Lesson 1Developmental history: prenatal, perinatal, milestones, school progress, and standard developmental screening toolsThis part looks at how to get a full developmental history, covering prenatal and perinatal events, milestones, language and motor growth, school advancement, and using standard developmental screening tools in psychiatric checks.
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 checking family, social, and environmental factors, including family psychiatric history, parenting ways, separation or divorce, money and social pressures, ACEs, and trauma exposure, and how these affect risk, strength, and treatment 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 child mental status exam, stressing observation, building trust, play, attention and impulse testing, affect, thought content, and age-suitable methods for checking insight, judgment, and risk in different clinic 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 data into clear written assessments, arrange problem lists, tell provisional from confirmed diagnoses, and use DSM-5-TR coding rules properly in paediatric psychiatric work.
Structuring paediatric assessment summariesPrioritising and updating problem listsProvisional versus definitive diagnosesDSM-5-TR coding rules in childrenCommon paediatric coding pitfallsLesson 5School-based information: interpreting report cards, IEP/504 plans, classroom observations, teacher interviews, and academic/learning disorder screening testsThis part centres on collecting and understanding school-based info, including report cards, IEP and 504 plans, teacher talks, classroom watching, and screening tests for learning and attention problems that affect 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 orderly medical and neurological review in child psychiatry, including old records, medicines, sleep, sensory and seizure worries, and main red flags that point to organic, genetic, or neurological causes of psychiatric signs.
Reviewing paediatric medical recordsMedication history and psychotropic effectsScreening vision, hearing, and sensory issuesSleep disorders and behavioural overlapRed flags for organic or neurological causesLesson 7Use of standard diagnostic interviews: Kiddie-SADS, DISC, and semi-structured approaches for DSM-5-TR diagnosesThis part reviews major standard diagnostic interviews for young people, focusing on Kiddie-SADS, DISC, and semi-structured ways, with advice on choosing, doing, scoring, and mixing 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 how to gather a detailed psychiatric history in children, covering start and flow of symptoms, triggers, sleep and appetite, mood and anxiety, trauma exposure, and age-suitable substance use screening, 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 behaviour screeningLesson 9Formulation skills: constructing biopsychosocial and developmental formulations linking symptoms to context, stressors, and comorbiditiesThis part teaches how to build biopsychosocial and developmental formulations that connect symptoms to temperament, relationships, stressors, and comorbidities, and how to use formulations to guide diagnosis, risk check, and joint treatment 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 collect extra info from parents, teachers, and youth using structured interviews and rating scales like SNAP-IV, Vanderbilt, Conners, and RCADS, and for sorting out different 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
