PSY5105 · Clinical developmental psychology

Overview

This unit aims to ensure that you are familiar with disorders that occur during childhood and adolescence. Diagnosis and classification, aetiology of the major disorders occurring in childhood and adolescence, as well as the major forms of treatment and management based on recent research will be covered. Various disorders will be examined including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, and depression. You will be expected to develop competence in the application of diagnostic classification systems to children but also will be encouraged to critically evaluate such systems and be aware of their limitations in paediatric populations. A component of this unit will be devoted to formal psychological, especially cognitive, assessment of children and adolescents. Although the major focus of this unit will be on the identification and assessment of disorders and assessment of cognitive abilities in children, the use of various treatment modalities with children, adolescents, and their families will also be discussed with an emphasis on cognitive behavioural approaches.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment in this unit includes hurdle assessment tasks. Failure of any hurdle assessment task may result in failure of the unit.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Explain the diagnosis, classification, and aetiology of the major disorders occurring in childhood and adolescence.
2. Apply the principles of observing, interviewing and assessing children and adolescents.
3. Demonstrate competence in the administration and interpretation of results of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV).
4. Evaluate the major forms of treatment and management for disorders that occur during childhood and adolescence.
5. Synthesize complex information to write a clinical case formulation for a child presenting with a clinical developmental disorder.

Workload

Eleven seminars of three hours for a total of 33 hours. Two workshops of seven hours, twice per semester. There will be an additional unscheduled activity of 1 hour. Preparation / self-directed study: One hour per week for seminars and twelve hours preparation for assessment tasks.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.