The First Annual Child Development Conference, Co-Hosted by the Department of Child and Family Development at SDSU

Please join us for the First Annual Child Development Conference, Co-Hosted by the Department of Child and Family Development at San Diego State University. The conference will be held on April 17th in Montezuma Hall in the Aztec Student Union. This will be a great opportunity for students and members of the surrounding community to come together for a day of learning. The conference is dedicated to educating attendees about an array of areas in child development, it will include keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and presentations on current research. Don't miss out on this awesome event and chance to network within the community. Be sure to register for the event ahead of time and bring your friends! For full details see the flyer below and visit our website:  http://coe.sdsu.edu/cfd/community/organizations.php

International Student Defne Kabas of Turkey Tells her Experience in the EC-SEBRIS Program

The EC-SEBRIS program got me closer to my dreams of becoming a psychologist. It
taught me a great deal about the biological, psychological and the behavioral aspects
of children's development and how we can assist them reaching their potentials. I
learned to become a team with the teachers, the families and other students in order
to strengthen specific children’s abilities and support them in any struggles they were
having growing up. I learned many valuable lessons that I can speak about in my
interviews now, from the questionnaires that we learned to use, to presentations we
prepared in small groups.

I'm also very appreciative to have met amazing teachers and students in the EC-
SEBRIS program and learned so much from them. As an international student, I felt
very welcome and supported by many amazing people and encourage anyone who is
interested in children's development to enroll. They will not only be informed of socio-
emotional and behavioral development of children, they will also be able to intervene
and experience it with children in their field practice.

I just found a job in the Istanbul Medical Faculty, Psychiatry, doing projects about bipolar
disorder. We are investigating if there are any genetic influences on kids that have
bipolar parent/s. I will do my master’s in Clinical Psychology very soon.

Student Poster Presentations- Vivyana Jordan, EC-SEBRIS student 13-14

Student Poster Presentation, Vivyana Jordan, EC-SEBRIS (HINT: click the image to enlarge!)

From Vivyana:

This semester we were required to conduct a research project concentrating on a variety of assessment tools and methods utilized to assess different child developmental domains. The topic I chose was Social-Emotional Competence and Skills. It wasn’t until beginning the EC-SEBRIS program that I really understood the importance of social-emotional competency and how it is interrelated to the developmental effects of children and adolescents. Having graduated with a degree other than child development, and with holding an occupation that involves working with children, is what motivated me to want to learn more about the different tools available to measure this domain. This project allowed me to investigate different assessments used to measure social-emotional competence skills by analyzing literature reviews as well as being introduced to new ways of screening and assessing children of all ages. I truly enjoyed this project as the information consistently illustrated the importance of early intervention, and gaining knowledge in understanding each child in their care in regards to their social-emotional needs.

Thanks, Vivyana!

Student Presentations - Attachment and its Influence on Behavior - Bibian Ojeda-Hernandez, EC-SEBRIS student 13-14

Our students turn out great research! Here's another poster from the 2013 Poster Presentation night

From Bibiana:

The semester poster project that I completed for CSP 623 allowed me to expand my knowledge about topics relating to children from 0 to 5 years old. Completing the poster project also gave me the opportunity to implement what I have been taught, in regards to research, throughout my undergraduate years and my first semester of the EC-SEBRIS program. I was able to expand my experience in researching a given topic and applying the data I had gathered to support a conclusion. In addition, I was able to see different approaches to areas of development and interests that my peers presented on. Overall, I was able to expand my experience in researching a topic and become more comfortable and confident when presenting.

Thanks, Bibiana!

Student Presentations- Language Development- Meagan Alleman, 13-14 EC-SEBRIS Student

From Meagan:

Being given the opportunity to do research on topics that correlate directly with developmental assessment, I chose to delve deeper into the development of typical language in single language learners. I have learned that language is a majority of body language and understanding, as well as the verbal aspect. The milestones that we are expecting children to meet are becoming a cause for concern, because parents believe that if their child doesn't have exactly the right amount of words that is expected, they immediately must have a delay. The most interesting fact was that children develop in the same pattern, rather than at the same rate. This knowledge can give parents a general idea of where their child should be, rather than a concrete "your child must be at this level." There isn't enough research done at the childhood level, it's approximately 30 years behind- but the fact that we can now understand that there are patterns in development, it's vital towards the research and use of assessment. Clinical workers are able to utilize assessments to determine what is typical, versus what is atypical. They are slowly realizing the need for early intervention at the 0-5 age, but we still have a long way to go before it reaches the amount of intervention that is available to the adult population.

Thanks, Meagan! 

 

Student Posters- Social Skills Presentation- Reem Totry, 13-14 EC-SEBRIS Student

Reem Totry's poster presentation December 15, 2013

From Reem:

I had a great time putting together my poster presentation. My project was on social skills between late infancy to toddlers. I learned a great deal on the importance of mastering social skills before the age of five. The most important "Aha!" moment for me was when I found out that children who enter elementary school who are not equipped with social skills sometimes can be labeled as having behavioral problems. These children will likely perform poorly in school, have less friendships, be bullied, and possibly be expelled. This just reinforces everything I have learned in the EC-SEBRIS program, which teaches us the importance of intervention and prevention during the ages of 0 to 5 years old.

Thanks, Reem!

Student Poster Presentations

On December 9, our EC-SEBRIS students shared their poster presentations at our End-of-Semester Event. At the end of each semester, our students showcase their research at an event open to the public. The intent is to share with mental health providers "fact sheets" regarding key strategies to successfully impact the lives of young children and their families.

This semester was the first time our students did individual poster presentations and did a fantastic job showcasing their work! The content focused on the importance of early assessment and intervention related to language development, social-emotional development, sensory motor development, fine motor skills, and parent-child attachment.

Stay tuned for the next presentation event in May!