Kathleen Stassen Berger

Part IV Chapter Eleven

The School Years: Biosocial Development
A Healthy Time Brain Development

Children with Special Needs

Prepared by Madeleine Lacefield Tattoon, M.A.

The School Years: Biosocial Development

no longer do children depend entirely on their families to dress, feed and wash them by age 6 or 7, self-care is routine and attendance at school is mandated

The School Years: Biosocial Development

there are similarities among all school-age children but also differences that suddenly become significant (size, health, learning ability, in almost everything)

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Middle childhood
the period between early childhood and early adolescences, approximately from age7 to 11 genetic and environmental factors safeguard children most fatal diseases and accidents occur before age 7

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Size and Shape
the rate of growth slows down, allowing school-age children to undertake their basic self-care muscles become stronger; school-age children can master almost any motor skill lung capacity expandschildren run faster and exercise longer without breathing more heavily
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Size and Shape
overweight
in an adult, having a BMI (body mass index) of 25 to 29 in a child, being above the 85th percentile*

obesity
in an adult, having a BMI of 30 or more in a child, being above the 95th percentile*
*based on the U.S. Centers for Disease Controls 1980 standards for his or her age and sex
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A Healthy Time
Physical Activity
active play benefits children in every way benefits of sports can last a lifetime
better overall health less obesity appreciation of cooperation and fair play improved problem-solving abilities respect for teammates and opponents from many ethnicities and nationalities

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Physical Activity
there are also hazards
loss of self-esteem as a result of criticism from teammates or coaches injuries (the famous Little League elbow is one example) reinforcement of prejudices (especially against the other sex) increases in stress (evidenced by altered hormone levels, insomnia) time and effort taken away from learning academic skills
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A Healthy Time
Neighborhood Games
neighbor play is flexible children improvise to meet their needs play areas, rules, boundaries, time are adapted to the children's availability
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Exercise in School
good gym teachers know developmentally appropriate, cooperative games and exercises for children school have been pressured to increase academics, while physical education and recess have declined

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Athletic Clubs and Leagues
private and nonprofit clubs and organizations offer opportunities for children to play culture and family influence this type of play most children enjoy organized sports

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Chronic Illness
about 13% of all children have special health needs, some get worse during the school years any chronic condition can limit active play and impede regular school attendance

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A Healthy Time
Asthma
a chronic disease of the respiratory system in which inflammation narrows the airway from the lungs to the nose and mouth, causing difficulty in breathing. Signs and symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing
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A Healthy Time
Prevention of Asthma
three levels of prevention primary
better ventilation of schools and homes decreased pollution eradication of cockroaches construction of many more play areas

secondary
breast-feeding ridding the house of dust, pets, smoke and other allergens regular checkups

tertiary
use of injections and inhalers hypoallergenic materials
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Brain Development
Advances in Brain Functioning
Increasing myelination results by 7 or 8 years of age, in a massively interconnected brain.
reaction time
the time it takes to respond to a stimulus, either physically (with a reflexive movement such as an eye blink) or cognitively (with a thought)

selective attention
the ability to concentrate on some stimuli while ignoring others

automatization
a process in which repetition of a sequence of thoughts and actions makes the sequence routine, so that it no longer requires conscious thought
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Brain Development
Measuring the Mind
done via repeated brain scans, such as the fMRI the cortex (the top layers of the brain) is relatively thin at the beginning of childhood and then grows thicker during the school years, reaching a peak at about age 8
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Brain Development
Aptitude and Achievement
aptitude
the potential to master a particular skill or to learn a particular body of knowledge

IQ tests
tests designed to measure intellectual aptitude, or ability to lean in school. intelligence was defined as mental age divided by chronological age, times 100 hence the term intelligence quotient, or IQ
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Brain Development
Aptitude and Achievement

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Brain Development
Aptitude and Achievement
achievement test
measures of mastery or proficiency in reading, math, writing, science, or any other subject

Flynn Effect
the rise in average IQ scores that has occurred over the decades in many nations

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)

an IQ test designed for school-age children. The test assesses potential in many areas, including vocabulary, general knowledge, memory, and spatial comprehension
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Brain Development
Gifted or Retarded
mental retardation
Literally, slow, or late, thinking. In practice, people are considered mentally retarded if they score below 70 on an IQ test and if they are markedly behind their peers in adaptation to daily life.

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Brain Development
Criticisms of IQ Testing
many developmentalists criticize IQ tests no test can measure potential without also measuring achievement every test score reflects the culture of the people who wrote, administer and take it intellectual potential changes over the life span
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Brain Development
Criticisms of IQ Testing
a more fundamental criticism concerns the very concept that there is one general thing called intelligence humans may have multiple intelligences if so, the use one IQ score is based on a false premise

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Brain Development
Criticisms of IQ Testing
Sternberg (1996) describes three distinct types of intelligence
academic measured by IQ and achievement tests creative evidenced by imaginative endeavors practical seen in everyday problem solving other intelligences
emotional intelligence the ability to regulate ones emotions and perceptive understanding of other peoples feelings

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Brain Development
If North American intelligence tests truly reflected all aspects of the mind, children would be considered mentally slow if they could not replicate the proper hand, arm, torso and facial positions of a traditional dance, as this young Indonesian girl does brilliantly.
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Brain Development
Criticisms of IQ Testing
The most influential of all theories is Gardners 8 theories:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. linguistic logical-mathematical musical spatial bodily-kinesthetic (movement) interpersonal (social understanding) intrapersonal (self-understanding) naturalistic (understanding of nature, as in biology, zoology, or farming)
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Children with Special Needs

children who, because of a physical or mental disability, require extra help in order to learn often slowness, impulsiveness, or clumsiness is the first problem to be noticed; other problems become apparent once formal education begins
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Developmental Psychopathology
the field that uses insights into typical development to study and treat developmental disorders and vice versa

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Developmental Psychopathology

four lessons from developmental psychopathology apply to everyone:

abnormality is normal disability changes year by year adulthood may be better or worse diagnosis depends on the social context
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-R)
The American Psychiatric Associations official guide to the diagnosis (not treatment) of mental disorders. (IV means fourth edition, revised.)

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Attention-Deficit Disorder
Attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADAH)
a condition in which a person not only has great difficulty concentrating for more than a few moments but also is inattentive, impulsive, and overactive. comorbidity
the presence of two or more unrelated disease conditions at the same time in the same person
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Attention-Deficit Disorder
Learning Disabilities
a marked delay in a particular area of leaning that is not caused by an apparent physical disability, by mental retardation, or by an unusually stressful home environment

dyslexia
unusual difficulty with reading; thought to be the result of some neurological underdevelopment
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Attention-Deficit Disorder
Autistic Spectrum Disorders
autism
a developmental disorder marked by an inability to relate to other people normally, extreme selfabsorption, and an inability to acquire normal speech

autistics spectrum disorder

any of several disorders characterized by inadequate social skills, usually communication, and abnormal play

asperger syndrome
a specific type of autistic spectrum disorder characterized by extreme attention to details and deficient social understanding
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Educating Children with Special Needs

Individual education plan (IEP)

a document that specifies educational goals and plans for a child with special needs

Least restrictive environment (LRE)

a legal requirement that children with special needs be assigned to the most general educational context in which they can be expected to learn
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Educating Children with Special Needs

Resource room
a room in which trained teachers help children with special needs, using specialized curricula and equipment

Inclusion
An approach to educating children with special needs in which they are included in regular classrooms, with appropriate aids and services, as required by law

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