DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
Learning outcomes of the course unit
1.Knowledge and understanding. Students will need to achieve a good understanding of the theoretical and methodological basis, relative to the assessment and intervention of the developmental psychopathological disorders.
2.Applying knowledge and understanding. Students should be able to use their knowledge to explain the different developmental pictures.
3.Making judgments. Students will develop critical thinking and reflection on methodological issues and on the relationship between the specific theoretical positions and the recent empirical results.
4. Communication skills. Students should acquire the ability to critically discuss the concepts relative to developmentental psycopathology and to identify the boundaries between psychoeducational and psychotherapeutic intervention.
5.Learning skills. Students should be able to learn the most recent theoretical approaches and the key assesment and intervention tools in the field of developmental psycopathology.
Course contents summary
The course's main aim is to help students acquire a clear understanding of developmental psychopathology's different clinical pictures and some methods of psychological intervention with particular reference to the cognitive behavioral approach and to the behaviorism of the so called “third generation”.
The students will be able to descriminate the principal clinical syndromes based on a certain number of objective criteria outlined in the international classification systems (ICD-10 and DSM-IV) and shared by the scientific community. In addition, students will be able to master
some reasoned assesment and intervention tools available today, resulting from the most recent scientific research.
Course contents
Intellectual disability. Autism spectrum disorders. Learning disorders. Behavior disorders with particular reference to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Developmental Anxiety disorder. Developmental Mood disorder/ Affective disorder . The main cognitive-behavioral methods of intervention in developmental psycopathology. Methods of Experimental evaluation on the effectiveness of psychoeducational and psychotherapeutic interventions.
Recommended readings
Celi F. e Fontana D. (2010) Psicopatologia delle sviluppo. Storie di bambini e psicoterapia. Milano: Mc-Graw-Hill. (pp.564).
Teaching methods
At lessons, topics are treated in their general aspects and in an order that does not necessarily reflect that of the chapters of the book. In class lots of space will be given to the discussion of clinical cases, to the analysis and discussion of video clinical cases, to details and clarifications that will be given at the students request, to the reading of articles and their critical commentary, and to in-course assesment tests.
Assessment methods and criteria
In addition to the tests, the examination also includes a written test composed of 31 closed questions (true or false) based on the textbook.
