Monash University Handbook 2010 Postgraduate - Unit

Synopsis

The aim of this unit is to ensure that students 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. Students 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. The final sessions of this unit will focus on clinical developmental issues later in life.

Objectives

At the end of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Understand the diagnosis, classification, and aetiology of the major disorders occurring in childhood and adolescence;
2. Understand the principles of interviewing and assessing children and adolescents;
3. Be competent in the administration of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for

4. Be familiar with the major forms of treatment and management based;
5. Be competent in writing a clinical case formulation for a child presenting with a clinical developmental disorder; and
6. Understand clinical developmental issues in later life using a biopsychosocial frame-work.

Assessment

+ WISC-IV assessment. Students will be required to administer a complete WISC submit a completed WISC-IV record form (20%).
+ Following the observation sessions, a brief report (1000 words) providing a clinical formulation for the case that was observed (30%).
+ Two-hour short-answer examination based on lectures and reading (50%).

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Nicole Rinehart