Effects of Early Stimulation and Deprivation Chapter 6 © 2012 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. McGraw-Hill/Irwin

The general philosophical trend has been that stimulation is always “good” and deprivation is always “bad.”

Questions Can overstimulation occur? Is deprivation ever in the child’s best interest? When are the best times for stimulation or the worst times for deprivation? Is stimulation worthwhile for the acquisition of all human behaviors? Are there some behaviors that cannot be facilitated by early exposure to stimulating experiences?

Effects of Early Stimulation “Bringing up Superbaby” Parents believe early educational stimulation is valuable Pressure to learn at an early age may lead to future emotional, physical, or creative problems

Programs to Enhance Early Motor Development Programs designed to stimulate early motor development fall into two categories No programming Programming

Programs to Enhance Early Motor Development No programming These programs do not emphasize specific practice of future motor skills Instruction should be withheld until the infant learns body control Infants are to be left on their back until they are capable of changing the position Nonrestrictive clothing advocated Hard-soled shoes are discouraged

Programs to Enhance Early Motor Development Programming Parent takes an active role in moving the baby or limbs of the infant during activity Infant walkers, bouncers, etc., are encouraged Specialized equipment is available Is more external stimulation always better? Many programs make indiscriminate claims about success of early motor development

Programs to Enhance Early Motor Development Little research is available to substantiate either “no-programming” or “programming” Withhold structured instruction at very young ages Allow babies to learn on own Place babies in stimulating environments “parents are encouraged to provide a safe, nurturing, and minimally structured play environment for their infant”

Gymboree Preschoolers need to be provided with certain types of play activities that are essential in development but not available at home Program has seven levels from 0 months to 5 years of age Activities Balancing Fundamental movement Locomotion switching Changing directions/speeds Socialization imagination

Gymboree Little research available to substantiate claims of success Lofty claims are not made, but there is no controlled research to suggest that this program is superior to “no program” Fun is most important in Gymboree program

Swim Programs The American Academy of Pediatrics and American Red Cross state that Infant and toddler aquatic programs DO NOT decrease the risk of drowning Children are not ready for swimming lessons until their 4th birthday

Swim Programs Hypernatremia Catch phrases Water intoxication Occurs when an individual ingests so much water that the body’s electrolytes are reduced and kidneys cannot filter excess fluid Common in those who practice forced or frequent submersion Catch phrases Water adjustment Water readiness Water orientation

Swim Programs Giardia Precautions A parasitic condition which develops due to cyst growth in the digestion tract Causes diarrhea and is easily transmitted to others in a pool Precautions Shower after class Wear tight-legged diapers/pants Do not participate with illness/diarrhea

Swim Programs Effects of gases and aerosols found in an indoor swimming environment Children involved in infant swim programs had pulmonary cell damage and modifications to the permeability of the epithelial barrier in the lungs Risk of asthma Recurring bronchitis

Swim Program Guidelines Children are not ready for formal swim lessons until their 4th birthday Avoid total submersion Provide measure for avoiding fecal contamination in the pool Children should never be dropped or pushed into water Babies chill easily; limit exposure

Suzuki Method of Violin Playing The child begins lessons at 2 to 2 ½ years The child’s motivation is important Child should not be forced into taking lessons A properly sized violin is used Competition discouraged Little is known about the residual effects of such early programming

Head Start Programs Designed to give financially disadvantaged children a “head start” in education The major goal of Head Start is to “enhance the social competence of children from lower income families” Social competence = ability to deal with the present environment in school and for life

Facts About Head Start Began in 1965 as part of President Johnson’s War on Poverty “disadvantaged child was falling further and further behind with each school year.”

Head Start Programs Head Start Family and Child Experience Survey (FACES) The children COULD NOT Identify or write the letters of the alphabet Copy complex geometric figures Demonstrate “right from left” or “top from bottom” in reading

Head Start Programs Head Start Family and Child Experience Survey (FACES) Surveyed the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of Head Start children Generally, Head Start children were found to “very often” use their free time in acceptable ways,” “follow the teacher’s directions,” and “help in putting things away”

Head Start Programs Head Start Family and Child Experience Survey (FACES) Overall conclusion was that Head Start children are ready for school on the basis of how much they had learned by the end of kindergarten

Head Start Programs Children of Head Start programs were 10 times more likely to complete a high school education without failure compared to their socioeconomic counterparts A D.C. Study reported that programs like Head Start and other preschool programs affected children’s long-term performance positively Educational gap is narrowed Vocabulary Writing Social skills

Infant Walkers Designed to support babies who cannot yet walk independently There are many questions about safety and efficacy of the device to promote early walking

Infant Walkers

Johnny and Jimmy In 1935, two twin brothers were observed for 22 months to determine a normal progression in motor development Johnny was given toys and stimulation, practice, and experience in movement activities Jimmy was given few toys and had minimal movement experience

Johnny and Jimmy The researcher concluded that readiness, practice, attitude, and physical growth were all particularly important factors influencing human movement at an early age

Effects of Early Deprivation Hopi cradleboards A subject of research in the 1930s Up until 1 year of age, Hopi babies may be swaddled and tied to a board Legs are extended, arms free Although, these babies were not permitted typical “infant” movements, when free of the board, these infants exhibited the expected movement sequences of noncradled infants

Early Deprivation Deprivation Dwarfism Psychosocial dwarfism Psychosocial short stature A negative influence on human growth created by serious deprivation or adverse stimulation

Early Deprivation Deprivation Dwarfism An emotional disturbance that is registered in the higher centers of the brain Information is conveyed to hypothalamus where growth hormone, somatotropin, is released When growth is affected, motor development may also be affected

Early Deprivation Deprivation Dwarfism Infants who are hospitalized for extended periods fail to gain weight and develop respiratory infections Symptoms disappear when infant is returned home to a more stimulating environment Also occurs in situations where children are not nurtured in a loving and caring environment despite proper and plentiful nutrition

Early Deprivation Anna A victim of severe deprivation due to isolation (1946) Left in an attic room until six years of age When discovered she showed signs of minimal intelligence, could not walk or talk, and was extremely malnourished

Early Deprivation Anna At age 8 years Vision, hearing normal Mental age was 19 months Social maturity was at 23 months By the age of 10 years, Anna was able to walk and run clumsily, string beads, but did not speak in complete sentences Died at age 11 years

Early Deprivation Young Savage of Abeyron Victor, a young boy found in the woods of France in 1799 at 11 or 12 years of age He could not talk, trotted rather than walk, chewed like a rodent, and was intellectually delayed “Whole life was a completely animal existence” Despite attempts to remediate, he showed little improvement intellectually and died at 40 years of age

Stimulation and Deprivation Concepts Critical period A time of particular or maximum sensitivity to environmental If a child is stimulated during the sensitive period, the associated behavior is likely to occur For environmental stimulation to be effective: Readiness Specific time limit Permanent and durable imprint

Stimulation and Deprivation Concepts Readiness The establishment of the minimum characteristics necessary for a particular human behavior to be acquired Depends on an adequate level of physical growth, associated neurological patterns, and sufficient motivation

Stimulation and Deprivation Concepts Catch-up The human power” to stabilize and return” to a predetermined behavior or growth pattern “after being pushed off trajectory” Associated with physical growth and motor development

Stimulation and Deprivation Concepts Example of a child’s catch-up growth following a period of anorexia