2

1. Introduction

2. Fact or Fiction?

3. A Healthy Time

4. Brain Development

5. Children with Special Needs

6. Closing Thoughts

Introduction

3

[Video: Middle Childhood Physical Development Introduction]

Fact or Fiction? Fiction Fact

1. The best way to get children to lose weight is to increase their physical activity.

2. Intellectual potential does not change over the life span.

3. The crucial factor in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is neurological, a brain deficit that results in great difficulty in sustaining concentration.

4. The diagnosis of a child with special needs depends on the child’s social context.

Physical Development

4

40-44

45-49

Number of deaths, per

1,000 individuals

Number of deaths,

per 1,000 individuals

U.S. Annual Death Rates

Age (years)

Age (years)1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

0

.20

.50

1.00

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80+

Size and Shape

middle childhood: The period between early childhood and adolescence, approximately ages 6 to 11.

Compared to other ages, how hardy are children ages 6 to 11?

5

The Benefits and Hazards of Physical Activity During Middle Childhood

Physical Activity

Loss of self-esteem as a result of criticism from teammates or classmates

Injuries

Reinforcement of prejudices (especially against the other sex)

Increased stress

Better overall healthLess obesity Appreciation of cooperation and fair playImproved problem-solving abilitiesRespect for teammates and opponents of many ethnicities and nationalities

Benefits Hazards

6

Physical Activity

7

[Video: A Journey Through Middle Childhood]

Children’s Exposure to TV Commercials by Food Category, Selected Countries

Number of commercial

s per 20 hours of

children’s programmi

ng

Breakfast cereals

Sweets

Fast-food restaurants

Australia Denmark France Germany Greece United Kingdom

United States

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Source: Lobstein & Dibb, 2005

Food Marketing Pressure

obesity: In a child, having a BMI above the 95th percentile.

overweight: In a child, having a BMI above the 85th percentile.BMI (body mass index): A person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters.What kinds of TV commercials by food categories do children watch?

8

Childhood Obesity

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[Video: Childhood Obesity: Experts on Overweight Children]

Advances in Brain Functionreaction 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). How does reaction time change from early to middle childhood?

Ah...

Yeah!

10

Advances in Brain Function

11

[Video: Brain Development Animation: The Process of Myelination]

Measuring the Mind

What is a theoretical distribution of IQ scores?

aptitude: The potential to master a specific skill or to learn a certain body of knowledge.

IQ test: A test designed to measure intellectual aptitude, or ability to learn in school.

Theoretical Distribution of IQ Scores

40 55 70 85 100 115 130 145 160

Moderate to severe retardatio

n

Mild retardation

Slow learner

Superior

Gifted

Genius

Average

0.14% 2.13

%

13.6%

68.26%

13.6% 2.13

%

0.14%

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Measuring the Mind

13

[Video: A Journey Through Middle Childhood: Clip C]

Developmental PsychopathologyFour Principles about Developmental Psychopathology

Abnormality is normal

Life may be better or worse

in adulthoodDiagnosis

and treatment reflect the

social context

Disability changes year by

year

developmental psychopathology: The field that uses insights into typical development to understand and remediate developmental disorders, and vice versa.

Developmental Psychopathology

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Developmental PsychopathologyWhat are some disorders that school-age children

experience?

dyslexia: Unusual difficulty with reading; thought to be the result of some neurological underdevelopment.

ADHD (attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder): 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.

autistic spectrum disorder: Any of several disorders characterized by inadequate social skills, impaired communications, and unusual play.

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Proportion of children with Special Education Needs by Specific Designation* (percent of children)

Learning disabilities

Speech impairment

Mentally retarded

Developmental delay

Autism spectrum disorder

Emotionally disturbed

Deafness and hearing loss

Blindness and low vision

Orthopedic handicap

Other health problems***

2007

39 (5.2)

22 (3.0)

7.6 (1.0)

5.4 (0.7)

4.5 (0.6)

6.7 (0.9)

1.2 (0.2)

0.4 (0.1)

1.0 (0.1)

9.7 (1.3)

1997

46 (5.9)

17 (2.3)

10.0 (1.3)

—

0.7 (0.1

7.7 (1.0)

1.2 (0.2)

0.4 (0.1)

1.2 (0.1)

3.2 (0.5)

1977

21.5 (1.8**)

35.2 (2.9)

28 (2.2)

—

—

7.7 (0.6)

2.4 (0.2)

1 (0.1)

2.4 (0.2)

2.8 (0.3)

Educating Children with Special Needs

*Based on evaluation by U.S. public school professionals. **Numbers in parentheses are percentages of all public school children. ***Limited strength, vitality, or alertness due to chronic health problems, such as asthma, sickle-cell anemia, and diabetes. Source: Snyder & Dillow (2010)

What kinds of special education needs does the United States address?

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How do bodies change during this middle

childhood, and what problems can develop in

how those bodies function?

Closing Thoughts

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