PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION-CHILD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT

 PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

CHILD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT


Competencies:


  • Identify the proponents of theories of development.

  • Apply and evaluate theories and principles of growth and development to learning situations.



CONTENT UPDATE


I.  Basic Concepts  


  1. Definition of Terms


  • Childhood

  • The early stage in the existence or development of an individual.

  • Time of innocence.

  • Time of closeness with parents.


  • Adolescence

  • A period of transition from childhood to adulthood.

  • A stage where an individual experiences dramatic changes - biologically, socially, psychologically.

  • Onset of adolescence sees children as having completed elementary school and are about to enter secondary education.

  • Ages of adolescence vary by culture

  • WHO defines adolescence as the period of life between 10 and 19 years of age.

  • In the US, adolescence is the period that begins between 12 and 14 and ends at 19 or 20.

  • In the Philippines, adolescence is the period that begins at the age of 13 and ends at 19.


  • Growth

  •    The progressive increase in an individual’s size, as in weight and height.

  •    Changes which can be measured quantitatively.


  • Development

  • Refers to the biological and psychological changes that occur in human beings beginning from conception.

  • Changes could be observed, but could not be measured quantitatively.


  • Types of human development

    • Physical – includes the performance of tasks and abilities, such as walking, running, writing, etc.  

    • Cognitive – changes in the way children think, reason, use language and process information.

    • Socio-emotional – changes in the way children see themselves and how they act and behave towards other people.

    • Moral – changes in the way children determine what is right or wrong.


  • Maturation

    • Indicates the readiness of the individual to perform a certain task or behaviour in coordination with the nervous system.


  • Environment

    • The totality of the surrounding conditions that influence an individual’s growth and development, which includes basic social units such as the family, school, and community.


  • Developmental Task 

    • Refers to the behaviours that are expected to be manifested at a certain period of an individual’s life which will lead to success in later tasks.  Performance of these tasks depend largely on physical maturation, cultural pressure, and learning practices.


  • Stages of Development

    • The periods that divide a life span.

    • Each period emphasizes a given type of behaviour.


  1. Principles of Development


  1. Development is holistic; it consists of inter-dependent dimensions.

  2. Development begins prenatally and learning begins at birth.

  3. The first eight years of a child’s life form the foundation for all later development; early attention to the child’s needs is critical.

  4. Children’s needs differ across the early childhood years.

  5. Development is multi-determined, and varied as a function of the child’s nutritional and biomedical status, genetic inheritance, and social and cultural context.

  6. Children’s development is cumulative in nature, and not necessarily progressive.

  7. Children are active participants in their on development and learning.

  8. Development and learning occur as a result of the child interacting with people and objects in his/her environment.

  9. Children live within a context – family, community, culture – and their needs are most effectively addressed in relation to that context.


Principles of Development (Bustos, 1996)


  1. Development follows an orderly sequence which is predictable.

  2. The rate of development is unique to each individual.

  3. Development involves change.

  4. Early development is more critical than later development.

  5. Development is the product of maturation and learning.

  6. There are individual differences in  development.

  7. There are social expectations for every developmentl period which are often referred to as developmental tasks.


  1. Rights of Children and Young Person (PD 603)


The Child is one of the most important assets of the nation.  Every effort should be exerted to promote their welfare and enhance their opportunities for a useful and happy life.”

(PD No. 603: The Child and Youth Welfare Code. Article 1)


  • In order for the child to grow and develop into a valued Filipino citizen, each child has the legal right:

    • To be born, to have a name and nationality;

    • To have a family of his/her own who will provide love, care, understanding, guidance and counseling, moral and material security;

    • To a well-rounded development of his personality to the end that he may become a happy, useful, and active member of society;

    • To a balanced diet, adequate clothing, sufficient shelter, proper medical attention, and all the basic physical requirements of a healthy and vigorous life;

    • To be brought up in an atmosphere of morality, and rectitude for the enrichment and the strengthening of his/her character;

    • To an education commensurate with his/her abilities and to the development of his/her skills for the improvement of his/her capacity for service to him/herself and his/her fellowmen;

    • To full opportunities for safe and wholesome recreation and activities, individual as well as social, for the wholesome use of his/her leisure hours;

    • To protection against exploitation, improper influences, hazards, and other conditions or circumstances prejudicial to his/her physical, mental, emotional, social, and moral development;

    • To live in a community and a society that can offer an environment free from pernicious influences and conducive to the promotion of his/her health and the cultivation of his/her desirable traits and attributes;

    • To the care, assistance, and protection of the state, particularly when his/her parents or guardians fail or are unable to provide him/her with his/her fundamental needs for growth, development, and improvement.

    • To an efficient and honest government that will deepen his/her faith in democracy and inspire him/her with the morality of the constituted authorities both in their public and private lives;

    • To grow up as a free individual in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, tolerance, and universal brotherhood and with the determination to contribute his/her share in the building of a better world.


II.  Stages of Development


  1. Infancy (Birth to 2 years)

  • Stage of tremendous growth

    • Infants doubles in height and increases their weight four times.

    • Bodily proportions change from the head being about one quarter of the body’s length to a more balanced adult-like appearance.

    • Will begin learning gross motor skills such as sitting, crawling, walking, toilet training, holding a spoon and scribbling.

    • Infants understand their world through their senses such as touching, tasting, listening, looking and smelling.

    • Infants’ knowledge is based on physical actions.

    • Infants’ understanding is contained to the present or immediate past.

      • If the infant is loved and well-handled, they will develop trust, security and optimism.


  1. Early Childhood (3-7 years)  

  • Time of continued rapid physical growth, fine-motor and gross-motor development.

  • Physical Development

    • At age 3, children have higher level of activity; they can walk and run, which make them curious .

    • Between 3-6 years, fine-motor skills begins to develop as well as their gross-motor skills.

      • They can control pencils for beginning writing and drawing skills.

      • They can skip, balance on one foot, climb and dance.

    • Physical growth slows down between 5-8 years while other motor skills improve and become more refined.

  • Cognitive development

    • Cognitive development is rapid because of the acquisition of language skills.

      • Vocabulary has grown to 1,500 words by the age of 5 years.

  • Socio-emotional development

    • The healthy developing child learns to

      • Imagine and broaden skills through active play;

      • Cooperate with others; and

      • Lead as well as follow.

    • Play is important because

      •  it enables them to use their developing language, thinking, and social skills; and 

      • contribute to their general personality development.

    • Growth in socioemotional skills include the following:

      • Formation of peer relationships;

      • Gender identification; and

      • Development of a sense of right and wrong.


  1. Middle Childhood (8 years – puberty)

  • The developmental task of this stage is integration.

    • Child integrates one’s development as well as integrating him/herself into a wider social context.

  • Physical Development

    • Growth is slow and steady until the beginning of puberty.

    • Baby teeth are replaced by permanent ones.

  • Cognitive development

    • Development is slow and steady.

    • Build skills gained in early childhood.

    • Reasoning skills are based on rules.

    • They need concrete, hands-on learning activities.

    • Gain enthusiasm for learning and work.

    • Achievements can be motivating as they work on building competence and self-esteem.

  • Socio-emotional development

    • Time when children develop their interpersonal skills and social relationships.  

      • Best friends are important but still strongly influenced by the family.

      • Increased independence, friendships and developing interests in sports, music, and arts.


  1. Adolescence 


  • Begins when an individual reaches sexual maturity (puberty) and ends when they become an adult within their cultural and social context.

    • In some cultures, this stage may not exist or may be short because reaching puberty may coincide with responsibilities of becoming an adult (getting married and having children)

  • Physical development

    • Marked with rapid physical growth.

    • Growth happens in ‘growth spurts’ (2 years of fast growth followed by 3 or more years of slow but steady growth).

    • Sexual maturity (puberty) is the most significant physical development.

      • Females mature between 11-13 years

      • Males mature at about 15 years.

  • Cognitive development

    • Changes in the way they think and reason about problems and ideas.

      • Early adolescence (12-15 years)

        • Adolescents think logically about concrete objects and consider more than one viewpoint at one time.

        • Adolescents benefit more from direct experiences than from abstract ideas and principles.

      • Late adolescence (16-21 years)

        • Complex cognitive skills have developed.

        • Adolescents begin to solve more abstract and hypothetical (what if?) problems.

        • Plan for the future and reflect on their thoughts

        • Begin to be aware of the limitations of their thinking.

        • Can think about ideas that are outside of their experiences.

  • Socio-emotional development

    • Adolescents try new roles, new ways of thinking and behaving.

    • Rely more on their peer group for direction as they try to become more independent.

    • Begin to pull away from their family influence for identity.

    • Emotional development

      • Mood swings as caused by hormone changes or reactions to social, physical, cognitive changes experienced.

      • Struggles on issues about their self-esteem as they search for their identity.


  • Implications for schooling

    • Teachers must be aware of how children develop.

    • Teachers must be aware of how growth is influenced by context (how the structure and expectations of the school influence the way children grow and learn.)



III.  Theories of Development

A.  Psychoanalytic Theory – Sigmund Freud

  • Personality forms during life’s first years

  • Children pass through psychosexual stages where the Id is focused on pleasure-sensitive areas of the body called erogenous zones.


Stage

Age Range

Characteristic

Implication

1.  Oral


0 – 18 months

Pleasure is focused on sucking, biting, chewing, etc.

When needs are not met through oral activities, the needs may continue to resurface later in life through eating or smoking.

2.  Anal

18–36 months

The sphincter muscle becomes sensitive and controllable, so bladder and bowel become a source of gratification

Over-attention or lack of attention to toilet training may be a cause of some fixated behaviours.

3.  Phallic

3-6 years

Pleasure zones shift to the genitals. Self-stimulation of the genitals produce pleasure.

Unconscious sexual desire of the child to a parent of the opposite sex.

  • Oedipus complex, where young boys regard their father as sex rival

  • Electra complex, where young girls sees their mother as sex rival for father’s attention


4.  Latency


6-12 years


Sexual feelings are repressed.


Children play with peers of the same sex.

5.  Genital

12 years onwards

Sexual feelings toward the opposite sex are experienced.

Maturation of sexual interests

B.  The Psychosocial Theory – Erik Erikson

  • Erikson believes that people go through 8 stages during their human development.

  • Each stage provides certain challenges or crises to resolve.  People who manage these challenges successfully develop certain positive virtues or strengths.  Those who don’t experience difficulties later in life.


Stages

Crisis

Favorable  Outcome

Unfavorable Outcome

Childhood




1st Year

Trust vs Mistrust

Faith in the environment and future events

Suspicion, fear of future events

2nd year

Autonomy vs. Doubt

A sense of self-control and adequacy

Feelings of shame and self-doubt

3rd-5th years

Initiative vs. Guilt

Ability to be a ‘self-starter’; to initiate one’s own activities

A sense of guilt and inadequacy to be on one’s own

6th year-puberty

Industry vs. Inferiority

Ability to learn how things work, to understand and to organize

A sense of inferiority at understanding and organizing

Transition Years

Adolescence

Identity vs. Role Confusion

Seeing oneself as a unique and integrated person

Confusion over who and what one really is 

Adulthood




Early Adulthood

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Ability to make commitments to others

Inability to form affectionate relationship

Middle Age

Generativity vs. Stagnation

Concern for family and society in general

Concern only for self- one’s own well-being and prosperity

Old age

Integrity vs. Despair

A sense of integrity and fulfilment; willing to face death

Dissatisfaction with life; despair over prospect of death


Encouraging Initiative in Pre-School Child


  • Encourage children to make and to act on choices.

  • Make sure that each child has to experience success.

  • Encourage make-believe with a variety of roles.

  • Be tolerant of accidents and mistakes, especially when children are attempting to do things on their own


Encouraging Industry


  • Make sure that students have opportunities to set and work toward realistic goals.

  • Give students a chance to show their independence and responsibility.

  • Provide support to students who are discouraged.


Encouraging Identity Formation

  • Give students models for career choice and other adult roles.

  • Help students find resources for working out personal problems.

  • Be tolerant of teenage fads as long as they don’t offend others or interfere with learning.

  • Give students realistic feedback about themselves.


Encouraging Self-esteem

  • Value and accept pupils for their attempts as well as for their accomplishments.

  • Create a climate that is physically and psychologically safe for everyone.

  • Be aware of your own personal biases and expectations.

  • Make standards of evaluation clear and help students evaluate their own accoplishments.

  • Avoid destructive comparison and competitions.

  • Accept a student even when you have to reject a particular behavior or outcome.


Supporting Social and Personal Development

  • Help students examine the kinds of dilemmas they are currently facing or will face in the near future.

  • Help students see the perspective of others.

  • Help students make connections between expressed values and actions. 

  • Make sure students are listening to each other.

  • Make sure that as much as possible your class reflects concern for moral issues and other values.


C.  Cognitive Development Theory – Jean Piaget


  • Views children as active explorers who respond to the environment according to their understanding of its essential features.


  • Piaget’s key ideas

    • Adaptation – Knowing the world through

      • Assimilation The process by which a person takes material into their mind from the environment, which may mean changing the evidence of their senses to make it fit. 

      • Accommodation The difference made to one's mind or concepts by the process of assimilation.  

        • Note that assimilation and accommodation go together: you can't have one without the other. 


  • Classification 

    • The ability to group objects together on the basis of common features. 

  • Class Inclusion 

    • The understanding, more advanced than simple classification, that some classes or sets of objects are also sub-sets of a larger class. (E.g. there is a class of objects called dogs. There is also a class called animals. But all dogs are also animals, so the class of animals includes that of dogs) 

  • Conservation

    •  The realisation that objects or sets of objects stay the same even when they are changed about or made to look different. 

  • Decentration

    • The ability to move away from one system of classification to another one as appropriate.

  • Egocentrism 

    • The belief that you are the centre of the universe and everything revolves around you: the corresponding inability to see the world as someone else does and adapt to it. Not moral "selfishness", just an early stage of psychological development. 

  • Operation 

    • The process of working something out in your head. Young children (in the sensorimotor and pre-operational stages) have to act, and try things out in the real world, to work things out (like count on fingers): older children and adults can do more in their heads. 

  • Schema (or scheme) 

    • The representation in the mind of a set of perceptions, ideas, and/or actions, which go together. 




  • Divides cognitive development into four major stages


Stage and Age

Description

Feature

Educational Implication

Sensorimotor Stage

(Birth-2 years)

  • Differentiates self from objects

  • Recognizes self as agent of action and begins to act intentionally

  • Achieves object permanence

  • Learning is basically determined by actual perception of the senses


  • Egocentric

  • Object permanence

  • Concepts of time and space are developed as they reach for objects

  • Identifying causes of things in the environment

Pre-operational State

(2-7 years)

  • Learns to use language and to represent objects by images and words 

  • Thinking is still egocentric: has difficulty taking the viewpoint of others  

  • Classifies objects by a single feature: e.g. groups together all the red blocks regardless of shape or all the square blocks regardless of color 


  • Ability to store words and language structures; fantasy, talking to toys; symbolic thinking


  • Egocentric; views of others are insignificant

  • Centering: focuses on one object activity

  • Irreversibility: thinking can’t be reversed


Concrete Operational

(7-11 years)

  • Can think logically about objects and events 

  • Achieves conservation of number (age 6), mass (age 7), and weight (age 9) 

  • Classifies objects according to several features and can order them in series along a single dimension such as size. 


  • Logical thinking develops in relation to function; application of principles; basically literal


  • Conservation

  • Seriation

  • Classification

  • Number concepts


Formal Operational

(11 years and up)

  • Can think logically about abstract propositions and test hypotheses systematically  

  • Becomes concerned with the hypothetical, the future, and ideological problems 


  • Capability for hypothesis testing; 

  • Perspective of thought is formed

  • Awareness of others’ point of view

  • Capacity for self-reflection

  • Comprehension of figurative and symbolic written materials


  • Separates the real from the possible

  • Can look for and try possibilities for probem solving

  • Propositional: deals with abstract concept that contains concrete statements or propositions

  • Much information is gathered when solving a problem



How to Teach a Pre-operational Child


  • Use concrete props and visual aids

  • Make instructions relatively short, using actions as well as words

  • Don’t expect them to be consistent in their ability to see the world from somebody’s point of view

  • Give children a great deal of hand-on practice on skills that serve as building blocks for more complex skills


How to Teach a Concrete Operational Child


  • Continue using visual aids/concrete props, especially when dealing with sophisticated materials

  • Continue to give students a chance to manipulate or test objects

  • Presentations must be brief and well-organized

  • Use familiar examples to explain more complex ideas

  • Give opportunities to classify and group objects and ideas on increasingly complex levels.

  • Present problems that require logical, analytical thinking. 


Helping Students Use Formal Operations


  • Use concrete-operational teaching strategies and materials.

  • Give opportunities for students to explore many hypothetical questions.

  • Give opportunities to solve problems and reason scientifically.

  • Teach broad concepts rather than facts, using materials and ideas relevant to students’ lives.


Implications of Piaget’s Theory for Teaching


  • Focuses on the process of children’s thinking, not just its products. 

  • Recognition of the crucial role of children’s active involvement  in learning activities.  

  • Promotion of child-centered teaching and learning practices.

  • Acceptance of individual differences in the developmental processes.


D.  Socio-Cultural Theory of Cognitive Development – Lev Vgotsky


  • Cognitive (thinking and reasoning) development is understood only in terms of the historical and cultural contexts children experience.

  • Cognitive development depends on the sign systems that the individual grows up with: the symbols that cultures create to help people think, communicate and solve problems.

  • Cognitive development is dependent on a child’s interaction with those around him; social stimulation aids mental and language development.

  • Concepts of Vgotsky

  • Self-regulation through self-talk or private speech.

  • Zone of Proximal Development

    • The distance between a child’s actual development level and a higher potential development obtained through adult guidance

  • Scaffolding 

    • A system of providing a lot of support at the beginning of a new learning task and then gradually withdraw as learning takes place

  • Cooperative Learning

    • Children work together to help each other learn.

  • Implications for Teaching

    • Curriculum must be developmentally appropriate.

    • The use of cooperative learning arrangements

    • The use of scaffolding.


E.  Cognitive Development by Jerome Bruner


  • The human mind gains inputs through the senses, processes them through cognitive abilities and produces outputs employing language and creative expression.

  • Stages in the cognitive development by Bruner

    • Enactive stage (0-18 months) – children respond to sensory stimuli

    • Iconic stage (18 months-6 years) – children view the world through concrete representations

    • Symbolic stage (6 years onwards) – the individual can handle abstract representations, using his thinking skills to understand things.


F.  The Behaviorist Theory of Development – John Watson


  • Basic premise of Watson’s ‘behaviorism’

    • The mind of an infant is ‘tabula rasa’ and that learned associations between stimuli and responses are the building blocks of human development.

    • Development does not proceed through series of stages; it is a continuous process marked by the gradual acquisition of new and more sophisticated behavioral pattern or habits.

    • Only the simplest human reflexes are inborn and that important behavioral tendencies, including traits, talents, values and aspirations are learned.


G.  Moral Development Theory – Lawrence Kohlberg


  • Level 1: Precoventional Morality 

    • Young children do not really understand the conventions or rules of a society

    • Manifested by avoiding punishment and receiving benefits in return

      • Stage 1:  Punishment-Obedience Orientation 

        • Perspective:  One’s own

        • Motive:  One’s needs

        • Standards:  Other people

        • Criteria:  Consequences

      • Stage 2:  Reward Orientation

        • Perspective: One’s own and another’s 

        • Motive: Satisfy own needs and those of others

        • Standards: Other people’s behavior

        • Criteria: Fairness; reciprocity

  • Level 2: Conventional Morality

    • Individuals 9-20 years old conform to the conventions or rules of society

    • Manifested by respecting authority

      • Stage 3: Good Boy/Good Girl Orientation

        • Perspective: Another person’s

        • Motive: Approval

        • Standards: Internalized rules of what is proper

        • Criteria: Living up to expectations

      • Stage 4: Authority Orientation/Authority

        • Maintaining Morality

        • Perspective: Society/community

        • Motive: Uphold the law

        • Standards: Rules and laws of behavior

        • Criteria: Compliance with the law


  • Level 3:  Postconventional Morality

    • Moral principles that underlie the conventions of a society are understood

    • Manifested through mutual agreement and consistent principles

  • Stage 5: Social Contract Orientation/

    • Morality Contract & Democracy

    • Perspective: Society’s

    • Motive: Maintain social order

    • Standards: Law

    • Criteria: Justice

  • Stage 6: Ethical Principle Orientation/

    • Morality of the Individual

    • Principles of Conscience

    • Perspective: Society

    • Motive: Human rights for all

    • Standards: Personal principle

    • Criteria: Universal moral code


IV.  Brain Development


  • The brain’s ability to change from experience is known as plasticity.

    • The human brain is especially plastic early in life, which is why the “nurture” part of the equation is important.

    • Throughout life the brain continues to be plastic – which is the mechanism for learning.  This however, declines in adulthood.


  1. Parts of the Brain


  1. Frontal lobe

    1. Helps control skilled muscle movements, mood, planning for the future, setting goals and judging priorities.

  2. Medulla oblongata

    1. Contains centers for the control of vital processes such as heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and swallowing.

  3. Occipital lobe

    1. Helps process visual information

  4. Parietal lobe

    1. Receives and processes information about temperature, taste, touch, and movement coming from the rest of the body.  Reading and arithmetic are also processed in this region.

  5. Pons

    1. Contains centers for the control of vital processes, including respiration and cardiovascular functions.  It also is involved in the coordination of eye movement and balance.

  6. Temporal lobe

    1. Processes hearing, memory and language functions.


  1. The Infant Brain


  1. Facts

    1. A child’s brain is developing from the moment of conception.

      1. Most of the child’s brain cells are produced between the 4th and 7th month of pregnancy.

      2. Increase in weight of the infant’s brain is due to the development of dendrites and axons and connections between neurons and the myelin coverings of the axons, referred to as the neural network.


  1. Neural network

    1. These are synaptic connections between neurons.

    2. The number of connections increases after birth.

    3. Pruning is the removal of excess or weak connections.

      1. At birth, there is some visual ability;

      2. At age 2-3 months there is a rapid synaptic development in the area of the brain responsible for processing visual input;

      3. The area responsible for controlling emotions or making decisions occurs later.

  1. Motor development follows a consistent pattern

    1. Pattern of motor development

      1. From ‘top to bottom’ (cephalocaudal)

        1. Control over the head and eyes (top) occurs before control over the arms and legs (bottom).

      2. From ‘inner to outer’ (proximodistal)

        1. Control over the arms (inner) occurs before control of the hands and fingers (outer)

  2. Sensory Motor System

    1. Describes how the brain processes and controls the motor activities (movement) and sensory experiences.

      1. Sensory experiences and motor experiences are closely intertwined in the brain.   Thus it is important that infants spend time 

        1. developing relationships with other people;

        2. playing and exploring different materials; and

        3. doing activities involving movement.

    2. Myelinisation

      1. The process of developing the myelin sheath which starts before birth, proceeds quickly until about 4 years and is completed in adolescence.

      2. Continues along connections between the area of the brain which controls movement and the area which produces movement which takes until about age 4 years to complete.

        1. Fine motor skills won’t be complete until about 4 years of age.


  1. The Childhood Brain


  1. Assisting the childhood brain development

    1. Between ages 2-5 years, the child’s neural network is still expanding.  The following experiences assist with their brain development:

      1. unstructured exploratory (free) play time

      2. parents should read to the child often

      3. teach them rhyming games and the alphabet

      4. choose ‘high touch’ toys instead of toys with batteries

      5. provide simple toys that encourage imagination

      6. talk to them and ask questions

    2. The brain of the child weighs about 90% of the adult brain by 10 years old.

    3. The brain of the child between 5-12 years is ready to learn how to read, write, calculate, and reason.

    4. The 5-12-year old child has developed more social awareness and a wider awareness of the world around him/her.

    5. Can already know what he/she likes and develops interests in hobbies and sports.

    6. Synapses have reached the maximum number and there is heavy pruning of the weak or rarely used synapses.

    7. Motor skills become refined through play.  

      1. The child improves his/her running, climbing, jumping, skipping, riding a bicycle and playing sports.

      2. Better handwriting skill indicates the development of motor control.


  1. The Adolescent Brain


  1. Significant structural changes in an adolescent’s brain:

    1. There is brain cell thickening.

      1. Massive changes in the synaptic reorganization is completed by 30 years of age.

      2. A brain in this condition can be unstable, unpredictable, and volatile.

    2. Refining of gross and motor skills.

    3. Peak physical motor development is reached between 18-30 years of age.

  2. Chemical changes in the adolescent brain

    1. Melatonin which is associated with sleep regulation is found to at a low level.

      1. Most adolescents will want to go to bed later and get up later.

  3. Four periods of rapid brain development

    1. The first year of life

    2. 7-8 year old

    3. 11-12 years old

    4. 18-19 years old

      1. Exposure to proper stimulation and learning experiences can facilitate a rapid rate of learning


V.  Exceptional Development


  • Exceptional Development

    • Individuals whose physical, sensory, mental or behavioral performance is different from the norm or the average (either lower or higher) 

    • The condition these individuals have require additional services or assistance to meet their special needs


  • Who are the exceptional learners?

  • Those who are gifted

  • Those with physical disabilities

  • Those with sensory impairments

  • Those with mental retardation

  • Those with mental or emotional disorders

  • Those with learning disabilities


  • Impairment or disability

  • Terms used when exceptional development is lower than the norm


  1. Definition of Terms


  1. Giftedness

    1. It is defined in terms of multiple qualities, not all of which is intellectual.  It also includes motivation and creativity. 

  2. Impairment

    1. Describes a part of the body that is missing or not working properly


  1. Disability

    1. The inability to do something because of an impairment

  2. Handicap

    1. How a disability affects the person’s life, which is imposed by society, the environment or the person’s attitude.


  1. Physical Disabilities


  1. Disabilities that cripple

    1. Impairment of the bone and muscles system which affects mobility and manual dexterity difficult and impossible

    2. Impairment of the nerve and muscle systems making mobility awkward and uncoordinated

    3. Deformities or absence of body organs and systems necessary for mobility

  2. Types of physical disability

    1. Genetic or inborn

      1. Cerebral palsy

        1. Difficulty moving and coordinating their body due to brain damage before or during childbirth or during infancy.

      2. Spina Bifida

        1. Malformed or badly formed vertebrae at birth

      3. Muscular Dystrophy

        1. Hereditary weakness and wasting of the skeletal muscles

      4. Spinal Cord injury

b.  Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)

  1. Physical and motor skill disorders not related to brain damage or cerebral palsy.

  2. Manifestations of DCD

    1. Child’s performance of activities requiring motor coordination is below what would be expected for their age.

    2. Child’s academic achievement and daily living activities are disturbed because of developmental delay.

    3. The delay in development is not caused by any known physical disorder.

3. In the general classroom, students who have physical disabilities include

  1. Those who have difficulty holding things or moving their hands or arms, but can walk and talk.

  2. Those who have difficulty walking on one leg or both, but can hold things and talk.

  3. Those who have difficulty moving one arm and one leg; sometimes having difficulty walking.

  4. Those who cannot walk, but can use their arms.  Usually these children can talk.


  1. Sensory Disabilities

  1. Sensory disabilities

    1. Involve the lack of ability to process information through the senses.

  2. Visual Impairment

    1. Describe people who cannot see very well.

    2. Low vision – a person who can see little

    3. Functionally blind – a person who sees very little or nothing at all

    4. Indicators of visual impairment

      1. Holding books either very close or very far from their eyes.

      2. Squinting and rubbing eyes often and saying their eyes are burning or itching.

      3. Reading incorrectly print on the board.

      4. Saying their vision is blurred or sensitive to light.

      5. Holding their heads at an angle.


  • Strategies to help those with VI

    • Encourage student to use the vision he/she may have left, no matter how little

    • Seat the student near the board and next to a helpful classmate

    • Use lots of verbal (or spoken) feedback instead of written comments

    • Include group activities which the child can take part in and develop their listening skills

    • Keep the classroom layout simple and clear of obstructions

    • Give verbal instructions

    • Arrange things in the room consistently so the student knows where to go to find things they need

    • Work with the student so that he/she is able to move around the classroom and school grounds independently

    • Keep chalkboards clean and writing in large bold letters suing yellow chalk instead of white (yellow is much easier to see)

    • Talk to the class facing a bright light source such as a window or door so the students can see you more clearly.



  1. Hearing Impairment


  1. Describe people who cannot hear very well

    1. Hard of hearing – a person who can hear a little

    2. Deaf or Profoundly deaf – a person who only hears very loud sounds and cannot talk clearly

  2. Kinds of deafness

    1. Prelingual

    2. Postlingual


  1. Classification of Hearing Impairment

    1. According to age at onset of deafness

      1. Congenitally deaf

      2. Adventitiously 

    2. According to language development

      1. Prelingually deaf 

      2. Postlingually deaf

    3. According to place of impairment

      1. Conductive hearing loss

      2. Sensory neural hearing loss

      3. Mixed hearing loss

    4. According to degree of hearing loss

      1. Slight 

      2. Mild

      3. Moderate

      4. Severe

      5. profound

  2. Indicators of hearing impairment

    1. Turns one ear towards the speaker

    2. Misunderstands conversation when the speaker’s face is not seen

    3. Unable to follow instructions accurately

    4. Appears to be distracted or confused at times

    5. Asks people to repeat what has been said

    6. Says new words incorrectly

    7. Avoids participation in class discussion

    8. May have frequent earaches, sinus infections, or allergies


  • Strategies to help students with HI

    • Train students to use the limited hearing they have and use lip reading

    • Develop some simple signing skills

    • Gain the child’s attention to look at you before giving instruction or information

    • Use diagrams, pictures and clear demonstration

    • Use visual cues when giving instructions

    • Use technology, like computers



  1. Attention Deficit –Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)


  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

    • Difficulty of a student to maintain attention and engagement on a task because of a limited ability to concentrate.

    • Includes impulsive actions, attention deficits and sometimes hyperactive behaviors

  • Symptoms of ADHD

    • Inattention and/or

    • Excessive restlessness

  • Indicators of ADHD

  • Makes careless mistakes with no close attention to details

  • Has difficulty in sustaining attention in play activities

  • Does not seem to listen when spoken directly

  • Has difficulty organizing tasks and activities

  • Does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace

  • Avoids tasks that require sustained mental effort

  • Loses things that are necessary for tasks or activities

  • Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli

  • Is forgetful of daily activities

  • Impulsivity indicators

    • Blurts out the answer before the question is completed

    • Has difficulty waiting to take their turn

    • Interrupts or intrudes on others in conversations or games without being invited or asked to join in

  • Hyperactivity indicators

    • Fiddles and fidgets with hands or feet or wriggles in seat

    • Leaves seat in classroom or cannot stay seated in other situations when it is expected

    • Runs about or climbs excessively (more than is normal) in situations which are inappropriate

    • Has difficulty playing quietly or engaging in leisure activities quietly

    • Talks excessively (nore than normal)

    • “On the go” or often acts as if “driven by a motor” and cannot stay still



  • Strategies to help students with ADHD

    • Ensure that the student clearly understands the classroom rules and procedures

    • Consider the seating arrangements carefully to prevent distractions and to be close to the teacher

    • Shorten all learning activities

    • Give them few problems or sentences at a time with clear instructions and expectations

    • Fewer pupils per teacher

    • Allow students who are hyperactive to have many opportunities to be active

    • Reward the student for appropriate behavior; avoid punishment or threats for inappropriate behavior

    • Adapt the curriculum for the ADHD student to suit their specific learning needs

    • Establish learning objectives that are SMART

    • Give short, clear, specific direct instructions with extra help with memory strategies and motivation training

    • Teach students to manage their own behaviors



  1. Learning Disabilities


1.  Aphasia


  1. It is a disorder that interferes with speech and language processing.

  2. It is a symptom of brain damage resulting from a brain tumor, infection, head injury or dementia.

  3. Types of aphasia

    1. Expressive aphasia – difficulty in conveying thoughts through speech or writing.

    2. Receptive aphasia – difficulty understanding spoken or written language.

    3. Anomic or amnesia aphasia – difficulty in using the correct names for particular objects, people, places, or events

    4. Global aphasia – results from severe or extensive damage of the language areas of the brain.

      

  1. Implications for teaching

    1. Simplify language by using short, uncomplicated sentences.

    2. Repeat the content words or write down key words to clarify meaning as needed.

    3. Maintain natural conversational manner appropriate for the child.

    4. Minimize distractions, such as loud noises and movement inside the classroom, when possible.

    5. Encourage and praise any type of communication, whether it is speech, gesture or drawing.

    6. Allow the child plenty time to talk.


  1. Dyslexia

    1. It is a type specific learning disability in which a child has difficulty learning to read and understand written language.

    2. Symptoms

      1. Confusion over the direction letters face

      2. Difficulties with left and right

      3. Difficulties in keeping organized

      4. Difficulties in spelling

      5. Difficulties with direction

      6. Missing out words when reading

    3. Implications to Teaching

      1. Teach in direct and structured methods, with lot of teacher guidance.

      2. Alphabetic code should be broken into small units, with extra practice in hearing and manipulating the individual sounds.

      3. Learning activities should use all (or most) of the senses.  This will help students to remember their learning.

      4. The same material needs to be presented many times to enable dyslexic students to learn.

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