CHAPTER 5: TYPICAL AND ATYPICAL DEVELOPMENT AMONG CHILDREN

OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the chapter you will be able

• identify typical and atypical milestones in the various stages of child development, and
• differentiate typical and atypical development of children in various stages of their development.

I. CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND ITS IMPORTANCE

To ensure that a child meets' his/her developmental milestones, it is crucial to observe and monitor
his/her development. The milestones or developmental skills that need to be mastered usually at the same rate
act as a guide for ideal development. It is done by checking the progress of a child based on his or her age to see
if the child is developing within expectations. For others, checking the milestones can help detect any difficulties
at a particular stage. Intervention can then be given which can help in the development of a child. Usually, it is
the parents, teachers, and paediatricians who use the checklists.

II. CHILD DEVELOPMENT THEORIES

During the early 20th century, interest in child development began, specifically, that which focused on

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detecting abnormalities. Certain theories were discovered based on this interest to appreciate the growth that
children experience from birth to adolescence.

A. PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT THEORY OF ERIK ERIKSON

This is an eight-stage theory that describes the changes goes through in a lifetime. The main focus of
Erikson's theory is the conflicts or crises on experiences through social interaction. Starting from birth, each
person is faced with a conflict that needs to be resolved since it has an impact on the function of the succeeding
stages. If one successfully overcomes the crisis of each stage, a psychological virtue emerges.

Figure 5.1. Stages of Psychosocial Development

B. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY OF JEAN PIAGET

This theory is concerned with the thought processes of a person and how they are used to understand
and interact with the environment. Piaget's theory on children’s Intellectual development and has four stages.

A. Sensorimotor Stage - From birth to of two years old, a child’s knowledge is limited to his or
her use of the senses.
B. Preoperational Stage - From two to six years old, a child learns through the use of the
language. However, mental manipulation of information does
not take place yet.

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 C. Concrete Operational Stage - From 7 to 11 years old, a child begins to think logically and have
better understanding of mental operations. However
abstract concepts are still difficult to understand.
D. Formal Operational Stage - From 12 years old to adulthood, a person has the ability to think
in abstract concepts.

C. SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY OF LEV VYGOTSKY

This theory believes that actively through hands-on experiences. Vygotsky highlights the importance
other people such as parents, caregivers, and peers in the development of children. Culture plays an integral
role as well. Interaction with others allows learning to be integrated in the child's understanding of the world.
Also included in the theory is the zone of proximal development which is the portion in between what one can
do on his or her own and with help. Children best learn when are in this zone.

D. SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY OF ALBERT BANDURA

This theory believes that learning takes place through observation and modelling. As a child observes

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the actions of the people in his or her environment, new information is acquired and new skills are developed.

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III. TYPICAL AND ATYPICAL DEVELOPMENT

The development of a child usually follows a predictable pattern. There are certain skills and abilities
that are observed to gauge a child's development are called developmental milestones. Examples of these are
sitting, babbling, and following directions. However, each child is unique. With this not all reach a milestone at
the same time, thus the terms typical and atypical development. Let us define the two terms first before we
look further into what makes a child's development typical and atypical.

The term typical development refers to the normal progression where children grow by acquiring
knowledge, skills, and behavior called developmental milestones at a certain time frame.

Atypical development is a term used when development does not follow the normal course. More so, a
child is developing atypically when he/she reaches a milestone earlier or later than other children his/her age.

There is no clear way to identify if a child is developing typically or atypically. However, there are three
commonly accepted principles of child development that one should look into. The principles are as follows:
1. Rate of development differs among children
2. Development occurs in a relatively orderly process
3. Development takes place gradually

IV. DOMAINS OF DEVELOPMENT

The developmental milestones are categorized into four domains namely, physical, social and emotional,
language and cognitive.

The physical domain refers to the development of physical changes such as size and strength. The
development occurs in both gross and fine motor skills. The development of the senses and their uses are also
part of the physical domain which is influenced by illness and nutrition.

A child's experience, expression, and management of emotions along with the ability to establish
positive relationships with others refer to the social-emotional domain. This includes both the intrapersonal and
interpersonal processes that take place in a child.

The language domain refers to the process acquiring language in a consistent order without the need for
explicit teaching from the environment.

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 Construction of thought process which Include remembering, problem solving, and decision making
refers to the domain.

V. STAGES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Stages, along with age are used as ranges to mark significant periods in a human development timeline.
In each stage, growth and development occur in the four domains mentioned above.

The stages are as follows:

A. Infancy (birth to 2 years)
B. Early Childhood (3 to 8 years)
C. Middle Childhood (9 to 11 years)
D. Adolescence (12 to 18 years)

Infancy (birth to 2 years) is a critical stage in child development because growth is rapid. Many believe
that this stage is the most important stage in one's life since the changes that occur in infancy will affect the
later stages of development. This stage is also known as the building block for the succeeding stages in the
attainment of crucial knowledge, skills and behaviors. Let us look at the chart below to see the typical and

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atypical developmental milestones in the infancy stage.

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DOMAINS
was Table 5.1. Typical and atypical development during infancy
TYPICAL ATYPICAL
PHYSICAL • Holds head without support • Does not hold head up
• Pushes legs down when feet • Does not put weight on legs
are on flat surface • Cannot sit without support
• Rolls over • Does not walk steadily
• Sits without support
• Crawls
• Walks
• Begins to run
SOCIO-EMOTIONAL • Smiles at people • Does not smile
• Likes to play • Shows no affection
• Shy or afraid of strangers • Does not recognize
• Cries when a caregiver leaves familiar people
• Copies other
• Show independence
LANGUAGE • Makes cooing and • Does not coo and babble
babbling sounds • Does not say a single word
• Responds to own name • Does not speak in sentences
• Makes different sounds
• Responds to simple requests
• Tries to say words
• Says sentences
COGNITIVE • Watches things as they move • Does not watch things as
• Uses eyes and hands together they move
• Recognizes people at distance • Does not know what to do
• Transfers object from one with common objects
hand to another
• Explores things in various ways
• Uses things correctly (eats
with spoon)
• Finds hidden things

Early Childhood (3 to 8 years old) is a period of life with slow growth and rapid development. Most
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psychologists label this stage as the exploratory and questioning stage since the children enjoy discovering new

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 things in their surroundings. Interactions with family and the people around them will help shape their
development (see Table 5.2).

Table 5.2. Typical and atypical development during early childhood

DOMAINS TYPICAL ATYPICAL
PHYSICAL • Runs well • Falls down often
• Climbs easily • Needs help in physical activities
• Hops and stands on one foot
• Can use toilet on his/her own
SOCIO-EMOTIONAL • Shows affection • Does not want to play
• Takes turn in games with others
• Cooperates with other children • Usually withdrawn
• Shows concern and sympathy
• Shows more independence
LANGUAGE • Follows two to three • Has unclear speech
step instructions • Can’t tell stories articulately
• Uses pronouns
• Tells and retell stories
• Speaks clearly

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COGNITIVE Plays make believe • Does not play with simple

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•
• Works with simple toys toys or make-believe
• Names colors and numbers • Loses skills once had
• Draws a person
• Names letters
• Shows development of mental
skills

Middle Childhood (9 to 11 years) is a stage that brings various changes in a child's life. Independence is
a characteristic that children in this stage assert. Developing friendships is another milestone that is evident in
this stage. Children should be given more tasks to develop their sense of responsibility to further develop their
growing independence.

Table 5.3. Typical and atypical development during middle childhood

DOMAINS TYPICAL ATYPICAL
PHYSICAL • Growth spurt may take place • Has limited mobility
• Becomes clumsy
• Increased in appetite
SOCIO-EMOTIONAL • Forms stronger friendships • Has difficulty making and
• Becomes aware of body keeping friends
changes due to puberty
• Shows more concern about looks
• May feel stressed about
school work

LANGUAGE • Continues to speak clearly • Has unclear speech

• Expresses one’s thought • Can’t tell stories articulately
articulately

COGNITIVE • Increased attention span • Experiences problems with

• Sees the view of other comprehension and attention
people more clearly • Unable to keep up with the
school’s curiculum

Adolescence (12 to 18 years) is the period where puberty begins. By the end of this stage, most will have
c o m p l e t e d p u b er t y . T h e c h il d i s n o w c a l l e d a t e e n d u r i n g
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 his/her opinions due to the development of a unique personality. Peer pressure, however, will be present,
which is why guidance from parents and guardians is very much needed.

Table 5.4. Typical and atypical development during adolescence

DOMAINS TYPICAL ATYPICAL
PHYSICAL • Reaches adult weight and height • Limited mobility

SOCIO-EMOTIONAL • Becomes interested in • Has limited peer connections

opposite sex • May exhibit inappropriate
• Begins conflict with parents behaviour in public
• Shows more independence
from parents

LANGUAGE • Continues to speak clearly • Has unclear speech

• Expresses one’s thought • Can’t tell stories articulately
articulately

COGNITIVE • Acquires and uses defined • Is below grade level

work habits

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• Shows concern about the future

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Behaviors that are atypical should be observed keenly and recorded carefully. At times, the recorded
observations might just be isolated events with no significant impact on later development. However, they might
also be early warning signs of needs. The observed patterns will be useful to confirm if there is such a need.

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