Lesson 1Developmental history: prenatal, perinatal, milestones, school progress, and standardised developmental screening toolsThis part looks at gathering a full developmental history, covering prenatal and birth events, growth milestones, language and movement skills, school performance, and using standard screening tools in mental health checks for kids.
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 covers checking family, social, and surroundings factors like family mental health history, parenting ways, break-ups or separations, money troubles, childhood hardships, and trauma checks, and how they affect risks, strengths, and care plans.
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 kids, stressing watching closely, building trust, using play, testing focus and impulses, emotions, thoughts, speech, and age-fitting ways to check understanding, choices, and risks in different 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 clinic findings into clear written reports, list problems, tell temporary from sure diagnoses, and use DSM-5-TR codes right in kids' 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 focuses on collecting and understanding school info like report cards, special education plans, teacher talks, class watches, and tests for learning or attention issues that hit 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 goes over steady medical and brain checks in child mental health, including old records, meds history, sleep issues, senses like hearing and sight, and warning signs for body, gene, or brain 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 standardised diagnostic interviews: Kiddie-SADS, DISC, and semi-structured approaches for DSM-5-TR diagnosesThis part reviews main standard interviews for young ones, key on Kiddie-SADS, DISC, and half-structured ways, with tips on picking, 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 getting detailed mental health history from kids, covering symptom start and path, triggers, sleep and eating, mood and worry, trauma, and fitting substance checks, while keeping safe 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 formulations that connect symptoms to nature, ties, stresses, and other issues, and using them to guide diagnosis, risk checks, and team 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 best ways to get side info from parents, teachers, and kids using set interviews and scales like SNAP-IV, Vanderbilt, Conners, RCADS, and sorting out differing reports.
Choosing informants across settingsParent and caregiver interview structureTeacher report forms and interviewsUsing SNAP-IV, Vanderbilt, and ConnersUsing RCADS and anxiety–mood scales
