Children and adolescents with emotional and behavioural problems who are referred to mental health services for assessment often have undiagnosed mild learning disabilities, and this guide is written for clinicians involved in making such assessments.It provides full guidance on common developmental disorders and their assessment, focusing on mild to moderate disabilities in the school-aged child. It covers intellectual disabilities, dyslexia, dyscalculia (mathematical disability), autism spectrum disorders, speech and language impairment, developmental coordination disorder, and emotional and personality development. Each chapter includes an account of normal development, including developmental milestones, an overview of the disorder, and its clinical assessment.This important professional guide will be invaluable for all child health and mental health professionals and trainees, including paediatricians, psychiatrists, mental health workers, clinical psychologists and educational psychologists.
1. Introduction: General issues in development.; 2. Developmental disabilities (disorders).; 3. Developmental assessment.; 4. Acquisition of reading: Developmental dyslexia (Specific Reading Disability) and its assessment.; 5. Development of speech and language: Specific language impairment and its assessment.; 6. Acquisition of mathematical skills: Developmental dyscalculia and its assessment.; 7. Development of social communication and assessment of autism spectrum disorders.; 8. Development of general cognitive functions: Generalised learning disability (mild) and its assessment.; 9. Development of motor skills: Developmental coordination disorder and its assessment.; 10. Emotional development: Assessment of attachment and personality.; Appendix I. Developmental milestones.; Appendix II. Developmental history: parent form.; Appendix III. School report form.; Appendix IV. Direct School Observation form.
A solid knowledge and understanding of child development is central to child mental health assessment and interventions. Although developmental disabilities are common among children with mental health problems, there have been a surprisingly limited number of texts for practitioners. This refreshing book covers this training gap by linking evidence with practice on a range of specific and general types of developmental delays across the spectrum of childhood and young life. A wealth of suggestions on improving clinical skills is complemented by rich case material, and will be of great interest to practitioners of health, social care and educational background.
