Treating Fears and Phobia in Young Children

Course Description

In this individualized, interactive play based approach to treating fears, the adult gradually incorporates increasing components of the feared thing or experience, into child-centered play. The adult also gradually incorporates play-based exploration of fear. The adult continually adjusts the degree of incorporation of the feared element(s) up or down based on the child’s affect, while integrating play based/Floortime techniques with an emphasis on individualized interactive humor, to co-regulate and foster joyfulness in the child. This approach is applicable for a broad range of fears, including but not limited to the following: medical procedure related (e.g., shots, blood pressure readings), sound related, (e.g., hand dryers, vacuum cleaners, toilet flushing, balloons, thunderstorms, fireworks, alarms), touch or movement related (e.g., escalators, elevators, bugs, clothing items) perfection related (e.g., being late, making mistakes), or unique fears (e.g. around a particular picture or object).

Instructor

Karen Levine, Ph.D., Psychologist, DIR-Expert - As a Developmental Psychologist of 35 years, Dr. Karen Levine’s passion for improving the wellbeing of neurodivergent and neurotypical young children has been the driving force throughout her career. She uses a developmental, relationship-based approach to assessment and treatment, incorporating playfulness, fun and humor into treatment when feasible, as a means of increasing happiness and lowering anxiety and distress. Karen believes there is not a one size fits all approach to assessment or treatment, and that individual children and families need different kinds of support at different points in their development.

Karen is a Licensed Psychologist with a Ph.D. in Psychology from Boston University (1989), a Masters in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education (1985) and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Brandeis University (1982). She holds an academic appointment as a part-time Lecturer on Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and as Adjunct Faculty, Lesley University.

Target Audience

The course was created to offer to clinicians and professionals, many of whom are connected to the international DIRFloortime community, from a range of fields including: Speech and Language Pathologists, mental health specialists such as Counselors, Physical Therapists, Psychologists or Social Workers; Occupational Therapists, and Educators. Level: Introductory

Learning Objectives

• Identify two possible reasons for why fears are common in neurodivergent children.

• Identify two reasons why a play based approach is well suited to treating fears in neurodivergent children or very young neurotypical children.

• Explain two reasons why humor can be a useful component in treating fears.

• Describe the practice of generating activities that gradually incorporate more components (e.g., sounds, visuals, tactile sensations) of the feared thing, or what is referred to as "gradual exposure" in the literature, into play.

Agenda

1. Overview and video example of this approach (15 minutes).

2. Overview of anxiety and regulation around fears in neurotypical and neurodivergent children, including the role of social engagement, communication and pretend play have in resolution of common early fears (15 minutes).

3. Strengths and problems with traditional behavioral treatments including CBT and gradual exposure (15 minutes).

4. Humor: Role of affective state/social-humor in anxiety and sensory reactivity, cultural and individual differences around humor acceptability, importance of cultural awareness around uses of humor, individualizing humor (15 minutes).

5. Specific how-to nuts and bolts around using this approach, with many video examples of different fears and different children (1 hour and 30 minutes)

6. Q&A (30 minutes).

Accessibility

Aligned with the DIR model, continuing education offered by ICDL works to be responsive to a range of individual differences in processing, communicating, and regulating; learning differences, learning disabilities, and other forms of disability. Please click here to read more about accessibility and accommodations. 

Cancellations/Refunds/Grievances

All cancellations must be made by e-mailing dirfloortimetraining@icdl.com. If you request a cancellation at least 15 days prior to the first day of class you will qualify for a 50% refund. For detailed information please click here.

Please click here to view our grievance policy.

Professional Continuing Education

All participants can request a Certificate of Attendance documenting hours of participation and available professional continuing education credits at the time of registration. Please note that continuing education credit is only provided for direct seat time. Course preparation including readings, lectures, and mentoring is not included in the CE hour or credit total. This course is a live online course and participants must log in individually to the online classroom, following the instructions provided by ICDL and with their camera on, so there is a record of each participant's attendance individually. If participants join in a room with a group, each participant must still log in on their own device so ICDL can see each participant and verify each individual's login and log out of the online classroom. Participants must attend the entire course to get CE credit. Partial credit is not an option.  Social Workers must complete the course evaluation posted on the floortime.org course page in order to receive ASWB ACE continuing education credit.

Please CLICK HERE for Instructor Disclosures 

ICDL does not receive any commercial support for the DIRFloortime certificate courses. If any commercial support is provided for a conference or event, it will be disclosed on the promotional material or webpage for that specific event. 

Continuing Education Questions?  E-mail ceu@icdl.com

Certificates: Certificates will be emailed to participants at the email address used at registration within 30 days of course completion. To request accommodations, please contact certificates@icdl.com.

Course Interaction: This live webinar is fully interactive. Attendees may ask and answer questions throughout the presentation and participate in instructor-led discussions. 

System requirements include: 

Operating Systems: macOS X with macOS X (10.11) or later, Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8 or 8.1, Windows 7, Ubuntu 12.04 or higher, Mint 17.1 or higher, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.0 or higher, Oracle Linux 8.0 or higher, CentOS 8 or higher, Fedora 21 or higher, OpenSUSE 13.2 or higher, ArchLinux (64-bit only). 

Internet Browser: Desktop: Chrome: Within 2 versions of current version, Firefox: Within 2 versions of current version, Edge: Within 2 versions of current version, Safari: Within 2 versions of current version. Mobile: Safari: Within 2 versions of current version, Chrome: Within 2 versions of current version, Firefox: Within 2 versions of current version; 

Broadband Internet connection: Cable, High-speed DSL & any other medium that is internet access

Speech and Language Pathologists

This course is offered for 0.3 ASHA CEUs (Various levels, Related areas).

Non-Credit Onsite Events: Continuing education credit is not offered for breakfast, luncheon, and dinner functions nor breaks, board and committee meetings, and networking events.

Skills Level: This Training is appropriate for occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, educators, and mental health treating professionals of all skill levels.

Important Information for Speech and Language Pathologists:

As part of your registration, you were asked if you want CE credits for ASHA for this course. Selecting "yes" is required for ICDL to process your ASHA continuing education credits. If you chose "yes", our Continuing Education Department will complete and submit an ASHA participant form on your behalf at the conclusion of your course as long as your attendance requirements are met

We also request that all participants complete a course evaluation form that will be received via email.  This course evaluation is for ICDL and is used to help improve all aspects of our training program. Your feedback is valuable and we thank you for your time!

If you have any questions about this process please email us at ceu@icdl.com.

DIR 404: Treating Fears and Phobia in Young Children

ICDL is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. Provider approval ID # 6778. This live online course is offered at 0.3 CEUs, introductory level, professional area. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.

Non-Credit Onsite Events: Continuing education credit is not offered for breakfast, luncheon, dinner functions or breaks; board and committee meetings, networking events.

Skill Level: This Training is appropriate for occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, educators, and mental health treating professionals of all skill levels.

To obtain AOTA CEUs from a course you have taken, please follow these steps:

1. As part of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)’s Approved Provider Program, ICDL must have a certain number of short online surveys completed for renewal as a continuing education provider. Please complete this one-page survey about your continuing education experience here: http://www.aota.org/appsurvey.

2. Complete the course evaluation form that has been e-mailed to you from ICDL. This course evaluation is for ICDL and is used to help us improve our course offerings. We thank you for your time.

Counselors

Educators

Social Workers

NEW YORK STATE SOCIAL WORKERS:

International Council on Development and Learning, Inc., SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0371.  This course is offered for 3 contact hours of credit.  

music therapists

MT-BCs can claim credits for the course under the Other Continuing Education Opportunities category for recertification. Please refer to the Recertification Manual for additional details 

Art Therapists

According to the ATR-BC Recertification Standards, ICDL training programs that are approved by one of the other national continuing education boards listed on this page, may be eligible for Art Therapy continuing education credit. These standards state, "CECs will be accepted for all courses or events that fit in the ATCB Eligible Content Areas and that are presented or approved by any of the following art therapy, mental health, or behavioral sciences entities: state licensing authority, national professional organization, or national credentialing body for continuing education credit." It is the responsibility of each participant to determine if an ICDL program qualifies or not. ICDL is not an approved ATR-BC continuing education provider and as such can not award ATR-BC continuing education credits directly.  However, we are approved by organizations like NBCC which may meet the above-quoted standard.