no box 3 e box 5
3	perception and attention, typical and atypical development	text 2 pag 105-128
4	attention disorders	text 1 pag: 369.389
5	sensory processing disorders	text 1 pag. 254-263
6	language and communication: typical and atypical development	text 2 pag. 136-154; 158-182
7	bylinguism	text 1 pag 54- 83
8	auditory processing disorders	text 2 pag. 189-209
9	language disorders	text 1 pag. 308-329
10	adolescence and psychopatology	text 2 pag.:300--319; text 1 pag 520-543
11	specific learning disorders	text 1 pag 399-429
12	emerging adulthood	text 3, no cap 8

Learning Assessment

Learning Assessment Procedures

Oral. The final assessment may benefit from the results of individual or group exercises for which participation is not mandatory.
Learning assessment may also be carried out on-line, should the conditions require

it. To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested

students may request a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory

and/or dispensatory measures based on educational objectives and specific needs.

Students can also contact the CInAP (Centro per l’integrazione Attiva e Partecipata

— Servizi per le Disabilità e/o i DSA) referring teacher within their department

(https://www.cinap.unict.it/content/referenti).

The evaluation criteria used for the exam are outlined below:
Adequacy of expression regarding content and method
Broadness of thematic awareness and lexical accuracy
Ability to critically analyze topics
Ability to make interdisciplinary connections
Ability to rework knowledge
Ability to transfer knowledge to operational contexts
Based on these criteria, the grade will be expressed in thirtieths according to the following scheme:

• Failed:

Knowledge, awareness, understanding, and vocabulary accuracy in presenting topics: significant deficiencies and inaccuracies
Ability to analyze, synthesize, delve deeper, and re-elaborate: irrelevant, with inappropriate generalizations and inadequate connections and analyses
Ability to transfer knowledge to operational contexts and make interdisciplinary connections: inadequate, with inappropriate connections and transfers
• 18–20
Knowledge, awareness, understanding, and vocabulary accuracy in presenting topics: barely adequate, with extremely basic knowledge and evident imperfections
Ability to analyze, synthesize, delve deeper, and re-elaborate: barely adequate
Ability to transfer knowledge to operational contexts and make interdisciplinary connections: barely adequate and at an extremely basic level

Knowledge, awareness, understanding, and vocabulary correctness in presenting topics: slightly more than adequate

Analysis, synthesis, in-depth analysis, and re-elaboration skills: slightly more than adequate

Ability to transfer knowledge to operational contexts and make interdisciplinary connections: slightly more than adequate

21–23

Knowledge, awareness, understanding, and vocabulary correctness in presenting topics: slightly more than adequate

Analysis, synthesis, in-depth analysis, and re-elaboration skills: slightly more than adequate

Ability to transfer knowledge to operational contexts and make interdisciplinary connections: slightly more than adequate

• 24–26

Knowledge, awareness, understanding, and vocabulary correctness in presenting topics: fair, with adequate vocabulary correctness

Analysis, synthesis, in-depth analysis, and re-elaboration skills: fair, with adequate vocabulary correctness

Fair analytical and synthesis skills, topics are presented coherently.

Ability to transfer knowledge to operational contexts and make interdisciplinary connections: Fair/good, interdisciplinary connections and transfer to appropriate fields of application.

• 27–29

Knowledge, awareness, understanding, and vocabulary accuracy in presenting topics: very good with minor imperfections.

Ability to analyze, synthesize, delve deeper, and revise: very good with high analytical skills. Ability to transfer knowledge to operational contexts and make interdisciplinary connections: very good, with interdisciplinary connections and transfer to fully appropriate and thorough application fields.

• 30–30 with honors

Knowledge, awareness, understanding, and vocabulary accuracy in presenting topics: excellent.

Ability to analyze, synthesize, delve deeper, and revise: excellent.

Ability to transfer knowledge to operational contexts and make interdisciplinary connections: excellent with a high level of depth in transferring knowledge to application fields and making interdisciplinary connections.

Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises

The questions will be graded according to difficulty, some basic questions for passing the exam, others in-depth questions useful for achieving the highest grades in the range. Please remember the importance of the previous section in assessing the following: 1) Adequacy of expression regarding content and method; 2) Broad thematic awareness and lexical accuracy; 3) Ability to analyze critically; 4) Ability to make interdisciplinary connections; 5) Ability to rework knowledge; 6) Ability to transfer knowledge to practical contexts.

Some example questions are provided for illustration only, keeping in mind that the exam will cover all topics listed in the syllabus.
Examples: definition of typical and atypical development; role of epigenetics in development; cognitive development in bilingual children, etc.; types of emerging adults, the "feeling in between."

Degree Course in

Psychology