Atypical development can occur in motor skills, social/emotional development, cognitive abilities, or language. It requires therapy and assistance to help the child reach their full potential. There are biological and environmental risk factors for atypical development such as genetic conditions, injuries, pollution, abuse, or poverty. Teachers can use developmental milestones and sequences to identify skills requiring extra support and make appropriate referrals to services to aid children's development.

1. Atypical Development: Risk Factors and Resources By: Jennifer Flaherty (Miner) Chil. 165

2. Atypical development does not follow the normal sequential order of development and requires assistance and therapy to help a child reach full potential. There are 4 main areas of development in which a child may have atypical development: Motor Skills Social/emotional Cognitive Language

3. Atypical Motor Development May be mild, moderate, or severe. May include: Muscle tone-hypotonicity (weak or flacid) or hypertonia (spasms or rigid tone) Muscle control-uncoordinated or involuntary movement Muscle strength-either permanent or progressive Includes skills such as head control, posture, balance, fine motor skills (such as writing or eating) Can be caused by trauma or a degenerative disease. Specific examples include: Spina Bifida; Cerebral Palsy; Paralysis; or Autism

4. Atypical motor development is not something that limits a child, but simply means that we as educators need to adapt ways to help them feel successful at all tasks.

5. Atypical Social Development Includes Communication, Attachments, and Feelings Can produce a difficulty in relating and communicating with others Makes manages their own feelings and understanding the feelings of others harder to manage Creates untrusting attachments. Studies show early positive experiences help a child build stronger attachments early on. Allows children to find pleasure in activities and relationships with others. Specific examples include: Autism; AD/HD; Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)

6. Social skills do not come naturally to all children. As teachers and parents we must role-model appropriate behavior. This includes giving a child words to use and allowing a child to feel included in all activities provided.

7. Atypical Cognitive Development The cognitive process allows a child to mentally reason and come to conclusions about how to solve problems and remembering stored knowledge. Three important aspects include: attention, perception, and memory. .

8. Cognitive development includes the ability to extend play with others and use trial and error to practice newly acquired information. Attention: Allows a child to work through a task without distraction or giving up. Perception: Relies greatly on the senses to perceive and interpret information to use in completing tasks. Memory: Allows children to recall what they already know and build on it to gain new skill levels

9. Atypical Language Development Involves 3 parts of development: Form: Order and form (syntactic and morphological structure) and Phenome and sound sequence (the phonological form) Content: The amount of vocabulary and meaning of it. Function: The way language is used.

10. Indicators of Atypical Language Development Regression of language Little response to conversation Speech that is difficult to understand. Structural Abnormalities such as cleft palate or other deformities.

11. An atypical language development diagnosis includes disorders and conditions such as: Autism Retardation Stuttering Cleft lip/palate (Hypernasality) Visual Disablities Hearing loss Cerebral Palsey

12. REMEMBER: Communication is not about getting a child to talk, but having them feel validated and acknowledged!

13. Developmental Sequences and Milestones Developmental milestones are the stepping stones in a series of activities that follow each other to make up the developmental sequence. Developmental sequence is the order and structure that changes during growth and development Bike Riding: Push bike with feet. Push bike with feet, lifting feet off the ground to keep balance Pedal bike in straight line Pedal bike around turns Pedal bike around turns and obstacles.

14. Using It In The Classroom Teachers can use these milestones and sequences to note any behaviors or skills that are not being attained. While every child does not mark every milestone, they all follow the same general sequence. Parents, educators and doctors can then make it easier to note skills that require extra care.

16. Acquired later in life (learning disabilities or injury)

17. From teratogenic effects such as alchohol or drug use. Many times from a lapse in prenatal care

19. From abuse or maltreatment (failure to thrive, shaken baby syndrome)

20. From diet or disease (diabetes, obesity)

22. Support Services HRSA-Health and human services-helps with screenings, family roles, and insurance coverage. www.hhs.gov First 5-Channels to 3 audiences: Parent, Child, Educator. Offers supportive programs and services referrals to California, with chapters located in major cities. www.ccfc.ca.gov

23. Support Services Cont. Online Resources: www.ciccparenting.org -lists how doctors get a diagnosis and the methods used. Offers a listing of professionals and agencies including training programs for kids. The discovery tool allows for parents or teachers to answer a series of questions if they are worried their child may need care. www.ldonline.org – Typically for those with learning disabilities, but a good tool to use in finding resources and more information.

24. There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million. ~Walt Streightiff