my view decorative banner decorative psi symbol

  Site
Gateway

decorative star graphic

Top of Page

 

Links:      •  Self Test
                •  Print Ready Version
                 •  Chapter Index

decorative graphic

decorative star graphic  The School Years
Biosocial Development
- Developmental Psychopathology -

decorative graphic


Ψ  Developmental psychopathology is a field of psychology that applies the insight from studies of normal development to the study and treatment of childhood disorders

Ψ  A child with special needs: A child for whom learning new skills & developing friendships are hampered by a psychological or physical disorder.

Ψ  The four lessons that developmental psychopathology has provided are:

note  Abnormality is normal - Most children sometimes act in unusual ways & most children with disorders are, in general, quite normal.

note  Disability changes over time - "discontinuity in disorders from childhood to adulthood" is typical (Silk et al., 2000, p 728)

note  Adolescence & adulthood may be better or worse - Outcomes seem to be based on type of childhood disorder.

note  Diagnosis depends on social context - The DSM-IV-R recognizes that the "nuances of an individual's frame of reference" need to be understood before any disorder can be accurately diagnosed (APA, 2000, p. xxxiv).

Ψ  A Guide:

•  Use the DSM-IV, the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, developed by the American Psychiatric Association, which describes & distinguishes the symptoms of various emotional & behavioral disorders.


Growth & Development
Robert C. Gates
 
decorative psi symbol