Specific areas of practice

Early childhood

Parents may seek help for:

  • Concerns with a child’s development and/or parent-child relationship issues.
  • Managing a child’s difficult temperament or behaviour.
  • Assisting a child with disabilities.
  • Sibling rivalry in the family.

School years

Parents, teachers or children themselves may seek assistance to deal with:

  • Problems with transition.
  • School avoidance.
  • Learning difficulties.
  • Poor peer relationships.
  • Low self esteem.
  • Problems with behaviour.
  • Family relationships.
  • Physical or sexual abuse.

Adolescence

Adolescents, their parents or others concerned with their welfare may seek help to deal with:

  • Conflict between adolescent and parents.
  • Peer pressure.
  • Career guidance.
  • School to work transition.
  • Sexuality issues.
  • Drug and alcohol problems.
  • Identity issues.

Adulthood

Individuals, their partners or employers may seek assistance with:

  • Relationship problems.
  • Parenting issues.
  • Mid-life concerns.
  • Career restructuring.
  • Work stress.
  • Education and training in the workplace.

Later adulthood

Elderly people or their adult children may seek information or assistance with:

  • Healthy ageing.
  • Coping with decline in functioning.
  • Dependency.
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Skills of educational and developmental psychologists

Educational and developmental psychologists have knowledge and skills in the following areas:

  • Identifying and clarifying problems
  • Diagnosing disabilities and disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Assessing developmental, learning and behavioural difficulties
  • Designing effective treatment programs
  • Counselling
  • Consulting with individuals or groups
  • Designing training programs
  • Evaluating programs and interventions
  • Designing professional development programs.