Children With Learning And Developmental Disorders

Learning, as defined by Slavin (2012), is “a change in an individual caused by experience” (p. 116). Learning can occur intentionally or unintentionally. All learning, however, is stimulated by something that is the learner (student) has encountered. As an instructor, your goal every day is to use the right stimuli to capture the student’s attention so they can absorb the knowledge you are trying to share.

4. What part do "thinking skills" play in the assessment of a baby's development process and the conclusion that the baby is developmentally delayed?

When addressing the needs of clients in the social work field, implementing interventions that are evidence-based can ensure the most effective outcomes. As social workers serve a wide range of populations, there are multiple evidence based interventions used for these different populations and their specific needs. Reciprocal Imitation Training has shown to be a successful and effectual intervention that addresses the needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Supported by several professional research studies, this evidence-based training could be a beneficial intervention for social workers serving this specific population.

Parron and colleagues conducted a study where children with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) were asked to recognise biological motion through the use of PLDs (point light displays). They aimed to find whether high functioning children with autism showed the same specific problem with perceiving emotional material in PLDs in comparison to typically developing children. Secondly, they wanted to explore the degree performance on these tasks and whether it is comparable to high functioning adults with ASD. The use of PLDs depicted different motions depending on the four conditions which included, a person’s actions, subjective states, emotional condition and everyday objects. Participants were asked to describe the PLD as accurately as

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders need to learn the academic and social skills that will prepare them for future jobs, just as typically developing students do. The term “Autism Spectrum Disorders,” or ASD, refers to a group of disorders with specific characteristics including deficits with communication and socialization, repetitive behaviors, and limited or restricted interests. As much as possible, students with this disorder are typically mainstreamed, or included in, general education classes to improve their social behaviors and communication. Mainstreaming students with autism has positive benefits for their peers as well. Depending on the severity, students may also benefit academically from inclusion. However, since

The constructivist learning theory of cooperative learning, children are not passive learners (Tan, 2015). They should learn new things that build upon old knowledge and their learning should be actively reinforced (Tan, 2015). Learning should incorporate a student centred approach which should be monitored by the professional. The teacher should promote students learning and organise groups sufficiently (Tan, 2015).

An Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological condition that effects social interactions and communication. The Autism Spectrum Disorder is present starting in the early childhood years. In earlier years Bettleheim thought autism spectrum disorder was acquired by a “psychiatric response to an unsupportive and deprived environment” (Hunt, pg. 305). The current understanding about how autism spectrum disorder is acquired is that the child’s brain poses neurological differences and starts before birth in the embryonic development of the child. Autism Spectrum Disorder can be acquired genetically and is acquired at birth but can not be confidently diagnosed until around the age of two. This is because children with autism do not have any physical characteristics. At age two children begin to interact with others and start to work on their communication skills and that is why the warning sign that the child could possibly be on the spectrum is around that age. A child with autism spectrum disorder is affected developmentally and educationally. Development and education go hand in hand and since children with autism have delays with communication and the use of language, they often have a difficult time in the classroom. It is important for early intervention to start with the child as soon as the child is diagnosed with autism.

The following directive was developed as part of ongoing individual art therapy for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) attending a Jewish culture school. Students at the school range between three and eleven, and are classified as being either pre-school aged or school aged. Students are separated in their classes, based on level of functioning, as well as age. Each student has an individualized education plan (IEP) that specifies any extra therapies they receive, including occupational, speech, and physical therapy. Art therapy is not included on the IEP, but is available to all students. These therapies are used in tandem with a full day of Applied Behavioral Therapy (ABA). The students participate in group art therapy once a week in their classrooms. All students over the age of five, within the school-aged group, have individual art therapy sessions at least once a week. There are some students who are seen twice a week if approved by the head art therapist.

Constructivist theory states that people learn by adding new experiences to their knowledge, by applying what they already know elsewhere as well as trying out and testing new things. For Piaget, learning is motivated by a desire to have equilibrium, a balance of what is known and what is experienced. As an individual tries new things and takes in new information, they must either assimilate the new information into their current constructs or, if the information does not fit neatly into their current, the constructs themselves must make accommodations for the new information. While Piaget examined learning on a cognitive level, Vygotsky took a social approach, where people learn things based on their experiences with others. More specifically, the others are people who are more skilled than the individual. Vygotsky called the place where an individual cannot do something on their own but they can do it with help, the zone of proximal development. A teacher would work with the learner in this area to support their learning without doing the whole thing for

Implementing developmental concepts and theories in a classroom can increase student achievement. Success within a classroom starts with the success of a teacher. According to Barbara Blake and Tambra Pope, “teacher must develop a better understanding of their students’ cognitive development, which will lead to the needs of the whole child being satisfied.” (Blake B. & Pope T., 2008). Educators must comprehend how an individual’s mind processes information from thinking to perceiving to remembering to learning. Grasping the comprehension of a student’s mental process and constructing suitable lessons, “using developmental instructional techniques, teachers have been able to increase the test scores of children in public schools.” (Blake B.

Teaching Kids with Learning Difficulties in Today’s Classroom was a very interesting and easy read. The book offered a multitude of strategies when working with both those with learning difficulties and English Language Learners. I will keep this book on my resource shelf as well as offering and sharing it with my colleagues.

Learning is a multifaceted perception unique to each individual. In looking to address the intricacies of learning, there have been a multitude of learning theories established over the centuries. To this day new theories are developed and traditional theories continue to be developed and expanded upon. (Swinburne Online, 2016)

Learning is on a continuum that does not stop but constantly changes and develops for both teachers and students. Learning is more than memorizing facts; it is about

For this assignment, I will be studying social learning theory. Social learning theory was first proposed by Albert Bandura. It is a theory that "emphasizes the importance of observing and modeling the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others," ("Social Learning Theory," n.d.). There are three main hypotheses of social learning theory. First, the theory assumes that people can learn by observing others (Cherry, n.d.). Second, social learning theory builds on behaviorism by suggesting that intrinsic rewards can help a person learn or modify behavior. However, observation alone does not lead to a change in behavior. There are four main steps involved in whether the individual can learn based on observation. Those four steps include attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation (Cherry, n.d.). Social learning theory implies that cognitive processes (thought patterns) and environmental cues (the behavior of others that may be modeled) are important for learning.

Each classroom is composed of a unique and diverse group of learners that have different abilities in the way they learn. Models of learning and various theoretical frameworks provide a “blueprint” to help teachers understand different theories across disciplines. Knowledge is everywhere and providing children with the proper tools on how to learn is essential in education. I believe that if I create a learning environment that allows children to grow socially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically it will allow students a path to help meet their full potential as an individual. A few of the theoretical frameworks and theorists I have found most useful in my teaching experience and that have helped me developed my philosophy include Lev Vygotsky, John Dewey and Howard Gardner.