General aim of the course of Developmental psychopathology is to give students knowledge of the main psychopathological syndromes that occur during childhood and adolescence; the biological, psychological and social risk and protective factors involved in the onset and evolution of the various disorders; of the main preventive and rehabilitative models in school contexts.



The course of Developmental psychopathology aims at achieving the following objectives for students.
In terms of knowledge and understanding:
- to know the interplay among the biological, psychological, and social-contextual aspects of normal and abnormal development across the life span;
- to know the main psychopathological syndromes of childhood and adolescence;

- to know the interplay of multiple risk and protective factors in developmental pathways, including continuity and change;
- to know the main preventive and rehabilitative models in school contexts.
In terms of applying knowledge and understanding:
- to know how to analyze the interplay among the biological, psychological, and social-contextual aspects of normal and abnormal development across the life span;

- to know how to recognize the main psychopathological syndromes of childhood and adolescence;

- to find out the multiple risk and protective factors in developmental pathways.

In terms of making judgements:
- to find connections between psychopathological problems and school situations;

- to evaluate educational innovations in the light of the advancement of research in developmental psychopathology.
In terms of communication skills:
- to acquire the key competences of the teacher for class management based on the recognition of the students' individual characteristics and problems;

- to know how to modulate communicative strategies in the classroom to accept, motivate, support, reinforce and include pupils with difficulties or psychopathological problems.

In terms of learning skills:

- to develop an orientation towards scientific research, both basic and applied, in developmental psychopathology;
- to develop the attitude towards lifelong learning on psychosocial aspects of school adjustment and inclusion of pupils with difficulties or psychopathological problems;

- to develop the interest in training and professional upgrading in the management of psychopathological problems in the school context.