Children develop at
their own pace with
particular strengths and
weaknesses - Typical
and atypical
development are
mutually informative. -
Requires through
understanding of
normal development
- Typical development:
orderly and predictable -
Normal development
milestones at different
ages - Provides a backdrop
for evaluating atypical
Determining Atypical Development: Deviating
from the Norm
Equifinity: two people showing the
same symptoms, but may have
developed from different sources
(different pathway; same destination)
Multifinality: two people can have similar
risk factors but very different outcomes
(same pathway, different destination)
- Behaviors fall outside of
normal or expected range of
development. - Progress
compared to same-aged peers =
lagging behind or reaching
milestones earlier. - Need to be
aware of normal variations.
- Degree of deviation defines
degree of maladaptive
behavior
Evaluating Typical vs. Atypical
Discrepancies from the norm in four
areas: deviance, dysfunction, distress,
danger
Delayed vs. Disordered
MUST BE DISTINGUISHED
Delayed: Slow in emerging,
Disordered: Different in quality,
form and function
Examples of Atypical Development (3-4 months) -
Lack of responsiveness to loud noises - Absence of
facial recognition - Absence of Babbling - Inability to
grasp objects - Unable to track movement with eyes
-Incapable of holding head up alone - Incapable of
bearing weight when feet are placed against firm
surface
Examples of Atypical
Development (15 months to 2
years) - Lack of understanding
of the use of everyday items -
Inability to walk by the age of
18 months - A vocabulary of
less than approx. 15 words by
18 months - Consistent use of
"tip-toes" for walking after
several months - Inability to
communicate with two-word
sentences by age 2 - Lack of
responsiveness to verbal
instruction by aged 2 - Inability
to push/pull by aged 2
Examples of Atypical Development (3-5 years) -
Lack of awareness of self as a separate person
from parents - Excessive fear of being
abandoned or lack of attachment - Lack of
empathy/ concern for others feelings - Extreem
levels of hyperactivity and inability of focus
-Little or no remorse for wrong-doing - Verbal
communication that makes little/no sense -
Inappropriate show of emotion (laughing when
sad ect)
Effects of Atypical Development
Physical: 'failure to thrive', gross and fine
motor skills development. Cognitive: Raw
mental ability, inability to focus. Social:
Friendships, bonding with adult role models
Adaptive: Independent functioning.
Behavioral: can be used to form
communications; temper, anger
Reliability & Validity
Reliability: If different clinicians
diagnose the same person, that
person should always be classified
the same way
Validity: Etiological, predictive,
construct
Biological: - Brain anatomy and
structural abnormalities - Neurons,
neurotransmitters and chemical
imbalance - Temperament/ behavioral
inhibition - Genetics and heritability
Nature vs. Nurture = NO,
Nature VIA Nurture = YES
Biological: Interventions Drug therapies: -
Agonists: increase action of neurotransmitters -
Antagonists: inhibit action of neurotransmitter *
can cause withdrawal, tolerance and side effects
For adults - Electroconvulsive therapy -
Psychosurgery (rare and banned in some
countries)
Behavioral: Interventions If behavior is learnt
then surely it can be 'unlearned' - Principles of
operant conditioning in treatment - Systematic
desensitisation - Flooding * many can't
remember a conditioning incident * Phobias:
many common phobias are to stimuli rarely
encountered, they tend to run in families
Cognitive: - Biased thought
processes lead to maladaptive
behavior - Piaget: limitations in
reasoning at some stages of
development result in faulty logic
and inaccurate assumptions -
Social cognition: Elkind (personal
fables), Bandura (Recipocity)
Cognitive: Interventions -
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) -
Focus on the 'here and now' -
Recognising, understanding and
changing dysfunctional thoughts,
emotions and behaviouts - 'Unlearn'
patters by creating new experiences
- Cognitive restructuring (adapted
based on age): challenging cognitive
distortions, identify key fearful
thoughts or beliefs that trigger
those thoughts, rehearsal, thought
records
Psycho-Dynamic:
Freud: - Conflict
between unconscious
desires and conscious
behaviors/actions - Id,
Ego & Superego -
Fixations in
psychosexual stages -
Defence mechanisms
Erikson: - Psychosocial
stages
Psychodynamic: Interventions
Freudian Psychoanalysis: - Hypnosis -
Free association (Freudian slip) -
Interpretation of dreams -
Transference
Attachment/ Parenting
Familial - family unit:
boundaries, roles, rules,
hierarchy, climate,
equilibrium. Interventions
based on CBT