Working with Children and Adolescents

This unit is an elective in your course, and it introduces theories and practices for working with children and adolescents in a range of contexts. Students explore the physical, sexual, cognitive, emotional and moral developmental issues of children and adolescents, and learn how to assess appropriately the presenting issues, including those of their families and caregivers. The interplay between the family and the child or adolescent is explored. This may involve issues of grief, loss, mental disorders, discipline, domestic violence and abuse, gender, ethnicity and cultural diversity. The unit presents legal and ethical issues in working with children and adolescents, and specific strategies for referral.

Learning Outcomes

  • Describe and analyse the principal theories of child and adolescent development
  • Explain the physical, social, psychological, and sexual development of children and adolescents
  • Explain the cognitive, emotional and moral development of children and adolescents
  • Explore the role of family in the development of children and adolescents
  • Describe the presenting issues of children, adolescents and their families and caregivers when accessing counselling and the associated legal and ethical issues
  • Determine strategies to identify who is the client when a child or adolescent is the presenting client
  • Develop a range of strategies and interventions to work with children and adolescents and with their families and caregivers

Content Areas

  • The Context of Working with Children and Adolescents
  • Developmental Theories
  • Physical and Sexual Development
  • Cognitive, Emotional and Moral Development
  • The Role of the Family and Culture
  • Case Management and Counselling Children, Adolescents, and their Families and Caregivers
  • Presenting Issues
  • Grief and Loss Issues
  • Mental Health Issues
  • Discipline, Violence and Abuse Issues
  • Legal and Ethical Issues
  • Case Studies

Unit Duration and Workload

This unit involves a total of 36 hours of face to face delivery of self directed study including educator contact in flexible delivery modes, generating a further 54 hours of self-study per unit including research and related study activities, including assessment. This translates to  7.5 hours per week for the unit.