Chapter 11Physical Development in Middle and Late Childhood

Biology of Health: Physical Growth and DevelopmentGrowth and SizeBetween 6 and 11, height increases 23 inches per year.Weight gain is 56 pounds per year.By 11 years of age, the average child is slightly under 5 ft. in height and weighs less than 80 lbs.Girls begin to grow more rapidly than boys and are taller and heavier by 12 years of age.

Key question 1: How do qualitative and quantitative changes in growth and development support physical, cognitive, and social skills during middle childhood?

Nutrition

Malnutrition: Obesity and OverweightThe number of overweight children has tripled in the last three decades.Among 6- to 11-year-olds, 35.5% are overweight or obese.Overweight: BMI above 85th percentileObesity: BMI above the 95th percentile

Why Has Obesity Increased?A combination of genetics, behavior, and social and economic factors contribute to obesity.Children tend to be less physically active.Children eat more snack foods and fast foods.Parents tend to buy what their children will eat.

Genetic and Physical Causes of ObesityLeptinDecreases food intake and increases energy expenditureSome people (and mice) dont produce enough leptinInsulinGrains and other carbs make insulin levels rise and the slowly fall offSimple sugars make insulin levels spike and fall off rapidly

1979198919991969Percent of children involved in daily physical education programs20304050607080 010Percentage of U.S. Children in Daily Physical Education Programs from 1969 to 1999

Physical ActivityBuilds strong bones and musclesContributes to motor coordination, heart and lung functionContributes to overall good physical and mental healthContributes to better academics

Physical Activity

Disabilities

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)1975 federal legislation to ensure children with disabilities in United States would receive education needed from birth through adulthoodMandates inclusion beginning at age 3Inclusive settings: Includes both those typically developing and those with disabilities

In 1975, federal legislation was enacted to ensure that the more than 6 million children with disabilities in the U.S. would receive the education they needed from birth to early adulthood. The law, now known as the Individuals with disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, has been revised several times. The current law includes three major provisions, which apply to individuals from ages 3 to 21. 1) Children with disabilities are entitled to receive a free and appropriate public education. The interpretation of appropriate is usually made at the district and state level. 2) Education should be provided in the least restrictive environment and this is usually interpreted to mean that a child should be in a classroom setting as much as possible like the one provided to other children. 3) Preschool children are to receive services under IDEA. Even though free public education is not provided to all 3 and 4 year olds, it is provided to children of that age with disabilities. Under current policy, the majority of children with disabilities are educated in inclusive settings. Settings are considered to be inclusive when both typically developing and those with disabilities are included in the same setting. These inclusive settings offer advantages for both typically developing children and children with disabilities. For typically developing children, research has found that typically developing children gain a greater knowledge of the implications of disabilities and a greater acceptance of those with disabilities. Advantages for children with disabilities focus on inclusive settings offering important social opportunities.

Educational IssuesPublic Law 94-142 (Education for All Handicapped Children Act)Requires that all children with disabilities be given free, appropriate public educationRenamed Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 19902004: aligned with No Child Left Behind

Individualized Education Plan (IEP)Written statement that spells out program tailored to child with disabilityRelated to childs learning capacityDesigned to meet childs individual needsDesigned to provide educational benefits

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)Child with disability must be educated in setting as similar as possible to one in which children without a disability are educatedInclusion: educating special-needs child full-time in the regular classroom

Who Are Children with Disabilities?About 10% of U.S. children receive special education or related servicesLearning disability (includes ADHD)Speech and sensory disorders Physical disorders Emotional and behavioral disorders

Learning disabilities 2,817,148 or 50.8%Speech and language impairments 1,074,548 or 19.4%Mental retardation 611,076 or 11%Emotional disturbance 463,262 or 8.4%Multiple disabilities 107,763 or 1.9%Hearing impairments 70,883 or 1.3%

Orthopedic impairments 69,495 or 1.3%

Other health impairments 220,831 or 4%

Visual impairments 26,132 or 0.5%Autism 53,576 or 1%

Developmental delay 0.2% Traumatic brain injury 0.2% Deaf-blindness > 0.1%

Autism Spectrum DisordersTypesAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)Autistic disorder Aspergers syndrome

Problems withPersonal interactionsVerbal and nonverbal communication Repetitive behaviors May show atypical sensory responses

Speech DisordersArticulation disorders: problems pronouncing sounds correctly

Voice disorders: hoarse, harsh, too loud, too high or too low pitched speech

Fluency disorders: commonly called stuttering