A psychologist is an expert in the study of human behavior. A child psychologist specializes in understanding thought processes and actions of children and interpreting them to guide appropriate mental health treatment.
Pediatric psychologists provide psychological assessment and intervention to children with a wide range of disability and developmental disorders and their families; such as children who have learning disabilities, developmental delay, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, behavioral difficulties and autistic spectrum disorder and their families.
The role of the pediatric psychologists includes providing tailored, structured and comprehensive psychological assessment and interventions that aim to reduce psychological distress and to promote psychological wellbeing so as to maximize children recovery.
For evaluation purposes, pediatric psychologists make use of child psychological assessments including psychometric testing for children with behavioral difficulties, autism, ADHD and those with learning disabilities. They provide evidence-based interventions (e.g. Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Behavioral modification therapy) for children with disability and developmental disorders and work towards developing basic coping skills in children to deal with emotional challenges. They also work at enhancing parent-child relationships and help children learn skills that help in attaining social competence and peer support.
Pediatric psychologists work with other rehabilitation team members to ensure that the family is assessed, prepared and empowered to take its place as an integral part of the caring and rehabilitating process. They adopt a family centered approach which recognizes the role of the family in the care and rehabilitation of the child.
