Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Development and Disabilities offers the first "multi-disability" developmental approach to children with mental retardation, deafness, blindness and motor impairments. The book is divided into three sections. Section 1 describes the organismic and contextual aspects of modern-day developmental approaches, along with such historical precursors as Werner, Piaget, and Vygotsky. Section 2 examines the most interesting aspects of development in each of the four disabilities. For each of these disabilities, the author describes studies related to child development, mother-child interaction, and family work. Section 3 draws theoretical and applied implications from these disabilities. The book notes both similarities and differences in development across disabilities, with the aim of better research and intervention. This book will be of interest to a wide range of researchers and practitioners concerned with the development of children with disabilities.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Preface
• Part I Introduction and History
• 1 What are developmental approaches
• 2 Historical precursors to developmental approaches
• Part II Applications of Developmental Approaches to Children with Disabilities
• 3 Mental retardation - origins and organismic issues
• 4 Mental retardation - contextual issues
• 5 Deafness
• 6 Blindness and visual impairments
• 7 Motor impairments
• Part III Implications and Applications
• 8 General lessons
• 9 Toward better interventions
• 10 Evaluating developmental approaches
• Appendix

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Hodapp (UCLA) proposes using the developmental approach (usually targeting normal development) to examine issues of children who are mentally retarded, deaf, blind or visually impaired, and motor impaired. She argues that approaches proven productive in evaluating normal development illuminate alternative developmental patterns associated with various disabilities. The author reviews historically influential theories (Werner, Piaget, and Vygotsky) for their impact on children with disabilities. He says that focus on organismic similarities in sequences, structures, rates, and regression in development allows professionals to know when traditional theories reasonably apply to persons with disabilities and when such theories need to be expanded to account for special issues associated with a specific disability. Hodapp offers the Double ABCX model--which includes the child's personal characteristics, internal and external family resources, and parent and family perceptions of the child--as a framework for considering contextual issues. As he outlines findings associated with selected disabilities, he points to similarities in specific arenas of development across varying disabilities. When developmental similarities exist, tested and proven interventions may be indicated. According to Hodapp, interventions developed to address shared deficits should be effective across disability groups where underlying issues are similar. Graduate students through professionals. L. G. Worthy Andrew College