Advanced Course in Child and Adolescent Psychology
Understand more about how children and adolescents think and behave.
This is a useful, advanced qualification for anyone working in, or wanting to work with children and adolescents. From toy makers to teachers to welfare service workers to foster carers, this is a great addition to your CV.
Modules
Note that each module in the Qualification - Associate Diploma in Child and Youth Psychology is a short course in its own right, and may be studied separately.
Sample Course Notes
Puberty
in Females
The
physiological purpose of puberty in girls is primarily to establish the
menstrual cycle and develop the breast tissue and mammary glands, in
preparation for her becoming pregnant and having children later in her
life. The primary sex characteristics for females include the ovaries,
uterus, cervix, vagina/vulva/clitoris and fallopian tubes. Secondary sex
characteristics include lack of facial hair, finer less coarse body hair, fat
deposits on the hips and thighs.
At
birth, a girl will have all the eggs (ovum) she will ever produce stored in an
immature form (known as follicles) in her ovaries. Initially, she will
have between 1 and 2 million ova, however from birth the eggs age and die, a
process known as atresia. By the time a girl enters puberty will have
more like 400,000 ova left.
At
puberty, a cascade of sex hormones will cause the ovum to begin to mature in
the ovaries and the menstrual cycle, commonly known as the “period” will
commence. This first period is known as menarche.
Thus,
puberty does not result in the production of ovum, but instead causes the
maturation of structures and organs that are already present in the body.
These same sex hormones will have a variety of other effects on the girl’s
body, causing a process of development toward sexual maturity.
The
age at which a girl will enter puberty is highly variable. For example,
in the UK, on average, girls begin to develop breasts and pubic hair at around
11 years of age, beginning to menstruate at around 13 and maturation is not
usually complete until around 20. Of course, things will vary in different
countries, different cultures and so on. In the USA for example, on
average, these events may occur a few months earlier. Whilst in the tropics, on
average, it will be later. A variety of factors can affect when an
individual will enter puberty, including their family background (genetics),
their diet and their overall health and exercise patterns.
Psychological changes in females can include:
- Anxiety
- Tearfulness
- Irritability
- Mood
Swings/Changes
- Self-image
concerns
- Physiological
changes in females can include:
- Ovaries
develop and ovum ripen
- Menarche
and establishment of menstrual cycle
- Period
pain (dysmenorrhoea)
- Premenstrual
tension, headaches, bloating
- Irregular
periods or missed periods (amenorrhea)
- Body
odour develops
- Skin
becomes oilier and acne/spots develop
- Pubic
hair
- Underarm
hair
- Increase
in height
- Broadening
of hips and thighs (fat deposited here)
Puberty
in Males
Puberty
in males does not result in the reproductive cycle seen in girls. The
purpose is instead the maturation of the structures and organs already present
along with the commencement of sperm production, to enable the fertilization of
the female ovum, making the male fertile. The primary sex characteristics
of the male include penis, testicles and testes, prostate gland, seminal
vesicles and the epididymis.
While
breast development and the commencement of the menstrual cycle are indications
a girl has entered puberty, for boys, there isn’t one event that signals the
commencement of puberty. Some early signs of puberty include an increase
in the size of the testes and penis. Sperm production begins and boys can
experience “wet dreams” (ejaculation during sleep). Hair will grow and
thicken in regions including the armpits, pubic area, face and sometimes
chest. The voice will deepen and muscles will develop.
Unlike
girls, males are not born with all the sperm they will ever produce.
Instead, spermatogenesis, that is the development of mature sperm, is an
ongoing, lifelong process that commences in puberty. While a woman’s ovum
age and die over the course of her life, leading to loss of fertility, a man
will remain fertile until almost the very end of his life. Puberty will
result in some or all of the following in boys:
Psychological changes in males can include:
- Emotional
changes
- Aggression
or anger
- Self-image
concerns
- Risk
taking behaviours
- Physiological
changes in males can include:
- Teste
and penis growth
- Facial
pubic and underarm hair
- Chest
hair
- Voice
deepens and “breaks”
- Skin
becomes oilier and acne/spots develop
- Body
odour develops
- Muscle
development over the arms, chest
- Shoulders
broaden, hips narrow
- Wet
dreams (involuntary emission of semen during sleep)
- Increased
height
Why Study This
Course?
This
course is an advanced qualification enabling you to study child and adolescent
psychology in depth.
- This
will be useful for your professional development -
- If
you want to work with children and adolescents, this will provide you with a
detailed and thorough foundation to understanding child and adolescent
psychology.
- If
you already work with children and adolescents, this course will improve your
job and career prospects by expanding your knowledge and understandings of
child and adolescent psychology
- It
will broaden and deepen your understanding of children and adolescents.
- It
can also provide a foundation for further advanced study
- This course is suitable for anyone wanting to work with children, living with children, or wanting to understand more about how children think and behave.
Any Questions?
