The clinical child psychology subarea is designed to prepare doctoral students for careers as scientists and scientist-practitioners in the areas of clinical child and adolescent psychology and pediatric psychology.
Students enrolled in this subarea will complete specialized coursework geared toward children, adolescents, and their families. In addition to formal coursework, students in the clinical child concentration will have the opportunity to pursue specific research, didactic, and practicum experiences with children and adolescents.
A major focus of the clinical child subarea is to teach students how to conduct research examining the effectiveness of interventions and assessment instruments in clinical populations. This subarea emphasizes an understanding of developmental psychopathology and its role in child and adolescent intervention, assessment, and research.
In addition to working with the core faculty, students will also be trained by practicing clinical child psychologists and pediatricians working as adjunct faculty members in our training subarea. There are diverse assessment and treatment practicum training opportunities for students enrolled in the clinical child psychology subarea.
For more details, see the clinical child curriculum, or find affiliated faculty in the faculty directory.
Coordinator: Dr. Randy Salekin
Clinical Training Opportunities
- UA Psychology Clinic – outpatient diagnosis and treatment clinic (includes PCIT)
- UA Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinic – outpatient diagnosis and treatment clinic
- UA Alabama Autism Spectrum Disorder College Transition Support Program (UA-ACTS) – support/treatment program
- Brewer Porch Children’s Center – outpatient and residential treatment facility
- University Medical Center ADHD Clinic – outpatient diagnosis and treatment clinic
- University Medical Center Child and Adolescent Anxiety Clinic – outpatient diagnosis and treatment clinic
- University of Alabama at Birmingham Pediatric Neuropsychology Clinic – outpatient assessment
Optional Specialization in Child and Adolescent Forensic Psychology
Students interested in crossover training with the psychology and law subarea can choose to take an additional 5 credit hours of coursework in the area of child and adolescent forensic assessment and treatment and complete a specialized practicum.
Cross-Discipline Research and Training
In addition to the standard clinical child curriculum, students can gain additional experiences by taking courses on conducting research related to other areas in psychology. Crossover training with the developmental science subarea is encouraged.