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Chapter 4Normal and Exceptional Development


What Is Normal or Typical Development?

• This implies an ongoing process of growing, changing, and acquiring a range of complex skills.

• Beginning in earliest infancy, the process moves along a developmental continuum according to a predictable pattern common to most children of the same age.


What Is Normal or Typical Development? (continued)

• Developmental sequences– Children learn skills in a sequence.– Based on their age, we know what skills the

child should learn next.

• Developmental milestones– This is the order in which the child will learn

the skills from the developmental sequence.



• Infancy– Brain research has greatly improved.– Many studies have been done on early brain

stimulation and the lasting effects.– Infants need caregivers and parents to offer

activities, materials, and communication to enhance brain development.



• Infancy (continued)

– Attachment has begun through the give and take between the caregiver and the child.

– The infant is Piaget’s sensorimotor stage of development.

• Learning through movement and their senses



• Toddlerhood– This lasts from 18 to 36 months of age.– Toilet training may begin.– Independence is sought.– The word “mine” enters the vocabulary.



• Preschool years—ages three to five – Children are developing creativity.– Language is used correctly and understood

by most older people.– Physical skills are greatly improved.– Empathy toward others and sharing are

apparent.



• Primary years– Learning to read is a major milestone for this

group.– Best friends and friendships are important.– Self-care skills are done independently.– Growth is slowed but still continues.


What Is Atypical or Exceptional Development?

• Developmental disabilities– A child is unable to perform like typically

developing peers, but the potential for growth is still present.

• Developmental delay– This exists when a child is performing like a

child who is typically developing of a much younger age.


Children and Developmental Risk

• Biological risks– Birth defects– Chromosomal abnormalities– Heart defects

• Environmental risks– Poverty– Child abuse and neglect


Children and Developmental Risk (continued)

• Resilience and vulnerability– Resilient children take the worst and make the

best out of it.– Vulnerable children do not recover from the

worst and continue in a downward spiral.



• Children with special gifts and talents– Theory of multiple intelligences

• Gardner says there are eight. Everyone has one intelligence that is stronger than the others.

– Gifted and talented children• They may be at risk, due to the lack of funding

provided for these children.



• Characteristics of young gifted and children– Have advanced vocabulary– Learn quickly– Are curious– Find and solve difficult and unusual problems



• Gifted minority children– Gifted programs were originally developed for

white middle-class students.– Assessments tend to be biased.– Economically disadvantaged children tend to

be overlooked.– English as a second language learners are

also not readily identified.



• Children with developmental disabilities who are gifted– Yes, you can have a disability and be gifted at

the same time—sometimes even in the same developmental domain.

– Children with disabilities still need to be considered for gifted programs.

– Identification needs to come from classroom observations, not purely test scores.

Education

Chapter04 allen7e