Module 6 Flashcards
What are the 6 broad themes psychologists usually work with children/adolescents on?
1) Crises
2) Educational concerns and disabilities
3) Psychopathology
4) Psychosocial adjustment
5) Physical health conditions
6) Neuropsychological conditions
What are the 5 different theoretical perspectives of child development?
Developmental Normative-developmental Cognitive developmental Family-systems Eclectic
Sattler: What is the main premise of the developmental perspective?
A developmental perspective proposes that the interplay between genetic disposition and environmental influences follows a definite, nonrandom form and direction
Sattler: How does the developmental perspective explain maladaptive behaviours?
Maladaptive behaviours may be manifested when there is a mismatch between children’s needs and the opportunities afforded to them by their environment
Sattler: Outline the stages of the developmental perspective.
0-2: Children’s thoughts dominated by what they see and touch
2 years: develop expressive language identifiable to adults, recall some prior actions and responses, thinking tends to be egocentric
7 years: thoughts become systematic, develop skills to solve concrete problems
11 years: most can think abstractly and make logical deductions
Sattler: How is the normative-developmental perspective an extension of the developmental perspective?
In normative-developmental, children are always compared to their peers
It considers demographic variables (age, grade, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status), developmental variables (language, motor, social, and self-help skills) and the influence of prior development on current and future development
Sattler: What does the cognitive-behavioural perspective focus on?
Focuses on the importance of cognitions and the environment as major determinants of behaviour
Emphasises empirical validation throughout the treatment process
Cognitions and behaviour are functionally related: changes in one causes changes in the other
Sattler: What does the family-systems perspective focus on?
Focuses on the structure and dynamics of the family as determinants of a child’s behaviour
Sattler: What are the 6 assumptions underlying the family-systems perspective?
1) The parts of the family are interrelated
2) One part of the family cannot be understood in isolation from the rest of the family
3) The family is greater than the sum of its parts
4) Changes in one part of the family affect the other parts
5) The family structure and organisation are important factors determining the behaviour of individual family members
6) Interactions among family members also shape the behaviour of family members
What are some recommendations for engaging children in assessment?
Setting - toys, smaller furniture Environment - children are noisy Language Tone - don't talk down to them Timing - not when they're tired Length Flexibility - cognitive and physical Demeanour - be relaxed, engaging Characteristics - patience, warmth etc Pop-culture knowledge
Taylor and Adelman: What are some aspects of the therapy process that can assess and increase parental motivation to be involved?
- Signing consent forms: lets them know they can terminate at any time, so when they sign it, they’ve made a solid commitment
- Suggesting a short time frame to begin with (eg: 3 sessions then a follow-up session)
- Giving them the option to hold off for a while and make a decision about treatment later
- Sharing assessment information
- Contracting for involvement, increase it over time
Taylor and Adelman: What are the 3 basic considerations for maintaining motivation and involvement of parents during the therapy process?
1) Ensuring parents feel a growing sense of relatedness to the therapist
2) Giving them ways to get involved and facilitating their decision making among desirable options
3) Provide continuing support for learning, growth, and success (including feedback about how their involvement is benefiting the youngster)
Which brain region changes most dramatically during adolescence?
Pre-frontal cortex (planning, decision-making, inhibitory behaviour, self-awareness)
What happens to grey matter development in the prefrontal cortex throughout life?
Grey matter volume in the prefrontal cortex peaks during adolescence, then goes through significant decline (pruning away un-needed synapses)
Selekman (2005): When working with adolescents we should:
Avoid diagnostic labels, understand their individual perspective
Avoid repeating unsuccessful encounters with other professionals - ask them what did and did not work for them
They often feel misunderstood and dismissed, so ask them how they think therapy is going and any concerns they have
Be flexible and willing to compromise
Consider their autonomy and invite them to take the lead in defining treatment goals
Respect that they have strengths and resources to initiate healthy change. Your role is to guide, not expert
