1. The document discusses biosocial development during middle childhood from ages 6 to 11. It covers physical, cognitive, and social-emotional changes that occur during this period. 2. Key developments include improvements in brain function like reaction time, body changes like decreasing obesity rates, and greater risks for issues like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. 3. Children may experience a variety of special education needs, with learning disabilities being the most common designation in the United States. The document examines developmental psychopathology and educating children with special needs.

1. PART IV: Middle Childhood
TOPIC II: Biosocial Development

2. 2
1. Introduction
2. Fact or Fiction?
3. A Healthy Time
4. Brain Development
5. Children with Special Needs
6. Closing Thoughts
PART IV: MIDDLE CHILDHOOD
TOPIC 11: Biosocial Development

3. Fact or Fiction? Fiction Fact
1. The best way to get children to lose weight
is to increase their physical activity.
2. Intellectual potential does not change over
the life span.
3. The crucial factor in attention deficit/hyperactivity
disorder is neurological, a brain deficit that results in
great difficulty in sustaining concentration.
4. The diagnosis of a child with special needs
depends on the child’s social context.
Physical Development
3
PART IV: Middle Childhood
TOPIC 11: Biosocial Development

4. 40-
44
45-
49
Number of
deaths, per
1,000
individuals
Number of
deaths, per
1,000
individuals
U.S. Annual Death Rates
Age (years)
Age (years)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
0
.20
.50
1.00
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
5-9 10-
14
15-
19
20-
24
25-
29
30-
34
35-
39
50-
54
55-
59
60-
64
65-
69
70-
74
75-
79
80+
Size and Shape
middle childhood: The period between
early childhood and adolescence,
approximately ages 6 to 11.
Compared to other ages, how hardy are children ages 6 to 11?
4
PART IV: Middle Childhood
TOPIC 11: Biosocial Development

5. The Benefits and Hazards of Physical Activity During Middle Childhood
Physical Activity
Loss of self-esteem as a result of
criticism from teammates or classmates
Injuries
Reinforcement of prejudices (especially
against the other sex)
Increased stress
Better overall health
Less obesity
Appreciation of cooperation and fair play
Improved problem-solving abilities
Respect for teammates and opponents
of many ethnicities and nationalities
5Photo credits: moodboard/SuperStock
PART IV: Middle Childhood
TOPIC 11: Biosocial Development

6. Children’s Exposure to TV Commercials by Food Category, Selected Countries
Number of
commercials
per 20 hours
of children’s
programming
Breakfast cereals
Sweets
Fast-food restaurants
Australia Denmark France Germany Greece United
Kingdom
United
States
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Source: Lobstein & Dibb, 2005
Food Marketing Pressure
obesity: In a child, having a BMI above the 95th percentile.
overweight: In a child, having a BMI above the 85th percentile.
BMI (body mass index): A person’s weight in kilograms divided
by the square of height in meters.
What kinds of TV commercials by food categories do children watch?
6
PART IV: Middle Childhood
TOPIC 11: Biosocial Development

7. Advances in Brain Function
reaction time: The time it takes to respond to a stimulus,
either physically (with a reflexive movement such as an
eye blink) or cognitively (with a thought).
How does reaction time change from early
to middle childhood?
Ah...
Yeah!
7
PART IV: Middle Childhood
TOPIC 11: Biosocial Development

8. Advances in Brain Function
8
Video:
Brain Development Animation:
The Process of Myelination
PART IV: Middle Childhood
TOPIC 11: Biosocial Development

9. Measuring the Mind
What is a theoretical distribution of IQ scores?
aptitude: The potential to master a specific skill
or to learn a certain body of knowledge.
IQ test: A test designed to measure intellectual
aptitude, or ability to learn in school.
Theoretical Distribution of IQ Scores
40 55 70 85 100 115 130 145 160
Moderate
to severe
retardation
Mild retardation
Slow learner Superior
Gifted
Genius
Average
0.14%
2.13%
13.6%
68.26%
13.6%
2.13%
0.14%
9
PART IV: Middle Childhood
TOPIC 11: Biosocial Development

10. Developmental Psychopathology
Four Principles about Developmental Psychopathology
Abnormality
is normal
Life may be
better or worse
in adulthood
Diagnosis
and treatment
reflect the
social context
Disability changes
year by year
developmental psychopathology: The field that uses insights into typical
development to understand and remediate developmental disorders, and vice versa.
Developmental
Psychopathology
10
Westend61GmbH/Alamy
PART IV: Middle Childhood
TOPIC 11: Biosocial Development

11. Developmental Psychopathology
What are some disorders that school-age children experience?
dyslexia: Unusual difficulty
with reading; thought to
be the result of some
neurological
underdevelopment.
ADHD (attention-deficit/
hyperactivity disorder):
A condition in which a
person not only has great
difficulty concentrating
for more than a few
moments but also is
inattentive, impulsive,
and overactive.
autistic spectrum
disorder: Any of several
disorders characterized by
inadequate social skills,
impaired communications,
and unusual play.
11
PART IV: Middle Childhood
TOPIC 11: Biosocial Development

12. Developmental Psychopathology
12
Video:
Autism Spectrum Disorder
PART IV: Middle Childhood
TOPIC 11: Biosocial Development

13. Developmental Psychopathology
13
Video:
Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Different Pattern
PART IV: Middle Childhood
TOPIC 11: Biosocial Development

14. Developmental Psychopathology
14
Video:
Reading and Reading Disorders: Specific Learning
Disorders
PART IV: Middle Childhood
TOPIC 11: Biosocial Development

15. Proportion of children with Special Education
Needs by Specific Designation* (percent of children)
Learning disabilities
Speech impairment
Mentally retarded
Developmental delay
Autism spectrum disorder
Emotionally disturbed
Deafness and hearing loss
Blindness and low vision
Orthopedic handicap
Other health problems***
2007
39 (5.2)
22 (3.0)
7.6 (1.0)
5.4 (0.7)
4.5 (0.6)
6.7 (0.9)
1.2 (0.2)
0.4 (0.1)
1.0 (0.1)
9.7 (1.3)
1997
46 (5.9)
17 (2.3)
10.0 (1.3)
—
0.7 (0.1
7.7 (1.0)
1.2 (0.2)
0.4 (0.1)
1.2 (0.1)
3.2 (0.5)
1977
21.5 (1.8**)
35.2 (2.9)
28 (2.2)
—
—
7.7 (0.6)
2.4 (0.2)
1 (0.1)
2.4 (0.2)
2.8 (0.3)
Educating Children with Special Needs
*Based on evaluation by U.S. public school professionals.
**Numbers in parentheses are percentages of all public school children.
***Limited strength, vitality, or alertness due to chronic health problems, such as asthma, sickle-cell anemia, and diabetes.
Source: Snyder & Dillow (2010)
What kinds of special education needs does the United States address?
15
PART IV: Middle Childhood
TOPIC 11: Biosocial Development

16. How do bodies change during
middle childhood, and what
problems can develop in how
those bodies function?
Closing Thoughts
16
PART IV: Middle Childhood
TOPIC 11: Biosocial Development

17. PART IV: Middle Childhood
TOPIC II: Biosocial Development