Predoctoral Internship and Postdoctoral Fellowship In Psychology

Early Childhood

Interns matched for the Early Childhood area of specialization spend a portion of their internship and postdoctoral time involved in the clinical and/or research activities of that section. Infancy and early childhood has been a long-standing focus of clinical services in the Center and the section provides services to pregnant families, parents, and children from infancy through early school age. Clinical services are provided both at the Center and in community settings through model prevention and intervention programs for parents and their young children including Parents First and Minding the Baby. Clinicians provide developmental assessments, individual child and parent psychotherapy, school based consultation to teachers and group based prevention and intervention services for parents. Clinicians in the early childhood section also provide follow-up developmental and medical consultations to families of preterm infants and work collaboratively with pediatricians and early childhood educators as well as other professionals often involved with families of young children including the department of anesthesia to help families and children prior to and immediately after surgery.

Research in the section focuses on basic developmental research and on testing the effectiveness of our prevention and intervention programs for parents and infants. Research themes include studies on (1) the impact of early stress and biological exposures during pregnancy on children’s early development and learning, (2) the impact of poverty and related psychosocial stressors on family functioning and children’s development, (3) the biology and psychology of early parenting and attachment and the impact of depression and related stressors such as substance abuse on parents’ resources to care for their children, (4) the efficacy of parenting interventions focused on helping parents understand the emotional needs of infants and young children, (5) the effectiveness of intensive, home-based intervention services for first time parents focused on helping young parents attach to and care for their infant, (6) the quality and efficacy of preschool educational programs and access to early child care and education services, (7) the impact of perioperative interventions to reduce child anxiety prior to surgery and improve postoperative outcome, and (8) social policy research regarding child care, early intervention and education.

The clinical training activities for the early childhood section area of specialization focus on early childhood intervention and assessment, consultation to pediatric and early care and education settings, and individual or group based services for parents of infants and young children.