How do elementary school children develop?
Middle childhood: age 6 to 11
What is the healthiest period of life?
 Ages 6 - 11
 Fatal diseases occur before age 6 or after age 11
 Slow steady growth
 Stronger muscles
 Childhood health habits (e.g. oral health and exercise)
can reduce stroke or heart attack in adulthood
 Main determinants of a healthy lifestyle is when
parents, teachers, and peers have a healthy lifestyle
What are major health problems in
childhood?
 Obesity
 Asthma
What is childhood obesity?
 BMI = Body Mass Index
 Weight to height
 Weight (in Kilograms) divided by the square of height (in
meters).
 Overweight = BMI above 85th. Percentile
 Obesity = BMI above 95th. Percentile
 Increases asthma, high blood pressure, increased
cholesterol (particularly LDL)
BMI for Adults
What factors affect obesity?
 Heredity (Over 200 genes affect weight)
 Parenting
 Not breast fed
 Family eating habits
 T.V. - food commercials
 Sodas
 No exercise
 Social influences


Friends
Snacks
Do you remember?
 What is the healthiest period of life?
 What are the main health problems for children
ages 6 – 11?
 What are the two main factors affecting obesity?
 What parenting influences affect obesity?
What is asthma?
 Inflammation of the airways
 Wheezing, shortness of
breath, coughing
What causes asthma?
 Genes + environment
 Air pollution, pet dander, cigarette smoke, dust mites,
mold, etc.
How can you prevent asthma?
 Primary = Changes in the entire society
 Better ventilation, less pollution
 Secondary = Preventing attacks among high-risk
children
 Exercise, less dust and smoke in the home
 Tertiary = Reducing the effects of current asthma
 Injections, inhalers, hypoallergenic materials (e.g.
mattress covers), and filters (e.g. HEPA filters)
Do you remember?
 What causes asthma?
 What are examples of the primary, secondary, and
tertiary methods of treating asthma?
Brain development
 Reaction time
 Faster reaction time from increased myelination
 E.g. “Think fast” when being thrown a ball
 Selective attention
 Focus on important items & ignore others

E.g. Store P.A. system
 Automatization
 Easily performing routine actions without much
conscious thought

E.g. Driving to school
How do we measure the mind?
 Aptitude tests
 Measures your potential for learning
 SAT test
 IQ Tests
 Original measurement of IQ (Intelligence Quotient) =
Mental age divided by chronological age) X 100
 Currently, test norms are used to determine the IQ
 Achievement tests
 Measures your knowledge (how much you have learned)

Math test
Are there multiple intelligences?
 Robert Sternberg
 Academic: IQ and achievement tests
 Creative
 Practical (street smarts – problem solving)
Savant syndrome
Do you remember?
 What is reaction time, selective attention, and
automatization?
 What is the difference between aptitude tests and
achievement tests?
 What are Sternberg’s three types of intelligences?
What special needs do children have?
 ADHD = Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
 Inattentive, impulsive, difficulty concentrating
 Stimulants (e.g. Amphetamines like Ritalin or Strattera)
have a reverse (calming) effect
 Bipolar disorder
 Extreme mood swings
 Learning disability
 Delay in a particular area – e.g. reading
 Not related to mental retardation
 No apparent physical disability
Children with special needs (Cont.)
 Dyslexia
 Difficulty with reading
 One possible symptom - often reverses letters

E.g. Unite = untie
 Thought to be result of speech & hearing difficulties
Children with special needs (Cont.)
 Autism spectrum disorder
 Caused by genetic vulnerability & other factors
 Symptoms





Extreme attention to details
Inability to relate to other people (Poor social skills)
Extreme self-absorption
Impaired communication
Delayed language, Poor social response, unusual repetitive
play
What laws are designed for
children with special needs?
PL94-142: Education of All
Handicapped Children Act, 1975
 Required an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for each
child with special needs
 Educational goals, plans for achieving them, & periodic
assessment
PL 105-17: Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA),
1990 (Revised in later editions)
 Emphasizes parents’ rights in placement and IEP
 Special needs children must be placed in the least
restrictive environment (LRE).
 LRE = The most general education situation where they
can be expected to learn
Do you remember?
 What is ADHD?
 What is the effect of stimulants on an ADHD child?
 What are some symptoms of autism spectrum disorder?
 What is an IEP for a special needs child?