“But as life expectancy in this country approaches 80 years, developmental psychologists are becoming increasingly interested in aging, especially in researching and developing ways to help older people stay as independent as possible,” states the American Psychological Association (APA). This is because up until recently, developmental psychologists focused on the development of children and adolescents. In some cases, the term child psychologist and developmental psychologist are used interchangeably.
Conduct research for government, social service, academic or industrial institutions, such as on the effects of media on young viewers or how to empower youth growing up in an oppressive environment.Serve as an expert witness in trials related to child custody, abuse or where the defendant is a minor (and assess all relevant individuals ahead of time).Evaluate families to determine if children and youth are receiving adequate care.Design and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment programs, such as a self-esteem program for elementary school-aged children or a series of classes for new parents.
Provide psychotherapy, such as play therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), parent-child therapy, family therapy, group therapy, anger control training, multi-systemic approaches and dialectical behavior therapy.Work as part of a healthcare team (that might include a family doctor, psychiatrist, social worker and other health professionals, and possibly family members and teachers) to develop and implement an effective treatment plan.Deliver psychological/developmental/performance tests for diagnosis.Continuously learn about and research psychological, emotional, behavioral and developmental difficulties associated with children and adolescents for diagnostic and treatment purposes.
Laurie ZelingerĪ child or developmental psychologist’s job description will often involve clinical and/or counseling duties, however some will focus on research, teaching, consulting and other functions.Ī child and developmental psychologist may perform one or more of the following:Īgain, a child psychologist’s job description will vary by area of expertise, workplace and the children they interact with, but here are some examples of professional tasks: “ Play therapy is a form of psychotherapy that is often used with children because it tends to utilize play and imagination rather than words as the primary vehicle of communication.