Welcome!

It is not possible to have a true understanding of children and their behavior without understanding child development and neuroscience. Development is simply the understanding that we go through different stages after we are born, and each of these stages influences how we perceive the world, learn, encode things in memory, and so forth. Neuroscience focuses on studying the brain from the functional organization of cerebral systems and understanding neuro-chemical processes in the brain. I discuss memory, perception, learning, the prefrontal cortex, dopamine, and other neuroscience concepts that helps you understand why children behave the way they do.

The goal of the course is to cover the most important concepts, themes, and theories in psychology, and show how an understanding of neuroscience and the understanding of development, informs us about behavior. The course is useful for anyone interested in child development and how neuroscience influences behavior but also for parents who want to have a better relationship with their child, as understanding the factors that influence behavior is helpful as a starting point for conversation and relationship building.

Each lesson leaves you with an overall message, tips, advice, so you can utilize the concept/theme/theory covered. You will appreciate how culture, hormones, developmental stage, parenting styles, reinforcement, and other factors impact your child's development and behavior.

I have also added a Child Development Cheatsheet that addresses important cognitive and psycho-social milestones by age range. It gives you a good idea of what to focus on and why to focus on specific areas.

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Note: If you have any doubts about your mental health, please see a psychiatrist or psychologist in your local community where you can get an in-depth assessment. This course is meant for informational purposes only. Do not attempt to diagnose yourself or your child based on the content here.

Ermin is a former Graduate student in Educational Psychology. Educational Psychology is a clinical specialization in psychology that attempts to apply psychological principles to answer education related questions (ie does my child have a learning disability?) and addresses mental health concerns in an educational context. (ie addressing anxiety, when it originates/impacts school). Ermin also has some clinical experience, and has taken a combined 50+ psychology courses at the undergrad and graduate level in Psychology.