Education and Child Studies: Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies

Welcome to the specialisation Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, which is part of the Master’s Degree Programme in Education and Child Studies. Language of instruction in this specialisation is Dutch.

The specialisation in Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies offers research-based insights into the nature, gravity and causes of child and adolescent problems, as well as into effective treatments and programmes. Research into the causes of and the possibilities for influencing problematic child-rearing situations presupposes a multiple risk model. Children’s development is the result of the interaction between a given child and his or her environment. It is important to map the risk and protective factors in the child and in his or her environment (family, school, peer group), as well as the ways in which these factors impact one another.

This master’s specialisation focuses on severe problems in the development of children and adolescents. These problems might be related to child-rearing, and in all cases attention is also focused on the consequences of these problems for child-rearing, education and care. The problems might include mental handicaps, developmental disorders (such as autism), or behavioural problems occurring in children or adolescents. Students are therefore given the chance to acquire in-depth knowledge of highly relevant social topics.

All these problems occur as a result of a complex interplay of factors. These include the genetic baggage of the child and processes in the brain, for example, but also the child’s environment: the family in which he or she grows up, the teachers at school and the child’s peer group. Students learn to unravel and analyse these processes and to treat the problems on the basis of a sound diagnosis.
The programme is characterised by an interdisciplinary approach. It combines ortho-pedagogical, neuro-pedagogical and sociological knowledge and insights. Furthermore, the programme includes insights from developmental psychology, intercultural education studies and social psychology.

This master’s specialisation was developed for students who wish to become experts in the field of developmental problems in children and adolescents. With the knowledge and skills acquired, students can analyse and impact the situations in which children and adolescents experience difficulties, or are on the verge of experiencing difficulties, to the extent that they can create new openings in the problematic child-rearing situations observed. Educationalists contribute to removing, compensating for or making bearable the developmental and child-rearing problems, so that children and adolescents can develop in an optimal manner.

Please refer to our website for the timetable. For more information you can contact our study counsellors.