Developmental Assessment: Theory, practice and application to neurodisability

This book presents a new approach to the developmental assessment of preschool children that can be applied to both typical children and those with disabilities. It shifts away from vaguely defined 'milestones' to what the author calls 'thinking developmentally', i.e. consideration of the developmental content of spontaneous behaviour, test items and test responses. While traditional tests are retained in this approach, the rationale behind what is being tested is carefully explained. The reader is taught how to confirm whether or not development is typical and if it is not, is signposted to the likely nature and severity of impairments and a plan of action. The author uses numerous case vignettes from her 40 years' experience to to bring to life her approach with clear summary Key points' and helpful illustrations. This volume is designed to be of use not only to paediatricians but to numerous other disciplines at every level of experience in the care of children from 0 to 5 years.

Contents:

About the Author vii

Foreword viii

Preface x

Acknowledgements xiii

Introduction 1

1 A developmental approach to the examination of preschool children:

thinking developmentally 9

2 Practicalities 23

3 Vision 41

4 Hearing (Illustrations by Lorna Welsh) 75

5 Social cognition 113

6 Non-symbolic cognition 137

vi

7 Non-spoken symbolic development and imaginative play 175

8 Spoken language 187

9 Gross motor development (Illustrations by Blanche Stiff) 215

10 Upper limb development 247

11 Speech sound production: articulation and phonological processing 271

12 Gathering domain assessments into a comprehensive whole 285

13 Preliminary assessment of children with developmental delays

and disorders and with severe single or multiple impairments 317

14 Developmental guidance (Illustrations by Blanche Stiff) 343

Index

Dettagli