Infant Mental Health (IMH) was once synonymous with social emotional development. 

But did the compelling need to help children and families facing adversity shift the focus away from how other developmental capacities and individual differences contribute to the infant’s vulnerability or resilience? And, how do we know if emotional development is on track and how can we support IECMH?  What do they contribute to each other? What new insights do we have from neuroscience? 

Explore his important topic and answer these questions with Co-Creator of the DIR Model, Dr. Serena Wieder of the Profectum Foundation.

The DIR Model pioneered an integrated roadmap for assessing and promoting emotional development in all children. By understanding functional emotional capacities, considering the child’s neurobiology connecting brain and body, and respecting the impact of environment, development moves forward. But when it is derailed, DIR awakens development with affect and relationship.

Participants attend who view the webinar will be able to:

• Describe how DIR conceptualizes the integration of development and IMH through a relationship lens.
• Identify the six functional emotional developmental capacities and how they might be impacted by individual differences.
• Explain the hierarchy of symbolic play and how it reflects the range of emotional capacities important for IECMH.