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CERTIFICATE IN APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY VPS003

Duration (approx) 600 hours
Qualification
Certificate

Why Study Applied Developmental Psychology?

Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how people change and develop during their lifetime.  This is from birth until old age.

We go through many phases in our lives, from being a newborn to a child, to an adolescent, young adult, adult and finally an older person. Many changes occur during our lifetimes.

This course looks at –

  • The changes that occur during our lifetime.
  • The psychological principles and techniques we can apply to understand and support people as they experience changes in their lives.

Who Is This Course Suitable For?

This course is useful for anyone working the caring professions, volunteering, education, youth work, aged care etc, who would like to understand more about supporting people effectively during their lifetimes.

What Will You Learn In This Course?

This course offers valuable insight into: 

  • understanding how children and adults think
  • ways we can best help them
  • what to expect in different stages of development
  • how to best support the developing child
  • how to stimulate children to enhance their learning
  • lifelong learning
  • communication

Modules

Core ModulesThese modules provide foundation knowledge for the CERTIFICATE IN APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY VPS003
 CHILD PSYCHOLOGY BPS104
 DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY - BPS210
 EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY BPS105
 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY BPS101
Elective ModulesIn addition to the core modules, students study any 2 of the following 10 modules.
 ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY BPS211
 AGED CARE AND COUNSELLING BPS212
 CAREERS COUNSELLING BPS202
 CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH BPS214
 COUNSELLING CHILDREN BPS218
 DEVELOPMENTAL, LEARNING AND BEHAVIOURAL CONDITIONS IN ADOLESCENTS AND CHILDREN BPS215
 FAMILY COUNSELLING BPS213
 NEURODIVERSITY BPS311
 PLAY LEADERSHIP VRE101
 RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNICATION COUNSELLING - BPS208

It's easy to enrol...

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During the course, you will learn more about how the brain develops -

The Brain Never Stops Changing!

Children need to be challenged and stimulated to develop.  Not all children develop at the same rate.

Before a baby is born, their brain structure will grow.  As the foetus grows and develops, their neurons will travel to the eventual location in the brain.  Neurons compete for limited space and some will not find a place where they can live and thrive. If this happens, they are pruned back and destroyed. No one knows why some neurons find an appropriate home and others don’t, but as the neuron finds it home, it continues to grow and develop.  If the pruning process is not completed or doesn’t happen, it can lead to behavioural and learning disorders.

After birth, the sensory systems and motor system of the brain are ready. The neonate (newborn) has motor control to feed and move away from painful or unpleasant stimuli.  Visual and auditory systems are there at birth, but continue to develop as the child reacts to their environment.

In healthy children, these systems continue into the preschool years. Their visual and auditory skills continue to improve.  All children will receive different inputs to their brain, so because of this, every brain is unique.

The age a child is ready to learn a specific skill becomes hard-wired in the brain, but learning itself can also be environmentally determined. Say a child is ready to read when their auditory system is ready to understand one sound from another. But if the child does not receive reading instruction then, the learning to read can be delayed. Or if the child is not ready for reading instruction, this can also delay their ability to learn to read. This is the reason it is important to give children age-appropriate tasks.

As a child grows, the fibres between the neurons and white matter (myelin) of the brain continue to grow.  These neural networks are essential for the child to transmit information through the brain.  As the brain matures, these connections become more interconnected and are important in helping the child to form memories and connect new learning to previous learning.

As the networks form, the child also learns socially.  Mostly this is learning by rote at first, but then it becomes more specialised and developed. 

As children reach 10, 11 and 12, the role of rote learning is lessened and children begin to increase the connections in their brain. Until in adolescence, children begin to think inferentially.  This does not always happen though if the child is immature or has learning or attentional problems.   

What Are the Advantages of Studying Developmental Psychology With ACS Distance Education?

  • You can start at any time to suit you.
  • They are self-paced.
  • You can study when and where suits you. They are flexible to fit in around you and your lifestyle.
  • It is not just a course, it is a package of learning that includes – course notes, tutor feedback, self-assessment tests, research tasks and assignments.
  • Our tutors are all experts in their field, with years of experience in psychology and counselling.
  • They are also keen and enthusiastic about their subject and enjoy working with students to improve their knowledge and skills.
  • Courses are also updated regularly to meet the demands of the changing needs for knowledge and to keep our courses up to date.

What Next?

People change and develop during their lifetime. They will experience physical, emotional, psychological and social changes.

Understand more about these changes and how to support people during these changes.

A course useful for anyone involved in supporting people during their lifetimes.

Understand more about people, their behaviour, the way they think and the way they change.

You can enrol today by clicking the “Enrol Now” button above.

Or

Click here to Contact a Psychology Tutor.

Or Request a Prospectus Here.

 

Courses can be started anytime from anywhere in the world!

Meet some of our academics

Tracey Jones (psychology)B.Sc. (Hons) (Psychology), M.Soc.Sc (social work), DipSW (social work), PGCE (Education), PGD (Learning Disability Studies) Tracey began studying psychology in 1990. She has a wide range of experience within the psychology and social work field, particularly working with people with learning disabilities. She is also qualified as a teacher and now teaches psychology and social work related subjects. She has been a book reviewer for the British Journal of Social Work and has also written many textbooks, blogs, articles and ebooks on psychology, writing, sociology, child development and more. She has had also several short stories published.
Jacinda Cole B.Sc.,M.Psych.Psychologist, Educator, Author, Psychotherapist. B.Sc., Psych.Cert., M. Psych. Cert.Garden Design, MACA. Jacinda has over 25 years of experience in psychology, in both Australia and England. She has co-authored several psychology text books and many courses including diploma and degree level courses in psychology and counselling. Jacinda joined ACS in 2001.
Jade SciasciaBiologist, Business Coordinator, Government Environmental Dept, Secondary School teacher (Biology); Recruitment Consultant, Senior Supervisor in Youth Welfare, Horse Riding Instructor (part-completed) and Boarding Kennel Manager. Jade has a B.Sc.Biol, Dip.Professional Education, Cert IV TESOL, Cert Food Hygiene.


Check out our eBooks

Psychological ProfilingPsychological profiling is used to assess anyone from potential new staff and school children to serial killers. It helps you to determine someone’s personality, neuroses, mental health and career suitability. This book provides an excellent overview of psychological profiling techniques and pitfalls.
Psychology DictionaryThis book provides explanations for common terms used in Psychology.
How Children ThinkAnyone who has ever tried to make a child do anything (clean up their mess, desist from throwing mud, stop drawing on the walls) knows that children think differently to adults. This book attempts to provide the skills and knowledge to develop a greater understanding of children.
How to be a Life CoachLife coaching is a relatively new profession - although coaches have been around for a long time in the guise of trainers, instructors, managers and tutors for various professions and disciplines. Life coaching is not easily defined, but it is a type of mentoring which focuses on helping individuals to achieve what they would like to achieve and thereby to lead more fulfilling lives. Unlike other forms of coaching, it takes place outside of the workplace and is concerned with all aspects of a person’s life.