Child and Adolescent Psychology Course

Lesson 1 • Major Theoretical Perspectives

Surveys psychoanalytic, behavioral, cognitive, and ecological theories. Students learn to compare frameworks and identify their practical applications.

Lesson 2 • Research Methods in Developmental Psychology

Introduces quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods designs used with child populations. Grounds students in evidence evaluation skills used throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • History and Scope of the Field

Traces the field from early philosophical views to modern empirical science. Provides context for why current theories and methods exist.

Lesson 1 • Prenatal Stages and Influences

Details germinal, embryonic, and fetal periods and key teratogenic risks. Connects prenatal health to postnatal developmental outcomes.

Lesson 2 • Attachment Theory and Early Relationships

Presents Bowlby and Ainsworth's attachment models and their empirical support. Students learn how early bonds predict social and emotional outcomes.

Lesson 3 • Neonatal Capacities and Brain Development

Examines newborn sensory, motor, and reflexive abilities alongside early brain growth. Establishes the biological baseline for cognitive and social development.

Lesson 1 • Social and Emotional Development

Examines self-concept, emotion regulation, and peer relationships in preschool years. Connects early social skills to school readiness and long-term adjustment.

Lesson 2 • Parenting Styles and Family Influence

Reviews Baumrind's parenting typology and its effects on child outcomes. Situates family dynamics within cultural and socioeconomic contexts.

Lesson 3 • Language Acquisition in Early Childhood

Covers rapid vocabulary growth, grammar acquisition, and pragmatic development. Highlights how language supports cognitive and social competence.

Lesson 4 • Preoperational Thinking and Cognitive Growth

Analyzes Piaget's preoperational stage, symbolic thought, and egocentrism. Prepares students to recognize cognitive limitations and strengths in young children.

Lesson 1 • Peer Relationships and Social Competence

Analyzes friendship quality, peer acceptance, and social information processing. Establishes how peer context shapes identity and adjustment in middle childhood.

Lesson 2 • Concrete Operational Thinking

Details Piaget's concrete operational stage, including conservation and classification. Connects logical reasoning gains to academic learning demands.

Lesson 3 • Memory, Attention, and Executive Function

Examines working memory, selective attention, and self-regulation development. Links these processes to academic achievement and behavioral control.

Lesson 4 • Self-Concept and Industry vs. Inferiority

Applies Erikson's industry vs. inferiority stage to school-age self-evaluation. Connects academic and social experiences to emerging self-worth.

Lesson 1 • Moral Reasoning in Adolescence

Applies Kohlberg's and Gilligan's moral development frameworks to adolescent behavior. Prepares students to interpret moral reasoning in clinical and educational settings.

Lesson 2 • Puberty: Biological Changes and Timing

Details hormonal, physical, and neurological changes of puberty and their timing variations. Connects early and late maturation to psychological and social outcomes.

Lesson 3 • Adolescent Brain Development

Covers prefrontal cortex maturation, limbic system activity, and myelination in teens. Explains the neurological basis of risk-taking and emotional reactivity.

Lesson 1 • Peer Relationships and Romantic Development

Examines peer group structures, cliques, crowds, and emerging romantic relationships. Highlights peer influence on risk behavior and identity consolidation.

Lesson 2 • Risk Behavior and Protective Factors

Analyzes substance use, sexual risk, and delinquency alongside protective individual and social factors. Equips students to design prevention-oriented interventions.

Lesson 3 • Family Relationships During Adolescence

Covers autonomy negotiation, conflict patterns, and parental monitoring in teen years. Situates family dynamics within cultural expectations and adolescent individuation.

Lesson 4 • Identity Formation and Erikson's Framework

Applies Erikson's identity vs. role confusion stage and Marcia's identity statuses. Connects identity exploration to vocational, ideological, and relational commitments.

Lesson 1 • Externalizing Disorders

Addresses oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and aggression patterns. Prepares students to distinguish normative defiance from clinical presentations.

Lesson 2 • Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Covers ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and learning disorders. Students learn diagnostic criteria, prevalence, and evidence-based support strategies.

Lesson 3 • Internalizing Disorders

Examines anxiety disorders, depression, and trauma-related conditions in youth. Connects symptom profiles to developmental stage and assessment approaches.

Lesson 4 • Assessment and Diagnosis in Youth

Reviews structured interviews, rating scales, and observational tools used in child assessment. Emphasizes multi-informant, multi-method approaches for accurate diagnosis.

Lesson 1 • Prevention Programs and Public Health Approaches

Examines universal, selective, and indicated prevention frameworks for child mental health. Prepares students to evaluate program effectiveness using outcome data.

Lesson 2 • Professional Ethics and Competency

Reviews ethical principles, confidentiality limits, and mandatory reporting obligations in child practice. Grounds professional conduct in developmental and cultural awareness.

Lesson 3 • School-Based Mental Health Services

Covers multi-tiered support systems, consultation models, and classroom-based interventions. Connects school settings to early identification and prevention efforts.

Lesson 4 • Working with Families and Caregivers

Addresses parent training, psychoeducation, and family engagement strategies. Equips students to involve caregivers as active partners in child treatment.