Infant Toddler Mental HealthAssessment.ppt

Infant Toddler Mental HealthAssessment Stacey Ryan, LCSW Angela M. Tomlin, Ph.D. Objectives Participants will be able to Discuss the scope of mental health problems in young children Describe what IMH assessment and treatment is and is not Explain the importance of social and emotional development to other developmental areas Objectives Select tools and methods for assessing child development, parent-child relationships, parent capacity for relationship, and family situations Demonstrate beginning knowledge of infant-toddler mental health interventions Is Infant Toddler Mental Health Really a Problem? Yes! Young children do experience problems in social emotional competency and even psychopathology We are better able to understand and measure these problems Why we resist this… We are too worried about cognitive skills (“ready to learn”) Stigma associated with mental health issues Myth of childhood Our own discomfort with the idea Prevalence Best estimates of serious behavior concerns in children 2 to 3 years fall between 10 to 15% Parent and pediatrician report behavior problems in 10% of 1 to 2 year olds But won’t these problems go away? No! 37% of 18 mos with extreme behavior/emotional problems continue to have problems at 30 mos Over ? of 2-3 with psychiatric d/o still have symptoms 2 years out Long Term Effects Exposure to poor caregiving, abuse, or domestic violence can lead to developmental and mental health problems in young children Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers can demonstrate depression, PTSD, and disruptive behaviors The Science of Early Childhood Development Babies brains are growing at a phenomenal rate The infant brain is “experience expectant” Both positive and negative experiences have significant and long lasting effects The Science of Early Childhood Development Experience, especially social experiences, change the way the brain is shaped and functions Babies who experience or witness violence have behavioral and physiological changes Th