1. Physical Development in Middle and Late Childhood
Children 11
Physical Development in Middle and Late Childhood

2. Skeletal and Muscular Systems
What Changes Take Place in Body Growth, Brain, and Motor Development?
Skeletal and Muscular Systems
During elementary years, children grow 2-3 inches per year
By age 11: girls and boys are about 4¾ ft
Middle/late childhood: 5-7 lb weight gain per year (muscle and skeletal changes)
Proportional physical changes greatest in middle/late childhood
More bone ossification

3. The Brain Increased myelination Middle/late childhood
What Changes Take Place in Body Growth, Brain, and Motor Development?
The Brain
Increased myelination
Faster, effective processing of information
Middle/late childhood
Brain volume stabilization
Prefrontal circuitry and pathways increase
Significant changes in structures and regions
Attention, reasoning, cognitive control
Increased cortical thickness
Synaptic pruning occurs

4. Motor Development Middle/late childhood:
What Changes Take Place in Body Growth, Brain, and Motor Development?
Motor Development
Middle/late childhood:
Smoother movement, better coordination
Mastered skills become source of pleasure
Boys usually better in gross motor skills
Activity helps refine developing skills
Hands used more as ‘tools,’ steadier by age 7
Age 8-10: more independent with hands
Fine motor skills in writing develop
Age 10-12: manipulative skills like adults

5. Nutrition Middle/late childhood: Average child’s body weight doubles
What Are Central Issues in Children’s Health?
Nutrition
Middle/late childhood:
Average child’s body weight doubles
Food consumption increases with age
Age 1-3: needs 1,300 calories per day
Age 4-6: needs 1,700 calories per day
Age 7-10: needs 2,400 calories per day (needs vary with size, activity level)
Healthy, balanced meals, and eating patterns are most important

6. Exercise and Sports Exercise Children not exercising enough
What Are Central Issues in Children’s Health?
Exercise and Sports
Exercise
Children not exercising enough
Less P.E. programs/involvement in school
TV watching promotes sedentary lifestyles
High-intensity resistance exercise
Decreases body fat, lessens overweight risks
Increases muscle strength
Linked to important cognitive activity
Opportunities, parental encouragement a must

7. Exercise and Sports Sports:
What Are Central Issues in Children’s Health?
Exercise and Sports
Sports:
Involvement of children increasing every year
Positive consequences
Healthy exercise, opportunities to learn, raises self-esteem, good peer relationships
Negative consequences
Pressure to win/achieve, physical injuries, academic work falters, too competitive, unrealistic expectations for athletic success

8. Parents’ Guide for Children
Pros
Exercise
Opportunities to learn how to compete
Self-esteem
Setting for developing peer relations and friendships
Cons
Pressure to achieve, high stress created
Physical injuries
Distraction from academic work
Exploitation
Wrong values taught; win-at-all-costs

9. Overweight Children Overweight Increasing health problem in the U.S.
What Are Central Issues in Children’s Health?
Overweight Children
Overweight
Increasing health problem in the U.S.
BMI used to measure children
Worldwide: more children overweight
Recently in U.S.: obesity leveling off
Risk factor; the earlier the child is overweight, the more risk of obesity in adolescence

10. Overweight Children Factors linked to overweight childhood
What Are Central Issues in Children’s Health?
Overweight Children
Factors linked to overweight childhood
Genetics, heredity
Environmental factors
Availability of food and types
Eating patterns and habits
Cultural influences
Parental supervision, attitudes
Television watching, low activity behaviors

11. Overweight Children Consequences of overweight childhood
What Are Central Issues in Children’s Health?
Overweight Children
Consequences of overweight childhood
Risk of medical problems
Pulmonary/airway obstruction, sleep apnea
Bone, hip problems
Diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol
Cardiovascular risk higher in low SES
Risk of psychological problems
Lower self-esteem, tired, less attractive
Peer relations; rejection and withdrawal

12. Overweight Children Treatment: Activity levels are not hereditary
What Are Central Issues in Children’s Health?
Overweight Children
Treatment:
Combination of
Diet, weight loss programs
Exercise, calorie-burning activities
Behavior modification, lifestyle changes
Daily diary provides feedback, reinforcement
Intervention programs vary
Schools, parents are very important for change
Activity levels are not hereditary

13. Diseases Four childhood diseases most harmful Cancer: Diabetes:
What Are Central Issues in Children’s Health?
Diseases
Four childhood diseases most harmful
Cancer:
Child cancers attack all areas of body
By age 19: 1 in 330 children in U.S. get cancer
Little known about causes, possible genetics
Diabetes:
Type I and Type II
Highest risk: obesity and Type II
Ethnic groups at higher risk of diabetes

14. Types of Cancer in Children
Leukemia
Brain
Lymphomas
Neuroblastoma
Bone
Kidney
Muscle
Other
12%
39%
15%
10% 7% 6% 5%

15. Diseases Cardiovascular Disease
What Are Central Issues in Children’s Health?
Diseases
Cardiovascular Disease
Uncommon in children; inactive lifestyle ‘sows seeds’ for later development
Link between obesity and hypertension
Hyperactivity often undiagnosed in children
Latino child at highest risk, Asian child at lowest risk
Nutrition and balanced diet is prevention; lower sweets, salt, cholesterol, etc.

16. Diseases Asthma: Incidence has steadily increased over years
What Are Central Issues in Children’s Health?
Diseases
Asthma:
Incidence has steadily increased over years
Affected by increased air pollution
Most common childhood chronic disease
Primary reason for missing school, ER visits
Exact causes unknown; blames allergic reactions to environmental substances
Treated with inhalers, medications
Child may outgrow by late adolescence

17. Accidents and Injuries
What Are Central Issues in Children’s Health?
Accidents and Injuries
Injuries:
Middle/late childhood: leading cause of death
Most common: motor vehicle accidents
Serious injuries caused by sports equipment
Most accidents occur near home or school
Prevention strategies best
Safety equipment, minimize risky behaviors, proper adult supervision

18. Who Are Children With Disabilities?
What Are Prevalent Disabilities in Children?
Who Are Children With Disabilities?
About 14% of U.S. children aged 3 to 21
Receive special education or related services
5.6% have learning disabilities
3.0% have speech, language impairments
1.1% diagnosed as mentally retarded
0.9% have emotional disturbance
Educators prefer:
Children with disabilities, not handicapped

19. Range of Disabilities U.S. gov’t defined in 1997; refined in 2004
What Are Prevalent Disabilities in Children?
Range of Disabilities
U.S. gov’t defined in 1997; refined in 2004
Learning disability
Difficulty learning/understanding/using spoken or written language, may be math
Not the result of visual/hearing/motor defect, mental retardation, emotional disorder, environmental/cultural/economic need
Dramatic increase in incidence rates

20. Range of Disabilities Affects boys 3 times more than girls
What Are Prevalent Disabilities in Children?
Range of Disabilities
Affects boys 3 times more than girls
May be referral bias
Most disabilities are life long
Children taught in regular classroom; extensive support needed to achieve competency level
Can grow up to lead normal, productive lives
Diagnosis is difficult task, guidelines vary
Most common areas: reading, writing, math

21. Range of Disabilities Other types Causes Interventions
What Are Prevalent Disabilities in Children?
Range of Disabilities
Other types
Dyslexia: reading and spelling
Dysgraphia: handwriting difficulties
Dyscalculia: math/number difficulty
Causes
Some unknown, unlikely a single cause
Some from prenatal development, delivery
Interventions
Competent teachers, intensive programs

22. Range of Disabilities ADHD – diagnosis can vary
What Are Prevalent Disabilities in Children?
Range of Disabilities
ADHD – diagnosis can vary
Inattention, Hyperactivity, Impulsivity
Not supposed to be diagnosed by schools
Signs may be present in preschool age; usually not classified until elementary years
More visible in stricter standard settings
Symptoms tend to decrease in adulthood
Treated with medications
Causes suspected but not confirmed

23. Range of Disabilities Speech disorders Voice disorders
What Are Prevalent Disabilities in Children?
Range of Disabilities
Speech disorders
Problems pronouncing sounds correctly
Usually confirmed after age 8
Child limits communication, verbal interactions
Speech therapy can treat, improve
Voice disorders
Voice pitch, fluency, or stuttering
Speech therapy recommended

24. Range of Disabilities Sensory disorders Visual and hearing impairments
What Are Prevalent Disabilities in Children?
Range of Disabilities
Sensory disorders
Visual and hearing impairments
Visual; affects about 1 in 1,000
Corrective lenses can help
Low vision (20/70 to 20/2000), and blind
Educationally blind: about 1 in 3,000 children
Has normal intelligence
Preferential seating in classroom helps

25. Range of Disabilities Hearing impairments
What Are Prevalent Disabilities in Children?
Range of Disabilities
Hearing impairments
Born deaf or experienced loss early in life
Affects language/speech development
Many children go undiagnosed
Need things repeated
Don’t follow instructions
Frequently complain of ear aches, colds, etc.
Evaluation by audiologist
Do oral (lip reading) or manual (sign language)

26. Range of Disabilities Physical disorders
What Are Prevalent Disabilities in Children?
Range of Disabilities
Physical disorders
Orthopedic impairments
Cerebral palsy
Emotional and behavioral disorders
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Asperger syndrome: mild autism
Has average intelligence; restricted in range of interests and social interactions

27. Educational Issues Public Law 94-142
What Are Prevalent Disabilities in Children?
Educational Issues
Public Law
1975: Education for All Handicapped Children Act
1990: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Amended in 1997, reauthorized in 2004
Aligned with No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
Testing for progress, support service needs

28. Educational Issues Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
What Are Prevalent Disabilities in Children?
Educational Issues
Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
Program tailored to child’s specific needs
Provides educational benefits
Positive behavioral support, functional behavioral assessment
Least restrictive environment (LRE)
Inclusion, mainstream in regular classroom
Teachers need specialized training

29. Educational Issues Minorities Fears
African American children overrepresented in programs for learning disabilities
Latino children may be underidentified in mental retardation and emotional disturbances
Fears
Students underserved, needs not met
Misclassified or inappropriately labeled
Class placement may be form of discrimination

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