Psychology Practice with Children and Adolescents
Overview
The main aim of this unit is to provide students with a detailed understanding of the disorders seen in infancy, childhood and adolescence according to the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). A further aim is to demonstrate the key principles relevant to conducting psychological assessments with children /adolescents and their families, including understanding typical child development, case formulation, evidence-based treatment planning, and inter-professional learning and practice.
Requisites
.Admission to the Masters of Psychology ( Clinical Psychology)
Equivalent
PSY80077 - Child Psychopathology and Assessment
31-May-2026
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Critically reflect on the importance of normal child development
- Appraise the role of early experiences in shaping children’s development and behaviour
- Consider possible diagnoses and differential diagnoses in children and adolescents
- Develop a comprehensive case formulation and evidence-based treatment plan for children and adolescents. Treatment planning needs to give specific attention to the role of inter-professional learning and practice.
- Write psychological assessment reports
- Discuss case relevant issues and consider a range of factors that might influence clinical presentations. Specifically, how culture might shape child and adolescents who present for treatment as well as any other environmental, biological, systemic and individual factors.
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Class |
3.00 | 12 weeks | 36 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning |
9.50 | 12 weeks | 114 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflective Journal | Individual | 15% | 1,2,3,6 |
| Report | Individual/Group | 40% | 1,2,6 |
| Case Report | Individual | 45% | 1,2,3,4,5,6 |
Content
Topics cover the broad areas of:
- Clinical presentations seen in children and adolescents.
- Assessment framework, clinical case formulation, diagnostic decision making, and treatment planning.
- Principles of inter-professional practice and their application
- Working with children and adolescents from a cultural lens
- Typical child development; the importance of taking a developmental perspective when working with children, adolescents, and their families.
- Theoretical frameworks, including a psychodynamic framework for understanding child development and behaviour.
- Graduate Attribute 1 (Communication 1 - Verbal Communication)
- Graduate Attribute 2 (Communication 2 - Communicating using different media)
- Graduate Attribute 3 (Teamwork 1 - Collaboration and negotiation)
- Graduate Attribute 4 (Teamwork 2 - Teamwork roles and processes)
- Graduate Attribute 6 (Digital Literacies 2 - Technical literacy)
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.