Back to Severe to Profound Intellectual Disability: Circles of Care and Education
University of Cape Town

Severe to Profound Intellectual Disability: Circles of Care and Education

This course is about caring for and educating children (and youth) with severe to profound intellectual disability. We use the idea of 'circles' to position the child at the center of the many levels of support needed. Around the child are circles of care and education - such as the parents, family, friends, caregivers, educators, health care workers, and others such as neighbors, business owners, and community members. Each one has an important role to play in the life of a person with an intellectual disability and can be seen as a caregiver and educator. Although this course is aimed particularly at caregivers who work at a special centre or in a private home, each person in the circle of care and education plays a valuable role and will find the course useful. The course covers topics such as intellectual disability, levels of severity of intellectual disability, and the history of intellectual disability. These inform how you can support children and youth with severe to profound intellectual disability so that they can reach their full potential and become participating members of society. We look at lifelong learning by exploring brain development, the learning process, and how to maximise the opportunities for learning. We ask experts about how best learning can be facilitated. This includes looking at children’s learning support needs, how to go about planning activities for the learning programme, as well as how to empower multiple people who work in a team to care and educate children with severe to profound intellectual disability. In the last week, we focus on rights, advocacy and relationships of care. Empowering and caring for caregivers themselves is a key focus of the course. For professional development purposes, you can purchase a Verified Certificate if you wish to show evidence of your achievements, but this is optional, and you can apply for Financial Aid if you are unable to pay the certificate fee.

Status: Instructional Strategies
Status: Disabilities
BeginnerCourse15 hours

Featured reviews

RR

5.0Reviewed May 19, 2020

The course was Excellent and the way it describe was so easy to understand

CM

5.0Reviewed Jul 1, 2022

This course covers many areas that are very valuable in the care and education of those with severe to profound Intellectual disabilities. The information provided was very valuable.

TR

5.0Reviewed Mar 9, 2021

Very successful course content with new and practical knowledge for both caregivers and therapists

IC

5.0Reviewed Apr 15, 2021

It gets you motivated to be the voice of those who can't speak for themselves. You learn a lot about the environment and the system of children with severe to profound intellectual disability

GS

5.0Reviewed Jul 28, 2020

I have thoroughly enjoyed this course. It has truly enriched my knowledge in the space of intellectual disability.

JM

5.0Reviewed Apr 12, 2020

Thank you for this course! I have learned a lot of things thru the video and readings!

LB

5.0Reviewed Sep 13, 2022

E​xcellent course which covers all the aspects of the topic. Peer review and discussions makes it more lively. Case studies and real life experiences adds star to this course.

II

5.0Reviewed Jan 17, 2026

Excellent course, however, I had a bit of delay in receiving feedback from peers, I think that the tutors should grade the assignments not AI or peers

CL

5.0Reviewed Apr 13, 2020

Interesting and thought-provoking content for those already knowledgeable of this field and for those less experienced in this area.

RA

5.0Reviewed Jul 22, 2020

I really appreciate your great team work on this class, its so helpful for me as a Teacher and a researcher on intellectual disability.

HP

4.0Reviewed Nov 7, 2025

This was great experience for me, to update an international view in severe to profound intellectual disability

JA

5.0Reviewed Jan 16, 2026

It is insightful, I enjoyed hearing the first hand experiences of the caregivers and lecturers.

All reviews

Showing: 20 of 54

Geetika Sethi
5.0
Reviewed Jul 29, 2020
Brenda Mosikidi
5.0
Reviewed Sep 10, 2024
Alonso Zepeda
5.0
Reviewed May 3, 2020
Chahat�Baweja
5.0
Reviewed Jul 28, 2020
Jessica Henn
5.0
Reviewed Mar 31, 2020
Laxmi Priya Behera
5.0
Reviewed Sep 13, 2022
Jennifer Ryan
5.0
Reviewed Jul 9, 2020
Rana AL-Otaibi
5.0
Reviewed Jul 22, 2020
virginia inguito
4.0
Reviewed Apr 28, 2020
Sheena Parsons
4.0
Reviewed Jun 7, 2020
Dinah masindwa
5.0
Reviewed Jul 15, 2025
Sudeshna
5.0
Reviewed Dec 29, 2021
Vetrova Maria Alexandrovna
5.0
Reviewed Apr 1, 2020
Bhanu Priyanka A
5.0
Reviewed Nov 16, 2021
Dexter Amoroso
5.0
Reviewed Jan 16, 2025
Sreenidhi Ramesh
5.0
Reviewed Sep 18, 2021
Angela Loeppky
5.0
Reviewed Sep 9, 2021
June Julien
5.0
Reviewed Sep 27, 2021
tembakazi javu
5.0
Reviewed May 22, 2025
Agnieszka W.
5.0
Reviewed Jun 9, 2022