Class 5: Trauma & Coping in Preschool-age children
 
Annoucements
Am I finished grading essays and quizzes? NO! Sorry. Will try to catch up by Thursday. Note: I always look at appeals last.
Notes on essays and quizzes: Much better!
Gabrielle...
Revised Class Worksheet slightly to make more room (note: short and shorter answers)
I am asked by my boss to evaluate your conduct/demeanor in class. ASK ME QUESTIONS! MAKE COMMENTS ON THE REMARKS OF YOUR PEERS. Silent people in the MAC or MFT therapy will be at a disadvantage because I can’t evaluate you!
More time for discussion. Okay! We’ll start today!
Goal: What happens during early childhood and how can this knowledge be helpful
Attachment
From “action” attachment behaviors to “verbal” and “memory” attachment behaviors
Social Development
From egocentric to emergence of social perspective thinking
Sibling caregiving
Language
From actions to words
Play
From parallel to cooperative
Cognitive Development
From egocentric to others
From magical to logical
Self Regulation
From parents as regulators to self as regulator
How do preschool kids regulate themselves?
Defense mechanisms: what are they?
Moral Development
From external and inflexible to the emergence of internalized and flexible (BUT STILL CONCRETE!)
Intention matters
Example: Breaking glasses
Sense of Self
From unidimensional and concrete sense of self to multidimensional and abstract sense of self
An interest in their genitals and that of others is abnormal, right? No.
ETHNIC IDENTITY
DO YOU AGREE? Children may be aware of stereotypes but this does not contribute to a negative view of their self identity
Goal: A real world person talks about adoption and foster care of children: Robin Ulesich-Foemmel
Preview of next reading: Middle Childhood Development

I hope to introduce play therapy on Thursday. It would probably be helpful to especially read the chapter in regard to changes in middle childhood (cognitive, language, social) that may influence play and using play in therapy.
Attachment
How does attachment behavior become extended to peers?
Social Development
Describe social perspective taking and can therapists help promote it?
Language
Can therapists communicate to school-age children as they can to adults? How so and how not?
Play
What can play reveal about a child’s anxieties and worries?
Cognitive Development
What are decentration, concrete operations, reversiability?
What changes around age 7?
Self Regulation
What psychological defense mechanisms are active during this period
What helps improve self control
Moral Development
How is moral reasoning different than preschool-age moral reasoning but not quite at adult levels?
How do cognitive changes reflect moral reasoning changes?
Sense of Self
How does self esteem (self-concept) change in middle childhood?