Lesson 1Developmental history: prenatal, perinatal, milestones, school progress, and standardized developmental screening toolsThis part examines how to collect a full developmental background, covering prenatal and birth events, growth stages, language and movement skills, school advancement, and standard screening tools used in mental health checks for children.
Prenatal and perinatal risk factorsMotor, language, and social milestonesEarly temperament and attachment patternsSchool readiness and academic progressDevelopmental screening tools in practiceLesson 2Family, social, and environmental history: family psychiatric history, separation/divorce impact, parenting practices, socioeconomic stressors, ACEs and trauma screeningThis part deals with evaluating family, social, and surrounding factors, such as family mental health background, parenting ways, effects of separation or divorce, economic pressures, adverse childhood experiences, and trauma checks, and how they influence risks, strengths, and care planning.
Family psychiatric and medical historyParenting styles and family dynamicsImpact of separation, divorce, and lossSocioeconomic and cultural stressorsACEs, trauma screening, and resilienceLesson 3Mental status exam for children: observation techniques, attention/impulse testing, affect, thought content, speech, play-based assessment methodsThis part explains the mental status check for children, stressing watching behaviors, building trust, using play, testing focus and impulses, emotions, thoughts, speech, and suitable methods for checking understanding, decisions, and risks in various care settings.
Setting up a child-friendly interviewObserving appearance and behaviorAssessing mood, affect, and play themesEvaluating thought content and perceptionAttention, impulse control, and cognitionLesson 4Documentation and diagnostic coding: writing assessment summaries, problem lists, provisional vs definitive diagnoses, and DSM-5-TR coding nuancesThis part shows how to turn clinical information into clear written reports, arrange problem lists, tell temporary from final diagnoses, and use DSM-5-TR coding rules correctly in child mental health work.
Structuring pediatric assessment summariesPrioritizing and updating problem listsProvisional versus definitive diagnosesDSM-5-TR coding rules in childrenCommon pediatric coding pitfallsLesson 5School-based information: interpreting report cards, IEP/504 plans, classroom observations, teacher interviews, and academic/learning disorder screening testsThis part centers on collecting and understanding school details, like report cards, special education plans, teacher talks, class watches, and tests for learning and attention issues that impact school and social life.
Reading report cards and commentsUnderstanding IEP and 504 documentationPlanning classroom observationsInterviewing teachers and school staffScreening for learning and attention issuesLesson 6Medical and neurological review: reviewing past medical records, medication history, sensory/hearing/vision, sleep disorders, and red flags for organic causesThis part covers thorough medical and brain health review in child psychiatry, including old records, drug history, sleep problems, sense issues like hearing and sight, and warning signs for physical, genetic, or brain-related causes of mental symptoms.
Reviewing pediatric medical recordsMedication history and psychotropic effectsScreening vision, hearing, and sensory issuesSleep disorders and behavioral overlapRed flags for organic or neurological causesLesson 7Use of standardized diagnostic interviews: Kiddie-SADS, DISC, and semi-structured approaches for DSM-5-TR diagnosesThis part looks at main standard interview tools for young people, focusing on Kiddie-SADS, DISC, and half-structured methods, with advice on choosing, doing, scoring, and fitting results into DSM-5-TR diagnoses.
Overview of structured and semi-structured toolsKiddie-SADS indications and proceduresDISC administration and scoring basicsSemi-structured DSM-5-TR interview skillsIntegrating interview data with clinical judgmentLesson 8Detailed psychiatric history: onset/course of symptoms, situational triggers, temporal patterns, sleep, appetite, mood, anxiety, trauma exposure, substance use screeningThis part describes gathering detailed mental health history in children, including start and flow of symptoms, triggers, sleep and eating, mood and worry, trauma, and suitable checks for substance use, while keeping safety and trust.
Clarifying onset and symptom timelineSituational triggers and temporal patternsSleep, appetite, and somatic complaintsMood, anxiety, and trauma questioningSubstance use and risk behavior screeningLesson 9Formulation skills: constructing biopsychosocial and developmental formulations linking symptoms to context, stressors, and comorbiditiesThis part teaches building body-mind-social and growth-based explanations that connect symptoms to personality, relations, pressures, and other conditions, and using them to guide diagnosis, risk checks, and joint care planning.
Core components of a good formulationDevelopmental pathways and risk factorsLinking symptoms to context and stressorsIncorporating comorbidity and complexityUsing formulations to guide treatmentLesson 10Collateral information collection: structured interviews and rating scales for parents, teachers, and child (eg, SNAP-IV, Vanderbilt, Conners, RCADS)This part outlines good ways to gather extra information from parents, teachers, and youth using set interviews and rating tools like SNAP-IV, Vanderbilt, Conners, and RCADS, and handling differing reports from sources.
Choosing informants across settingsParent and caregiver interview structureTeacher report forms and interviewsUsing SNAP-IV, Vanderbilt, and ConnersUsing RCADS and anxiety–mood scales
