PY5005:03
Childhood Health and Behaviour Disorders
Townsville
Prerequisites: Admission to MPsych or permission of Course Co-ordinator
39 hours flexible delivery including seminars, workshops and video conferencing. First semester.
Available only to MPsych or DPsych students or with permission of the course coordinator.
Staff: Assoc. Professor A Ralph.
The requirements for healthy development as a child matures are addressed, as well as methods in assessment, observation, and intervention with common disorders. The cognitive, emotional and social aspects of a child’s behaviour will be examined and the role of the environment in development will the emphasised (e.g. culture, family, school). The functions of community resources will be reviewed. Specific topics will include conduct disorders, learning disorders, affective and social dysfunction, intellectual handicap and paediatric medicine.
Learning Objectives:
- knowledge of the relationship between health and illness in development from birth to adolescence;
- understanding of the biological, environmental and psychosocial influences on the development of problems in children and adolescents;
- understanding of the rationale and ethics of working with children and adolescents and the role of the psychologist in institutional and community settings;
- the development of knowledge and skills in the different methodologies for evaluation and intervention that are appropriate for use with children, adolescents and families.
Assessment by practical competency demonstration and written assignments.