Infant & Early Childhood Mental Heath at Fielding Graduate University

Infant & Early Childhood Development with emphasis in Mental Health and Developmental Disorders S C H OO L

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P S YC H O L OG Y

805-898-4026 Admissions@Fielding.edu Fielding.edu/MediaPsy

Welcome!

The Fielding PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development (IECD) with emphasis in mental health and developmental disorders is a degree serving multiple disciplines as they apply their work using the lens of infant mental health (IMH) and development. The program was initiated by Stanley Greenspan, MD and Serena Weider, PhD, to promote research supporting relationships, individual differences, and development (DIR®) in working with infants, children, and their families. The field of Infant and Early Childhood Development is exciting and highly rewarding. The first years of life lay the foundation for all domains of human development, including the basic relationship building blocks needed for the capacities to feel, love, adapt, and develop a sense of self. The program is interprofessional in structure, including psychology, OT, PT, SLP, medical professionals (MD, RN), social services professionals as well as educators and policy makers.

Through Fielding’s progressive doctoral program, professionals expand their content knowledge through research, leading the field with evidence-based practice. Students study interprofessional perspectives about concepts associated with an infant’s and family’s well-being, to include culture, policy, and advocacy as well as neurodevelopmental, biological, social-emotional, sensorimotor, language, cognitive, and family systems.

Graduates from this research-focused PhD program will be prepared for several careers in research, policy and advocacy, and clinical/educational settings.

Thank you for your interest in IECD. I hope you find this book helpful. However, if your questions are not addressed in these pages, please contact our admissions advisors directly (805-898-4026).

Jenene W. Craig, PhD, MBA, OTR/L, CNT Program Director Infant & Early Childhood Development with an emphasis in mental health and developmental disorders School of Psychology, Fielding Graduate University

Mother of six grown children, (and a relatively recent “empty-nester,”) Dr. Craig credits her expertise to her experience of bearing and raising children and her longtime work within the NICU world. Since 1985, she has worked with multiple groups and hospitals advancing NICU work in Developmentally Supportive and Neuroprotective Caregiving.

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Table of contents 2. Welcome

16. Our Faculty

4.

Who We Are

20. Where Our Alums Work

6.

Mental Health Alliance

22. Alumni Network

8.

Path To Success

24. Video Testimonials

10. Inspired Leaders & Practitioners

26. Select IECD Courses

12. The Fielding Difference

30. FAQs

14. Doctoral Concentrations

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Dr. Terry Gomez PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development Class of 2020, School of Psychology Fielding Graduate University

Who We Are ENGAGE IN MULTI-DISCIPLINARY, CUTTING-EDGE SCHOLARSHIP The PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development (IECD) is a multi-disciplinary degree with an emphasis in mental health and developmental disorders. This program is based on the work of Stanley Greenspan, MD, and Serena Weider, PhD, to promote relationship-based practices for working with infants, children, and their families. IECD continues in this relationship-based tradition, including the Infant Mental Health (IMH) core and Developmental, Individual-differences, and Relationship-based (DIR®) approach, and has expanded the program to include and integrate brain development, law and policy, and culture. It is designed for graduate students interested in working with infants and young children with mental health and developmental challenges and their families. This multidisciplinary program is the only program to award a PhD that focuses on both mental health and developmental disorders covering topics such as autism spectrum, sensory integration, ADHD, and mood disorders. The program offers a unique link between various disciplines within a relationship-based developmental framework.

Fielding’s IECD PhD program is geared for students already working in related fields, often with other advanced or professional degrees or licenses. Through Fielding’s progressive doctoral program, professionals from multiple disciplines broaden their knowledge, develop a holistic view of children and their families, and study multiple factors affecting an infant’s and family’s well-being. As a student, you will be engaged in cutting-edge research while integrating existing

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Love What You Do

Mental Health The Infant and Early Childhood Development program with emphasis in Mental Health is part of Fielding’s School of Psychology, reflecting its deep root in psychological theory and practice. IECD students have access to a wide range of faculty that teach typical and atypical infant and family development using a curriculum that includes physiological, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, social, and cross-cultural perspectives.

Personalized Study At Fielding, students are assigned faculty mentors to help them tailor their degrees to follow their passions, career goals and research interests.

Making a Mark With a PhD degree in IECD, students can influence change in many disciplines: childcare, health education and community health work, mental-health counseling, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychology, social work, special education, and speech-language pathology, among others.

research into your overall work. Our students come from several core disciplines, including psychology, occupational therapy, social work, counseling, mental health, education, early intervention, speech language pathology, health care (nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians), physical therapy, and others.

The PhD curriculum spans the range of development, including typical and atypical trajectories. It integrates brain development, physiological, social emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, policy and law, and cross-cultural perspectives, as well as reflective practice. You will collaborate with faculty who advise, mentor, and evaluate your work based on doctoral-level standards.

The IECD program is a partner with the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health (Alliance) and offers courses that support competencies needed for endorsement through a state belonging to the Alliance. The Alliance is active in many US states, as well as Australia and Ireland.

For the PhD program, we use our unique distributed learning environment, which combines live online instruction and self-directed learning, allowing you to pursue your degree while working full-time in your field, traveling, and living in your current community.

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7:1

student to faculty ratio For more than 40 years, our dedicated and distinguished faculty members have delivered learner- centered graduate education that enables students and alumni to lead and influence positive change for individuals, communities, and organizations.

Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health

Global Partnerships The Fielding Infant and Early Childhood Development (IECD) PhD program is a partner with the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health (Alliance).

The Alliance is a global organization of those states and countries whose infant mental health associations have licensed the use of the Competency Guidelines® and/or the Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship- Focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health® (Endorsement®) under their associations’ names.

With the growth in programs serving pregnant women, infants, young children, and their families, the need for professionals competent in the application of IECMH principles is expanding and critical. Programs in need of IECMH-informed professionals include behavioral health, child welfare, early care & education, Early Head Start & Head Start, early intervention, health, home visiting, infant & early childhood mental health consultation, infant & early childhood mental health treatment services, and Safe Babies Court Teams & other baby courts. The specialized in-service training and reflective supervision/consultation requirements defined in the Competency Guidelines® and Endorsement® can help assure that these professionals receive the depth and breadth of knowledge and skills, along with reflective practice experiences, to integrate them into their work.

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Change the world.

Start with yours.™

01

Library Services The Dr. Dianne Kipnes Library includes access to 280,000 ebooks, 54,000 scholarly journals, thousands of online dissertations, and streaming video resources including clinical interview videos.

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Writing Center Fielding’s Writing Center offers individual appointments with a writing coach, as well as live and recorded webinars, videos, and a self-directed writing course designed by Fielding faculty.

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Mentoring and Advising All students in the PhD program will be assigned a mentor, a key person who will support your efforts to move through the program in the way that is most effective for your needs.

You will also be assigned an advisor to help you plan for your coursework and completion of the program.

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EDDYour IN LEADERSHIP FOR CHANGE Path To Success YOUR PATH TO SUCCESS

8.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

1.

REQUEST INFORMATION

Fielding graduates are leaders in their professional and personal lives as consultants, professors, community activists, authors, nonprofit executives, administrators, and coaches.

Find out more about our programs. Our team of advisors is ready to help. Call 800.340.1099 Ext. 4026

7.

2.

GRADUATE Your graduate experience will culminate with a graduation ceremony shared with family, friends, and colleagues.

ATTEND AN INFORMATION SESSION We offer on-demand and in-person information session options for your convenience.

6.

FOLLOW YOUR LEARNING PLAN

FIELDING GRADUATE UNIVERSITY

A personal map through the learning process that includes a preliminary outline of the research project that will ultimately become your dissertation.

3.

APPLY TO FIELDING Go to fielding.edu/apply and follow the step-by-step instructions.

5.

PREPARE & ATTEND NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION Assess your academic readiness; evaluate your research, personal skills, and learning resources; set your academic and professional goals; and develop your support group of faculty and peers.

4.

COMPLETE ENROLLMENT PROCESS Receive your acceptance letter and enrollment documents approximately one month before the term start date. Your tuition payment instructions will be included.

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Excellence in Graduate Education for Over 45 years School of Psychology

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Inspired Leaders & Practitioners Fielding Graduate University’s IECD PhD program aims to create a positive impact on students and on the work they do in their communities. As such, our programs is designed for professionals who want to inspire others and take the lead in their fields.

INTELLECTUAL POWER IECD PhD students transform their personal and professional lives through intellectually rigorous academics; work

with supportive, mentoring faculty; and participation in a learning environment that honors and integrates their life and

professional experiences with their academic one. Energized by the freedom and encouragement to explore their interests,

our students care deeply about the people with whom they work, their peers, their colleagues, and their communities. They are able to move beyond knowledge consumption to become knowledgeable and effective practitioners.

POSITIVE SOLUTIONS The IECD program focuses on developing thoughtful, effective, and compassionate practitioners who strive to make a difference in the world through their work with infants, children, and families.

LIFELONG LEARNERS Our students and graduates are lifelong learners who participate in solving the issues facing the populations with whom they work. Even after graduation, they are committed to continuing their learning and expanding their understanding of their practice in order to continue making informed, positive contributions.

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We offer both in-person and online student and technology services that allow you to fully delve into your research and knowledge interests.

Every environment is designed with your success in mind.

STUDENT SERVICES From our online library to our student advising,

tuition, financial aid, registrar, and help-desk support areas, Fielding staff members strive to make our support services to students useful and timely.

Accommodations for students with disabilities and study aids for all students are available.

A mainstay of our learning ideology from the founding of Fielding has been in-person sessions between

students and faculty held throughout the US and

globally. These are an important way we connect and re-connect within and across our disciplines. While

they are not mandatory for PhD students, we strongly encourage all students to attend.

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ACADEMIC SESSIONS

This is the only PhD program in the world in Infant and Early Childhood Development with an emphasis on mental health and developmental disabilities.

— Wing Si Mok, IECD Alum

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PROGRAM INFORMATION

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CHANGE AGENT for infants, young children, and their families

The Fielding Difference MULTIDISCIPLINARY Fielding’s IECD PhD program is a multidisciplinary degree, so you will study a wide range of areas and issues that affect the well-being of infants, children, and families.

Our faculty teach typical and atypical infant and family development using a curriculum that includes physiological, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, social, and cross-cultural perspectives.

“The PhD program is a wonderful opportunity to gain knowledge

in early childhood development, infant mental health, and

developmental disabilities in an interactive online setting. It is a rich opportunity to experience

and learn with multidisciplinary providers and educators around the world.

In addition, we offer a sequence of three classes in reflective

practice. These growth-fostering and supportive courses will be a

You will also collaborate with faculty who advise, mentor, and evaluate your work based on doctoral-level standards.

Our IECD PhD program is designed for working professionals who wish to broaden their knowledge and understanding of infant and early childhood development. With this degree, you can influence change in many disciplines: childcare, health education

and community health work, mental health counseling, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychology, social work, special education, and speech-language pathology, among others.

PROGRAM BENEFITS § Prepare for a career in infant and child mental health and/or early childhood

development using a multidisciplinary framework that includes relationships, mental

health, education, occupational therapy, speech and language, reflective practice, brain development, and neuroscience.

fabulous resource for those who

§ Develop skills to understand typical and atypical child and family development.

infant mental health.”

§ Engage in comprehensive, in-depth discussions of cutting-edge issues in areas related

are pursuing endorsement in

Gina Veloni, RN, MN, PhD Faculty Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health

§ Learn about parent/child relationships in cross-cultural contexts. to child and family development

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NO GRE

MODEL CURRICULUM SEQUENCE

§ Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges § Reputable and collaborative faculty § No GRE required

Fielding’s Common Doctoral Framework creates a pathway to degree completion in under 4 years.

PROGRAM DELIVERY A blended learning model — including synchronous face-to-face and flexible, online learning opportunities — allowing students to engage in a global, interactive network

TUITION & FEES

Catalog.Fielding.edu for details.

APPLY ONLINE Fielding.edu/Apply

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Our Faculty

Our faculty members have diverse interests and backgrounds and are available to collaborate with students in courses and on dissertations with work that is important to them.

Joy Voyles Browne, PhD, PCNS-BC, IMH-E (IV) Infant Mental Health, Infant Assessment, Reflective Practice and Consulting

Dr. Browne’s professional background is as a Pediatric/ Developmental Psychologist, Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist, and Infant Mental Health Clinical Mentor. She is also director of WONDERbabies, including the BABIES and PreSTEPS program for early intervention professionals, the Fragile Infant Feeding Institute and Family and Infant Neurodevelopmental Education—US. She chairs the Gravens Interprofessional Consensus Panel on IFCDC in Intensive Care. Dr. Browne’s main field of research is in neurodevelopmental supportive care, parent support and infant feeding.

Milagros Cordero, PhD

Occupational Therapist, Tomatis, Individual Differences Pediatrics - Parent coaching - Cultural influences With over 45 years experience, Dr. Cordero is still ‘playing’ as her daily work. Her passions include not only her work with children and young adults, providing occupational therapy services with a Floortime/DIR approach, but supporting and coaching parents and caretakers. Other areas of interest that have been part of her studies include cultural influences and family systems. Dr. Cordero is very interested in mentorship to students and looks forward to establishing this relationship

Gerry Costa, PhD, DIR-C, IMH-E (IV) – Clinical Mentor Autism Spectrum Disorders, Developmental Approaches to ASD Interventions Infant and Early Childhood Trauma

JENENE CRAIG, PHD MBA, OTR/L, CNT IECD Program Director

Infant /early childhood mental health, change agent, progressive leadership, NICU and non-profit higher education, Advocacy.

Dr. Craig received her PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development, with emphasis in Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, from Fielding Graduate University in 2015.

She received her BS in Occupational Therapy in 1982 and her MBA in Business Administration in 1988, sustaining a long career in the field of Occupational Therapy.

Scan the QR code to view a video of Jenene’s doctoral journey

NINA NEWMAN, PHD

Clinical Psychologist, Infant, Early Childhood, and Families Dr. Newman has extensive experience working with children, parents, and families in clinical, assessment, and research settings. She has a deep background in social emotional development, attachment, neuropsychology, brain development, executive functions, learning differences, and pediatric traumatic brain injury as well as a strong interest in culture.

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Corinne G. Catalano, PhD, IMHM

Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health, Inclusive Education, Autism Spectrum Disorder Dr. Catalano is the Assistant Director for Consultation Services at the Montclair State University Center for Autism and Early Childhood Mental Health.

She has over 20 years of experience working with early childhood professionals on creating high quality, inclusive care and education environments for young children and their families. Her research and teaching focus on educating children with autism spectrum disorder and the interdisciplinary knowledge this requires.

Rachel Oblath, PhD

Infant and Early Childhood Development

Kathi Kamm, PhD

Infant Mental Health Specialist, Neurodevelopment Assessment, Sensory Motor Development

Lorraine Ehlers-Flint, PhD

Clinical Psychologist, DIR Floortime®TM, Supervision and Consultation Lorraine Ehlers-Flint, PhD, is a clinical and developmental psychologist with extensive experience working with children and families in private settings, schools, hospitals, and community agencies in cross-cultural contexts.

She is the co-founder and co-director of Collaborative™, which provides developmental interprofessional services for children and families, as well as professional development training. Dr. Ehlers-Flint is a consultant for professionals serving children with complex and diverse developmental profiles in the US, Europe, and in Latin

America. She is a DIRFloortime® Expert Level Training Leader of the certificate program of the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders (ICDL. com). Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dr. EhlersFlint is in private practice in San Francisco and New York.

She is bilingual and bicultural.

Josh Feder, MD

Child and family psychiatry, DIR, psychopharmacology, research, advocacy, autism and trauma Joshua D. Feder, MD is a child and family psychiatrist in Solana Beach, California and Editor in Chief of the Carlat Child Psychiatry Report, lead author of the Child Medication Fact Book for Psychiatric Practice and co-author of the upcoming edition of Drug Metabolism. Dr. Feder runs a research incubator at Fielding Graduate University program in Infant and Early Childhood Development and does clinical research with UCSD and SDSU. Dr. Feder’s research includes work developing blended developmental-behavioral programs for autism and resilience building for children living in areas impacted by armed conflict. Dr. Feder is on the faculty of The Interdisciplinary Network on Development and Learning (ICDL) and Profectum. He serves as Medical Director in the SymPlay division at Quicksilver Software, Inc., developing technology to support relationship-based interventions, is active in legislative and policy advocacy, and he has travelled extensively as a Senior Associate Member of the International Network on Peace Building with Young Children. Dr. Feder’s work and podcasts are available at joshuafedermd.com.

KATHLEEN A. PLATZMAN, PHD

DIR approaches to Infant Mental Health

Kathy is a Licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia. Her private practice, Floortime Atlanta, is multi-disciplinary and focuses on both assessment and treatment of individuals with a wide range of developmental disabilities and challenges and their families. She has been trained in compatible approaches such as EMDR and Brainspotting. Her research focus has been on prenatal exposure to drugs and alcohol and their long term developmental effects. She received her doctorate in 1983 from the University of Chicago.

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Our Faculty, cont’d.

Ira Glovinsky, PhD

Specialization in the emergence of mood disorders in infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children Dr. Glovinsky has worked in the area of pediatric mood disturbances for over 30 years. He has published two books with Dr. Stanley Greenspan on mood disorders in young children. He is currently doing research on the development of interoception in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and how interoception can be incorporated into therapy with parents and young children. He holds a PhD from the University of Michigan in Special Education and is a fully licensed psychologist.

Susan Stillman, EdD

Social Emotional Learning Practices for Educators Emotional Intelligence Skills and Practices for Well-Being and Balance

Suzanne McKann, PhD, LCPCMD-S, NCSP, Diplomate, ACTAcademy of Cognitive Therapy Neuropsychology, Qualitative Research Methodology, and Educational and Psychological Assessment of children and adults.

Research: Interests and projects: Neuropsychological disorders, Educational and psychological assessments, Tourette’s Syndrome, Epilepsy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Phenomenology, creativity in Chinese children, Aging, and issues in acculturation.

Dr. McKann has supported over 20 doctoral students on a wide range of qualitative dissertation topics as the Research Faculty member.

MARY G. WARREN PHD, IMH-E®

Infant Mental Health Mentor, Culture, Law/Policy/Advocacy Dr. Warren has state (AZ) and national experience in administrative and policy work in healthcare and early childhood systems. She has degrees in Anthropology, Education, Counseling, and Sociology and a strong interest in how culture influences parenting and early childhood education.

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Deborah Sussman, PhD, OT/L

DIR Floortime®™ Caregiver/child interaction during play and functional activities, sensory motor processing, co/self-regulation, integrating developmental theory and clinical intervention through mentoring Debbie has been a practicing Occupational Therapist working with adults and children for over thirty-nine years. She has a clinical practice in both New York and California. Her interest is in supporting the emotions and regulation of caregivers and children during functional activities. She specializes in sensory processing disorders and parent-child interactions. Debbie provides educational programs to parents, educators, and therapists. Debbie is a co-owner of Collaborative® with Dr. Lorraine Ehlers-Flint. The Collaborative Approach offers full support to caregivers and children with daily life, emotional regulation, and social interactions. Debbie is a certified DIR/Floortime Expert Trainer Leader through the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and

Learning Disorders, certified in the Self-Reg-Facilitators Certificate Program through the Mehrit Centre, and is a core faculty member in the IECD program at Fielding Graduate University. She graduated from Boston University, Sargent College in 1981 and received her PhD at Fielding Graduate University IECD program in 2016. Her dissertation research focused on the morning routine with an emphasis on the parent’s experience.

Gina Veloni PhD, MN, RN, IMH-E®

Reflective Practice, Maternal-child Health Perinatal and Infant Mental Health

MARVA L. LEWIS, PHD

Sociocultural influences on parent-infant attachment and multicultural relationships Dr. Lewis brings over two decades of clinical practice in child welfare and community infant mental health teams and serves as a national consultant to Zero to Three, Infant-Toddler Court Teams for children in foster care. Her basic and applied research on mother-daughter haircombing interaction and intergenerational biopsychosocial stressors of historical trauma of slavery, to provide scientific evidence for strengthsbased, culturally valid assessment and parent group intervention tools

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Where We Work.

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Our graduates are leaders in companies and institutions around the world.

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05

Robin Hauge, PhD

Cheryl Andrea Rock, PhD

Co-Founder of Wellspring Educational Services, a school for children with special needs including ASD. Wellspring serves children and families, preschool through high school using the DIR framework. Adjunct professor teaching Graduate class in Child Language Disorders at Cal State East Bay.

02 Joleen R. Fernald, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL

Owner of Joleen R. Fernald Pediatric Therapy Services.

Board certified in Child Language from the American Speech Language Hearing Association, I utilize a holistic developmental framework when working with children and their families.

“Completing my PhD was one of the greatest accomplishments of my career. I come from a family where many didn’t complete high school, so finishing my doctorate in a field I am passionate about was an incredible achievement.”

03 Katie Ewing LeMaire, PhD

I work at a family support center, a two generation program, where we support parents to become self-sufficient and provide parent education while children attend an early childhood program to close the school readiness gaps for children living in poverty. I supervise the child development program and also teach our parenting classes. As a child development specialist, my dissertation examined how income affects how moms play with their children by measuring joint attention skills.

Principal of the Derrick Smith school and vocational Centre Past Co-Director and Co-Founder of Sunshine Early Stimulation Centre, both in Barbados. Derrick Smith School supports students aged 11 years and up who have special needs using the DIR framework, Non-traditional and traditional educational practices and current interdisciplinary practices.

Dr. Rock’s PhD interest focused on Mental Time Travel - The underlying process of using past experience in the present to plan for the future.

06 Dana Johnson PhD, MS, OTR/L Founder of Invictus Academy Tampa Bay Owner of Interplay Therapy Center

Dana is an Occupational Therapist, an ACTS (Accessing Communication Through Spelling) practitioner and mentor for S2C (Spelling to Communicate). Dana is also on the executive leadership cadre of I-ASC (International Association for Spelling as Communication), a non-profit organization to support the non-speaking community through education, advocacy, research and training.

Dana has been working with the non-speaking community for almost 15 years focusing her work on building purposeful motor skills through exercise and fitness. She coaches parents and caregivers both locally and internationally in addition to speaking at conferences to a variety of professionals who specialize in autism and other motor and sensory differences.

04 Carrie Alvarado, PhD, OTR

Dr. Alvarado serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Autism Community Network (ACN), located in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Alvarado is also the creator and director of two clinical programs at ACN. One of these is the Earliest Connections Clinic, a diagnostic program geared toward early identification and therapeutic intervention for high-risk infants and toddlers (prematurity, trauma/neglect, siblings of children on the spectrum).Additionally, Carrie leads the DIRFloortime/ PACT (Pediatric Autism Communication Therapy) Hands-on Family Empowerment program- an intensive intervention program supporting families impacted by autism through dyadic coaching using both in-vivo and reflective video feedback modalities.

Dr. Alvarado’s primary research interests are in Sensoriaffective Integration and attachment, clinical use of reflective video feedback, and in optimizing parentmediated interventions. She completed her dissertation on establishing preliminary validity of a new clinical assessment and coaching tool, the Sensoriaffective Interactional Attunement Scale (SAIAS) geared toward promoting enhanced use of sensoriaffective signaling between caregivers and their children. Carrie is also currently engaged in development of another scale, (not yet named), focused on evaluating the presence, sophistication and sequencing of themes of emotional intelligence in child-led symbolic dyadic play measuring joint attention skills.

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6,000+ Alumni Network

Europe 47

USA, Canada, Mexico

Middle East

5.6k+

Africa Latin America

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50

Fielding Graduate University

Founded in 1974, Fielding Graduate University has been a leader in graduate programs for working professionals seeking master’s and doctoral degrees. The university offers degree and certificate programs through the School of Psychology and School of Leadership Studies.

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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Asia 48

India 15

Australia 5

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Fielding Alumni Association

Dr. Diane Kipnes Library

The Fielding Alumni Association hosts events throughout the country and around the world.

Check Alumni.Fielding.edu to when we will be in your area!

Fielding’s philosophy is that learning is a life-long activity. Teaching students to become skilled in finding and reviewing scholarly information is central to our library’s mission. Fielding has an outstanding collection with breadth and depth unusual at a university of our size.

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Videos from Faculty & Alumni

Jenene Craig, PhD, discusses her doctoral journey. Dr. Craig is the program director for the Infant and Early Childhood and Development (IECD) program

Dr. Ira Glovinsky - Reflective Practice/Supervision

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IECD student Beth Austin talks about the Infant and Early Childhood Development (IECD) program.

IECD PhD student, Holli Reed talks about her experience as a Fielding graduate student and why she chose the IECD program.

Dr. Terry Gomez, PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development, addresses the Fielding School of Psychology class of 2020.

Dr. Terry Gomez PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development Fielding’s School of Psychology

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IECD Courses

Amber Shelton, PhD IECD Alum Class of 2017

Infant & Early Childhood Development with an emphasis in Mental Health & Developmental Disorders, PhD (with optional concentrations) This PhD is a multidisciplinary doctoral program in mental health and developmental disorders covering topics such as autism spectrum, sensory integration, ADHD, and mood disorder. The program offers a unique link between various disciplines

within a relationship-based developmental framework. Also used is a common language across disciplinary boundaries so that students can deepen their understanding of each of the disciplines. Students study multiple factors affecting an infant’s and

family’s well-being within a framework including mental health, education, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and language development, and the neurosciences. The faculty teaches typical and atypical infant and family development using a curriculum that includes physiological, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, social, and cross-cultural perspectives.

A pathway master’s is awarded upon completion of the Foundation and Leadership course areas. Students must do at least one elective from IECD as specified below, but can fulfill their remaining elective requirement from IECD electives or from the

electives offered in the EdD program and/or programs in Human Development and Organizational Development & Change.

In addition, IECD students may structure their elective choices to fulfill an IECD concentration in Reflective Practice/ Supervision or DIR.

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IECD PHD FOUNDATIONS

IECD-522 Sensory-Motor Development 4 semester credits

IECD-499 Foundations of Doctoral Study Reflective Adult Learning 4 semester credits

This course provides students with basic background information on the history, neuroscience foundations, the different developmental models and theoretical constructs involved in understanding gross and fine motor development, as well as the sensory processing mechanisms that occur during infancy and early childhood. The course combines lectures, reading materials, and videotaped examples to achieve its learning objectives.

(32 CREDITS)

New student orientation to the IECD doctoral program is an in-person session between in-coming classes and doctoral program faculty. This is a core orientation course for all students participating in the PhD Program. At the orientation, the faculty works with you to: assess your academic readiness; evaluate your research, personal skills, and learning resources; facilitate your understanding of Fielding’s learning model and delivery method; set your academic and professional goals; and develop your support group of faculty and peers. Topics include curriculum structure, personal goals and planning, mentorship and self-reflection, case presentations, and overarching developmental perspective of an integrated bio-psychosocial model. This course devotes itself to understanding the tools for studying and time management, video presentations, different faculty roles, and reviewing a range of cases that equip students with tools to build their professional futures. At orientation, students begin work on their learning plan, which is a personal map through the learning process. The learning plan takes into account each student’s previous academic accomplishments as well as personal, professional, and academic goals. It includes a preliminary outline for their dissertation. The learning plan should be submitted for approval within 30 days after the conclusion of the inperson orientation. However, the learning plan is a living document that students and their faculty mentors review on a regular basis.

Delivery Method: In person/Blended IECD-520 Human Development 4 semester credits This course introduces students to the theoretical constructs of a comprehensive conceptual framework, through a bio-psychosocial model, to understand healthy and disordered infancy and early childhood development.

The course gives students an overview of the framework’s practical application for understanding and promoting normative child development; working with caregivers, professionals, and families; and understanding how development impacts the provision of services to children with a range of difficulties. The course combines lectures, reading materials, group discussions, videotaped examples, and related assignments to achieve its learning objectives.

Delivery Method: Online IECD-523 Language Development 4 semester credits This course provides students with an introduction to models of typical language acquisition and describes the progression from pre-linguistic communication to linguistic complexity. The course focuses on developmental approaches to the study of atypical language strengths and challenges seen in different groups of children with language disorders. Students are introduced to the area of language disorders in children by considering the impact of challenges in developmental domains such as cognitive, social, and affective capacities on the development of language. The course combines lectures, reading materials, and videotaped examples to achieve its learning objectives.

Delivery Method: Online IECD-524 Developmental Disabilities 4 semester credits This is a core course that focuses on understanding developmental disabilities. Developmental disabilities are discussed in terms of the core challenges to the child and the family. Disabilities are discussed from a framework that involves physiology, emotionality, cognition, and behavior. The class will learn how to manage disabilities in the family as well as other systems in which the child participates.

Delivery Method: Online

Delivery Method: Online School of Psychology

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IECD-566 Family Systems Theory and Functioning 4 semester credits

This course provides basic background information on the history, as well as the different developmental models and theoretical constructs involved in understanding the different aspects of family functioning–especially parental development over time–and their impact on child development during infancy and early childhood, with an emphasis on typical parental functioning. The course combines lectures, reading materials, and videotaped examples to achieve its learning objectives.

Delivery Method: Online IECD-569 Individual Differences and Developmental Psychopathology 4 semester credits This course is designed for students to develop an understanding of individual differences in development.

Individual differences in biological, psychological, cognitive, and cultural factors will be discussed so that students can understand how typical development helps us to understand atypical development, and how atypical development helps us to understand typical development.

The course provides guided independent learning, which involves extensive reading, writing assignments, online student discussions, sharing of one’s work with classmates, and responding to one another’s work.

Delivery Method: Online IECD-575 Introduction to Reflective Practice/ Supervision 4 semester credits This course is an introductory course on reflective practice.

The goal of the class is to introduce students to the reflective process. This will be done through readings, class discussions, and activities that enable the students to be introduced to engaging in reflective practice. In this class, we will define the process of reflection and relate reflection to mindfulness practice. We will discuss the components of mindfulness and apply reflection and mindfulness to the learning process. As we understand the process, we will discuss the application to creating learning experiences in different settings.

Delivery Method: Online

Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health

IECD-521 Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health 4 semester credits This is a core course introducing infant and early childhood mental health. The course will focus on defining the discipline of infant and early childhood mental health and trace the historical emergence of the field, reviewing key contributors and changes in focus over the past few decades. It will also introduce how infant and early childhood mental health specialists assess and treat the parent-child dyad and triad in cultural and social contexts.

Use of video, key readings, and class discussion will be used to integrate the content. Additionally, students will learn about the field through self-directed learning projects that they will share with the class.

Delivery Method: Online IECD-526 Cross-Cultural Understanding 4 semester credits This course explores the social and ecological determinants of culture and their implications for parenting. Culture, defined as values, beliefs, world view, and ways of seeing oneself and others, as well as the instrumental aspects of language, food, technology, etc., is developed in multiple layers. The family (natal and extended), the community, and the state/nation (both original and adopted in the case of immigration) all influence culture. Culture is passed through social interactions, not the least of which is via parenting.

Knowledge of culture as the ability and inclination to see, value, and respect cultural and ethnic differences is critical for leaders, and requires each of us to investigate our own assumptions and ways of being in the world.

Readings, book reviews, a reflections journal, online discussion forums, and a case study presentation that is the foundation for a final written paper help us to learn about ourselves and different parenting styles.

Delivery Method: Online

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IECD-527 Law, Policy and Advocacy 4 semester credits

and Developmental Disorders research.

Fielding Graduate University emphasizes leadership development, social and economic justice, and environmental sustainability. Drawing on the specialized knowledge and skill gained from IECD courses and practitioner experience, this course emphasizes the development of leaders through effective advocacy in law, policy, and program development decisions to ensure all children and families can maximize each child’s success. Although the US Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) forms the foundation for this course, students are encouraged to explore relevant laws and regulations in their home regions and to make practical recommendations to improve policies and programs, transdisciplinary collaborations, and parent engagement. The course encourages students’ public advocacy and leadership on behalf of children and families in their communities, workplaces, and society at large.

Readings, online discussions, and a case study presentation that forms the foundation of a final written paper are requirements.

IECD-537 Research and Design 4 semester credits

Delivery Method: Online IECD-580 Theory and Practice of DIR/ Floortime 4 semester credits This course provides an initial opportunity for students to learn about and apply the theoretical concepts of the DIR/Floortime model, and demonstrate increased competencies as a professional working with this model in clinical or educational settings.

Delivery Method: Online

Delivery Method: Online

This is an advanced class in designing, conducting, and reporting research. The course focuses on giving students practical experience in various critical aspects of conducting scientific research.

Delivery Method: Online SELECT ONE COURSE (4 CREDITS) IECD-538 Statistics II/Practice 4 semester credits Delivery Method: Online IECD-539 Qualitative Research/Practice 4 semester credits Delivery Method: Online ELECTIVES (12 CREDITS) Choose any additional 12 credits from any electives in the School of Leadership Studies.

COMPREHENSIVES (4 CREDITS) DISSERTATION (17 CREDITS)

RESEARCH & STATISTICS (12 CREDITS) Provides the opportunity to engage in research methods as preparation for the dissertation: IECD-536 Statistics I 4 semester credits This basic course reviews concepts in introductory statistics, including descriptive statistics, basic probability theory, sampling distributions and the Central Limit Theorem; the binomial, normal, Student, chi-square, and F distributions; and techniques of 1- and 2- sample tests, linear regression, correlation, an introduction to analysis of variance, and selected nonparametric procedures. It discusses the application of these concepts by analyzing peer-reviewed articles focusing on Infant Mental Health School of Psychology

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Q: What can I do with my degree?

A: The IECD PhD allows you to become an expert in the specialized areas of infant and early childhood development and families. Our graduates may advance their careers in their chosen profession, start clinics, teach and train, pursue work in policy and advocacy in government and/or the private sector, conduct research, and take on roles of leadership.

The degree will support/develop your expertise and, depending on your profession, will allow you to advance in your career or enhance your current practice by giving you a specialty and an area of expertise. This, in turn, may increase your income and broaden your career opportunities.

For example, an early childhood educator with a PhD has the potential to go into administration, or a nurse practitioner can specialize in Infant Mental Health and become a leader in the rapidly expanding area of child/parent well-being in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

Courses will also address competencies for Alliance for Infant Mental Health Endorsement.

Q: What are the residency requirements?

A: For the IECD PhD, the only residency requirement is the New Student Orientation (NSO), which lasts approximately 3 days. The January and May NSOs take place in Santa Barbara, CA. The September NSO may take place in the Washington, DC area or Santa Barbara, CA. Students are welcome and encouraged to attend our University-wide national sessions, which are held several times a year in different parts of the United States.

Q: Is the IECD program accredited?

A: Yes. Fielding Graduate University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and has been since 1982.

Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health

Q: What is the age range of students in this program?

A: Our students span the age from those in their late 20’s to 65+ years.

Q: How many hours per week does one spend on coursework on average per class?

A: Students who enroll in 12 credits a term spend an average of 32 hours a week on their studies depending on the nature of the specific coursework.

Q: How many years does it take to graduate from the university with the degree?

A: If the suggested number of courses are taken each trimester, the PhD takes approximately 3 ½ years to finish.

Q: How can I limit my tuition costs?

A: Tuition is charged by the term and not by the credit hour, so students can take advantage of those times in the year when they are more available to complete coursework. IECD doctoral students who are nearing the completion of their programs are eligible for advancement to candidacy status, which grants a 30% reduction in tuition. In addition, all students are eligible for up to 12 months of leave over the course of their enrollment, although such leave may extend time to degree. Visit Tuition at www.Fielding.edu/tuition and Financial Aid at www.Fielding.edu/finaid for more financial planning tips.

Q: Who are the faculty members for the IECD programs?

A: All faculty in the program hold advanced degrees.

They are committed to applying their expertise and experience to help students achieve their goals. They also span a wide range of disciplines such as clinical psychology, speech and language, occupational therapy, advocacy, and others. Please visit http://www.fielding.edu/IECD to learn more about our dedicated and professional faculty.

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Q: Are graduate students required to closely match

their research interests with those of the professor, or can students choose a dissertation topic related to their own interests?

A: IECD PhD students can determine their dissertation topics based on their own personal passions.

Our faculty members are committed to helping students reach their individual dissertation goals.

Q: Does adding a concentration extend the number of years to completion?

A: While it does not need to extend time in the program, it may do so for some students who would like to complete courses beyond the required number of electives.

Q: When can I begin working on my dissertation?

A: If you already have a strong sense of your topic when you enter the program, you can begin working on your dissertation by focusing on it during core courses. You can run searches and acquaint yourself with the literature as you are going through the program, and you can have conversations with faculty members about your topic. We encourage students to begin thinking about their dissertation topic in the pre-New Student Orientation and New Student Orientation.

Q: How are the curricula presented online (video

presentations, discussion forums)? Are there a lot of group projects, or are there more individual projects than group projects? Do students do a lot of group projects, or do faculty assign more individual projects?

A: Coursework is completed online, and the majority of classes are taught live via Zoom synchronous meetings. Papers are posted online, and faculty respond by e-mail to individuals regarding written work. In some classes, students work in small groups, while in others, students do individual presentations. The course syllabi, available before registration, outline course delivery methods and expectations.

Q: What supplemental services are available to students?

A: Fielding students can utilize Disability Services, Student Accounts, Library Services, Office of the Registrar, Student Advising, Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Information Technology Services.

Q: What is the minimum course load I can take per semester?

A: The minimum credits required for a term is 4.

However, to meet timely progress requirements, PhD students need 18 credits each year. An average of 12 credits is recommended per term.

Visit our course catalog for more information at: Fielding.edu/IECDcourses

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Erica Fichter, MBA Director of Admissions & Recruitment Fielding Graduate University

Fielding.edu/MediaPsy • 805-898-4026 Admissions@Fielding.edu