PSY 280 : Disorders of Childhood: Development and Psychopathology

Maladaptive patterns of behavior, cognition and emotion may occur during childhood and adolescence, and the normal unfolding of maturational milestones may be disrupted and disordered. This course examines the various atypical responses that children experience when "normal development goes awry". The course content makes three assertions. First, that children develop within the contexts of home, school, and community and may be at risk for psychopathology when these environments do not support healthy growth. Second, that development is driven by the interplay of biology and the environment and psychopathology are not inevitable. Protective factors function in both the individual child and the child's environment. Third, children are vulnerable to the emergence of diverse disorders during particular times in development, and that one set of factors may or may not lead to maladaptive behavior, emotion or cognition. Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 and PSY 252. Three lecture hours per week.