Psychological Examination and Consultancy of Children and Adolescents

Presentation

This discipline aims to consolidate previously acquired knowledge in the area of psychological assessment but, above all, allows students to A. become familiar with various assessment methodologies that may be useful in their professional future; B. learn to manage, quote, interpret and return results based on case studies in order to train indispensable work-based skills that include psychological assessment; C. are able to make decisions in clinical practice that address the specificities that psychological
assessment with children and adolescents entails; D. Know validated instruments for the Portuguese population which will allow them to ethically and sustainably base their clinical opinions and corroborate their diagnostic hypotheses when working in real contexts with minors, families, schools, and other community institutions.

Part of this Programme

Clinical and Health Psychology

Level of Qualification|Semesters|ECTS

| Semestral | 5

Year | Type of course unit | Language

1 |Mandatory |Português

Code

ULHT65-14818

Recommended complementary curricular units

In order to achieve optimal performance in this course, students must have a consolidated theoretical background in psychometrics, developmental psychology, psychological assessment, and psychopathology in children and adolescents. It is equally essential to fully understand the Portuguese language (comprehension, writing, speaking).

Prerequisites and co-requisites

n/a

Professional Internship

Não

Syllabus

1. Psychological consultation with children and adolescents
  1.1. Specificities in the evaluation process with children and adolescents
  1.2. Ethical and deontological aspects
2. Clinical interview and clinical observation
  2.1. Interview with children and adolescents: Objectives, types, techniques and developmental
specificities
  2.2. Interview with Parents and Teachers
  2.3. Clinical observation
  2.4. History & Clinical History
  2.5. Therapeutic relationship and communication strategies
3. Dimensional assessment of difficulties and skills
  3.1. SDQ
  3.2. ASEBA system
4. Case Formulation
  4.1. Functional analysis
  4.2. Cognitive behavioral model
  4.3. Clinical report
5. Assessment of the most prevalent disorders in childhood and adolescence
  5.1. Internalization disorders
  5.2. Externalizing disorders
  5.3. Developmental Disorders
  5.4. Eating Behavior Disorders and Substance Abuse
6. Assessment of cognitive abilities, neuropsychological issues and executive functions

Objectives

At the end of these classes, it is expected that our students will be able to:
- Select, administer, quote, analyze, and interpret psychological assessment instruments in order to
collect clinical information that allows:
(i.) identify and understand clinical problems
(ii.) establish a psychopathological diagnosis
(iii.) identify and characterize customer adaptive working domains.
- Develop skills in case of formulation in light of the cognitive-behavioral approach adapted to childhood and
adolescence.
- Analyze and integrate clinical and psychometric data with theoretical knowledge with empirical evidence
to develop comprehensive client case formulations.
- Communicate the results of the clinical evaluation.
- Develop psychological intervention planning skills adapted to different contexts and problematics.

Teaching methodologies and assessment

Continuous assessment includes the accomplishment of a written test for the evaluation of theoretical knowledge (50%) and the accomplishment of an group work that consists in the doing a clinical interview to a family, the quotation and interpretation of the results of a battery of instruments and elaborate of a case report (written component - 30%), Finally, this case will presented at the class and the group members will perform a role play bout the devolution of the results to the family (oral component - 20%). The student will only be successful at UC if the average of these modalities is 10 or more values. Attendance at classes is required. The final evaluation of the students comprises a written test that integrates all the theoretical and practical contents taught in this course (100%).
 

References

• Achenbach, T., & Rescorla, L. (2014). Sistema de avaliação empiricamente validado (ASEBA):
  Um sistema integrado de avaliação com múltiplos informadores . Braga: Psiquilibrios
• Carter, A., Marakovitz, S., & Sparrow, S. (2006). Comprehensive psychological assessment. In
  D. Cicchetti & D. Cohen, Developmental psychopathology. Volume I. NY: John Wiley.
• Greenspan, S., & Wieder, S. (2006). Infant and early childhood mental health: Comprehensive
  developmental approach to assessment and intervention. Washington: American Psychiatry
  Publishing.
• Williams, J., & Hill, P. (2012). A handbook for the assessment of children's behaviours. Sussex:
  Willey-Blackwell.
• Merrell, K. (2009). Behavioral, social, and emotional assessment of children and adolescents.
  London: Routledge.
• Saklofske, D., Schwean, V., & Reynolds, C. (2013). The Oxford Handbook of Child Psychological
  Assessment. New York: The Oxford University Press.

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