Working With Young Children: Looking Beneath The Behaviors"

Often, when young children are referred for therapy, they present with certain behaviors and the referral may be influenced by teachers and/or parents and their experience or lack of knowledge of those behaviors. As a clinician, it is easy to focus only on the presenting problem and want to give a label or diagnosis. In this workshop, participants will learn various techniques to look beyond the presenting issue(s) and delve deeper into what factors can contribute to childhood diagnoses, such as Childhood Mental and Behavioral Disorders. Participants will learn to differentiate between normal childhood behavior and pathology, including, but not limited to neurodevelopmental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, to help them conceptualize and treatment plan. Discussion will also include when it’s important to refer children out for medical and/or psychiatric evaluation. Workshop attendees will learn skills for how to work with teachers in school settings and with families at home and how this can positively impact treatment outcomes. Discussion of family dynamics, systems theory and how various life stressors can impact children and affect their behavior will be addressed. Participants will be provided a brief overview of Child-Centered Play Therapy and how it is used for assessment along with the importance of having a knowledge of child development in therapy.