First3Years Infant Mental Health Courses

In this module, you will learn all about infant care. We discuss foundations of infant development, the importance of a loving caregiver, infants' amazing abilities, and best practices for supporting their development. Through an emphasis on daily activities we show how you can build relationships and promote development.

Talking about child maltreatment can be difficult, but we know that with proper education you can feel confident reporting if you suspect child maltreatment. This training will go over types of maltreatment, what it looks like, steps for reporting, and coping mechanisms for professionals who make a report.

In this module, you will learn about cultural sensitivity. We define and describe culture, how cultures differ, dual language learners, pathways to cultural sensitivity, strategies for communicating with families who do not share your language, and strategies to make your setting culturally competent.

In this module, you will learn about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. We consider factors that contribute to FASD, our own biases towards children and families who may be impacted by FASD, the impact of FASD on young children's development, and strategies for welcoming children with FASD into the classroom.

In this module, you will learn about infant mental health. We discuss key contributors and barriers in the infant mental health field, the role of early relationships for healthy brain development and self-regulation, infant stress signals, and why infant mental health matters in early childhood settings.

In this module, you will learn about self-regulation in infancy and toddlerhood. We consider ways caregivers can support the development of children's self-regulation. We then discuss infant and toddler temperament so you can reflect on your own regulatory strategies and preferences for young children's temperaments.

In this module, you will learn about sensory processing in very young children. We define the senses, consider healthy sensory development and indicators of sensory integration difficulties, review activities that support sensory development, and outline strategies for helping children with sensory difficulties.

In this module, you will learn about the impact of separation on infants and toddlers. We consider how separation relates to other developmental milestones. We consider how self-regulation and temperament impact children's responses to separation, and strategies for helping children cope with separation.

In this module, you will learn about the importance of self-care. We discuss self-care strategies for caregivers and how reflective supervision supports professional development and reflective practice.

In this module, you will learn about healthy brain development. We discuss the importance of responsive interactions and secure attachments, how interactions drive language development, the roles of major brain chemicals, the impact of trauma on the developing brain, and strategies for supporting brain development.