COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course seeks to equip the student with knowledge and skills that will enable the enhancement of child and adolescent growth and development, prevent and diagnose problems as well as explain their aetiology.

COURSE CONTENT

Overview of child’s growth and development (physical, social, emotional, intellectual growth and development); Biological basis of Development: Prenatal Development, Infancy and toddlerhood. Heredity, genetics, and genetic testing, Hormonal influences, Influences of drugs, Motor development, Nutritional influences, Perinatal influences, Physical growth and maturation, Prenatal influences, Sexual maturation, and Teratogens. Domains of development in Early childhood, Middle childhood, and Adolescence; Developmental disorders e.g. Antisocial behaviour, Asocial behaviour, fears, phobias, and obsessions, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Autism spectrum disorders, Chronic illnesses and physical disabilities, Cognitive disorders, including dementia, Genetic disorders, Giftedness, Learning disabilities, Mental retardation, Mood disorders, Trauma-based syndromes.

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

1. Examine the joint contributions of biology and environment to child and adolescent development;
2. Describe the sequence (phases) of child and adolescent development and the processes;
3. Critique  the impact of context and culture on child and adolescent development;
4. Relate different domains of development namely; physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development are interrelated in the development of the child and the adolescent;
5. Apply knowledge and skills in growth and development in prevention, diagnosis and enhancement of growth and development of children.