Interaction and Prevention Skills With Children

Catalog description

This course prepares students to intentionally support children’s social and emotional development/mental health in childcare, school, recreational, or therapeutic environments using evidence-based techniques and practices. Topics include addressing challenging behaviors across various age groups, promoting resilience through play and family-centered, relationship-based strategies, and using observation and assessment data to create prosocial learning opportunities. Students explore strategies in working with groups, the use of games and activities for learning and assessment, collaboration with family and other professionals and clinical observation skills. Students must have three current clearances: FBI Fingerprint Clearance, a Pennsylvania State Police Criminal History Clearance, and a Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Child Abuse History Clearance and meet the local requirements of the field placement site, including the National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR) Verification Clearance. A weekly field observation in programs serving children birth to 36 months or preschoolers; or schools; agencies or other therapeutic setting is required based on the student’s specific course of study.