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Psy 251A: Behavior Disorders of Childhood
Fall 2005
Instructor: Laurie Kaufman
Class time: Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30-10:45am, 212 Dewey
Office Hours: by appointment
Office: 408 Dewey (upstairs from Psy 109/110 office)
Email (the best way to reach me): [email protected]
Course Description
This course will provide a broad survey of what is considered to be disordered or abnormal
behavior in children. Emphasis will be placed on clinical work with children, adolescents, and
their families. We will study various behaviors, symptoms, syndromes and illnesses, including
theories concerning the development of problems and treatments. We will study the
developmental pathways and risk and protective factors that influence the course and outcomes
of development (why some children continue to have problems in adolescence and adulthood
and others do not).
Required Readings
Mash, E.J. & Wolfe, D.A. (2004). Abnormal Child Psychology, 3rd Edition. Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth. Additional required and optional articles will be assigned.
Assignments
Course grades will be based on the following; there will be no extra credit options. Students are
expected to attend all classes, to complete assigned readings before class, and to participate in
class. Assignments are to be printed out before class and handed in during class. No emailed
assignments will be accepted. 10% is deducted for each day an assignment is late.
1. Reading response (40%): Every class students will turn in a two part typed assignment that
includes a) a response to that day’s reading and b) a citation of a peer-reviewed journal article for
future reading. See example on last page of syllabus.
a) Response to reading: explore 1-2 different issues from the reading, ¾ - 1 page in length
(double-spaced, 12-pt font, normal margins). Responses will be graded √+, √, or √- (100, 90, or
80, respectively) based on the focus on scientific fact (not personal opinion or experience), the
thoughtfulness and effort, and the clarity of writing. There are 11 responses assigned; only 10
will be counted (there is no extra credit for doing 11).
Ideas for responses:
- questioning how a disorder develops (importance of causal factors)
- similarities and differences between disorders
- difficulties in diagnosing a disorder
- proposing a research study
- highlighting a gap in our knowledge of a disorder
- questioning the effectiveness of a treatment
b) Citation: use PsycInfo or Google Scholar to locate a psychology journal article from
2000-2005 relating to that week’s topic. Read the full abstract of a journal article. At the end of
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your reading response, include both the citation in APA format and a one-sentence summary of
what the researchers found (i.e. how the variables they were studying are related).
2. Rough draft of paper (20%): See guidelines for the paper below. Your rough draft can be
either a well-developed outline or a written-out paper. Examples will be provided.
3. Paper (40%): You will develop a paper during the course of class meetings. Paper topic and
rough draft are due in the weeks before the paper. Throughout the first weeks of class, think
about areas that interest you and develop a topic that highlights one specific aspect of child
behavioral disorders. This paper is in the form of a literature review/introduction to an article.
You need to read and cite at least 5 journal articles (2000-2005) in addition to any books or your
text. Use APA style. Your paper will be 5-8 pages in length (double-spaced, 12-pt font, normal
margins).
Searching for Journal Articles
PsycINFO – Psychology’s database of journal articles
http://library.uvm.edu/articles/psychology.html and click on PsycINFO
(or uvm webpage, Libraries, Find Articles & More, Subject List, Psychology, PsycINFO).
Results come up with most recent first.
Try combining 2 or 3 terms, limiting to 2000-05, peer-reviewed, human, English, local holdings.
Advantage over Google Scholar: all psychology articles, can limit to locally held, certain
years, peer-reviewed.
Tip: Be specific enough or combine terms to get under 100 results.
Google Scholar – Popular search engine of all journal articles
http://scholar.google.com
Enter search terms. Results come up in order of how often they’re been cited. Either get the
abstract or full text off the web or enter the authors’ names & date into PsycINFO.
Advantage over PsycINFO: get most important papers first.
Tip: Search Google Scholar to get the big names in the field, plug those into PsycINFO.
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Extra Help
Students are encouraged to meet with the instructor with specific questions, general concerns, or
to discuss their interest in the course topics. If you are concerned about your performance in the
class – and you are keeping up with course readings and attending classes - see the instructor for
help.
Missed Classes
Let the instructor know as early as possible if you have to miss a class - at least the week before
the class you will miss. You will need to borrow notes from another class member and you will
be responsible for any changes to the syllabus announced in class. Class assignments will not
be accepted if absences are not excused (e.g. Dean’s note for illness).
Disability Accommodations
Students requiring special assistance due to a disability are asked to contact the instructor during
the first week of classes so that accommodations can be arranged.
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Schedule of Topics, Readings, and Exams (subject to change).
Date
Topic
Week 1
8/30
Introduction
9/01
Issues in Abnormal Child Psychology
Week 2
9/06
Theories and Causes of Abnormal Child Behavior*
9/08
Research in Child Psychopathology
Week 3
9/13
Assessment & Diagnosis of Abnormal Behavior*
9/15
Week 4
9/20
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)*
9/22
Guest speaker: Aaron Vaughn, ADHD
Week 5
9/27
Conduct Disorders and Antisocial Behavior*
9/29
Week 6
10/04
No class – Rosh Hashanah
10/06
Anxiety Disorders*, PAPER TOPIC DUE
Week 7
10/11
Anxiety Disorders
10/13
No class – Yom Kippur
Week 8
10/18
Mood Disorders*
10/20
Guest speaker: Aaron Rakow, “Raising Healthy Children”
Week 9
10/25
IQ and Mental Retardation*
10/27
Week 10
11/01
Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders*
11/03
ROUGH DRAFT DUE
Week 11
11/08
Communication and Learning Disorders*
11/10
Guest speaker from Pine Ridge School
Week 12
11/15
Health-Related Disorders*
11/17
Eating Disorders
Week 13
11/22
Child Abuse and Neglect*
11/24
No Class - Thanksgiving
Week 14
11/29
Prevention and Treatment
12/01
Week 15
12/6
FINAL PAPER DUE
Reading
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3 & Chapter
4, (p73-97)
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 4 (p98-107)
* = response due
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Sample Response
August 30, 2005
Chapter 1
TREATING CHILDREN AND RISK VS. RESILIENCE
Treatment with children is inherently different from therapy with adults because children
are not referring themselves for treatment. In nearly all cases their parents or teachers decide
their behavior is abnormal or problematic and refer them for treatment. The definition of a
psychological disorder requires that an individual has distress over her behavior or thoughts, but
with a child it is often the parents or teachers who are distressed at the child’s behavior and refer
her for treatment. The child might be resistant to treatment or confused as to why she is in
treatment. For example, the case study of Georgina illustrates the distress of her mother and
therapist regarding Georgina’s obsessive and compulsive symptoms. Treatment may have to
include the parents, too, in order to change the child’s behavior or keep the child safe.
Children are strongly influenced and shaped by the events that happen to them, such as
poverty or parents’ divorce or an illness. However, as Mash and Wolfe describe using the
examples of Raoul, Jesse, and Oprah, resilience factors can help children overcome risk factors.
What resilience factors are needed to overcome a single risk factor? An interesting study would
be to follow an incoming kindergarten class, recording the internal and external risk and
resilience factors throughout the children’s early lives, and following up with the children later
as they turn 18. Likely, the children with more supportive, stable families would be better able to
overcome risk factors such as financial problems or illness or a violent event.
Luthar, S.S. (2004). Children's exposure to community violence: Implications for understanding
risk and resilience. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 33(3), 499-505.
Children living in violent communities would benefit from less violence and positive adult
support.
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