Kathleen Stassen Berger

1

Part IV

Middle Childhood: Biosocial Development

Chapter Eleven

A Healthy TimeTwo Common Health ProblemsBrain DevelopmentChildren with Special Needs

2

Middle Childhood: Biosocial Development

• There are similarities among all school-age children, but also differences that suddenly become significant.– size– health – learning ability

3

A Healthy Time• Middle childhood

–Period between early childhood and early adolescence.•approximately from age 7 to 11.

–Genetic and environmental factors safeguard children.

–Most fatal diseases and accidents occur before age 7.

4

• Size and Shape–The rate of growth slows down.–Muscles become stronger. •School-age children can master almost any motor skill.

–Lung capacity expands.•Children run faster and exercise longer without breathing more heavily.

5

• Physical Activity– Active play benefits children in every way.

– Benefits of sports include:•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.

6

• Physical Activity–There are also hazards.•loss of self-esteem as a result of criticism from teammates or coaches.

•injuries •reinforcement of prejudices •increases in stress •time and effort taken away from learning academic skills

7

• Neighborhood Games–play is flexible–children improvise to meet their needs

–areas, rules, boundaries, time adapted to the children's availability

8

• 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.

9

Two Common Health Problems

• Chronic Illness–About 13% of all children have special health needs; some get worse during Middle Childhood.

–Any chronic condition can limit active play and impede regular school attendance.

10

•Overweight– Adult

•a BMI (body mass index) of 25 to 29– Child

•being above the 85th percentile

•Obesity– Adult

•having a BMI of 30 or more– Child

•being above the 95th percentile

11

• Primary: – better ventilation of schools and home– decreased pollution– eradication of cockroaches– construction of 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

Prevention of Asthma

12

Advances in Brain Functioning

• reduction in reaction time– time it takes to respond to a stimulus physically or cognitively

• selective attention– ability to concentrate on some stimuli while ignoring others

• automatization– process in which repetition of a sequence of thoughts and actions makes the sequence routine• no longer requires conscious thought

13

• Aptitude:–Potential to master particular skill or body of knowledge.

• IQ tests:–Tests designed to measure intellectual aptitude.

Aptitude, Achievement, and IQ

14

15

• Achievement Test– measures proficiency in reading, math, writing, science, etc

• Flynn Effect– rise in average IQ scores over the decades

• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – IQ test designed for school-age children.

•vocabulary, general knowledge, memory, and spatial comprehension

Aptitude and Achievement

16

• Criticisms of IQ Testing:–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.

–Humans may have multiple intelligences.

17

• Sternberg describes three types of intelligence:1. Academic:

•measured by IQ and achievement tests

2. Creative:•evidenced by imaginative endeavors

3. Practical:•seen in everyday problem solving

• Emotional intelligence:•ability to regulate one’s emotions and perceptive understanding of other people’s feelings

18

• North American 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.

19

• The most influential of all multiple-intelligence theories is Gardner’s:1. linguistic2. logical-mathematical3. musical4. spatial5. bodily-kinesthetic (movement)6. interpersonal (social understanding)7. intrapersonal (self-understanding)8. naturalistic (understanding of

nature, as in biology, zoology, or farming) *new

9. Existential (asking questions about life and death) *new

20

Children with Special Needs

• Children who require extra help in order to learn.– physical – mental

• Often, first problem to be noticed:– slowness– impulsiveness– clumsiness

21

Developmental Psychopathology

– Uses insights into typical development to understand and treat developmental disorders• abnormality is normal• disability changes year by

year• adulthood may be better or

worse• diagnosis depends on the

social context

22

Attention-Deficit Disorder

• ADHD– great difficulty concentrating for more than a few moments

– inattentive– impulsive – overactive

• Comorbidity– presence of two or more unrelated disease conditions at same time

23

• Learning Disability– marked delay in particular area of leaning that’s not caused by:• physical disability • mental retardation• unusually stressful home environment

– dyslexia•unusual difficulty with reading; thought to be the result of some neurological underdevelopment

24

– autism: developmental disorder marked by inability to relate to other people normally• extreme self-absorption• inability to acquire normal speech

– autistics spectrum disorder: Any of several disorders characterized by inadequate social skills and abnormal play.

– asperger syndrome: specific type of autistic spectrum disorder • “high-functioning”• Unusually intelligent is specific areas• Impaired social interaction

Autistic Spectrum Disorders:

25

Educating Children with Special Needs

• Resource room– A room in which trained teachers help children with special needs.

• Inclusion– An approach to educating children with special needs in which they are included in regular classrooms, with appropriate aids and services.