Prerequisites: (Recommended but not Required): A310, A318

Personal Policy for the course: The course will be conducted online. Students are expected to read assigned chapters, complete written assignments, complete exams, and submit a final 8-10 page paper on an agreed upon topic related to childhood mental health. More information on this can be found under Progress Evaluation.

Nature and aims of the course: The course will offer an exploration into the specific aberrations of normal development (e.g., self control, peer relations, attachment, conscience, cognition, work, etc.) which impact the individual in his or her home, school and community. Issues discussed include definitions of various childhood psychiatric conditions, characteristics (including prevalence, gender, socioeconomic and racial factors), co-morbidity, transition school-to-work, developmental course, etiology and intervention. The course will emphasize current evidence-based practices and applications of intervention and prevention models including humanistic, behavioral, cognitive, and family systemic approaches. Individual case studies will be incorporated into class material.

Why the course is important: This course is important because it exposes students to the foundation of diagnostic information related to childhood psychiatric illness and provides practical examples of the impact of emotional and behavioral aberrations. Students will be able to identify behavioral “red flags” and recognize a variety of childhood psychiatric diagnoses.