A. Middle Childhood.

Ninety-five percent of brain growth is

reached by the time a child reaches the age of 9. Such growth
is characterized by interrelated processes namely: cell
proliferation and cell pruning. Cell proliferation takes place
during first several years of life. It consists of the over
production of neurons and interconnections. On the other
hand, cell pruning is a continuous process in the childhood
phase.
In the middle childhood, the neurons of the association
areas – parts of the brain where sensory motor, and
intellectual functions are linked are myelinized to some degree.

Another significant change in middle childhood is the

ability to identify and act a relationship between objects in
space. This results from the liberalization of spatial perception,
occurring at the right cerebral hemisphere. For example,
imagining or picturing a person, head down or describing a
classroom, clockwise or counterclockwise is a spatial
perception. Lateral perception in particular of faces and
objects starts at age 6. However, complex lateral perception is
not very strongly lateralized not until age 8.

B. Adolescence. In the teenaged years, there are two major brain

growth spurts one occurring between ages 13 to 15 and the
second brain growth spurt beginning around age 17 and which
continues into early childhood. In the first spurt, the cerebral
cortex becomes thicker and neuronal pathways become more
efficient. There is more energy produced and consumed by the
brain during this spurt than in the years following. The spurts
take place in parts of the brain that control spatial perception
and motor functions. That is why in mid-teens, adolescents’
abilities in these areas far exceed those of school-aged
children.

III Factors Affecting Development: Maternal Nutrition, Child Nutrition, Early

Sensory Stimulation

Human development is affected by both genetic and environmental

influences.
1. Maternal nutrition. One important factor affecting development is
maternal nutrition. Mother supplies all the nutrients to the inborn
fetus through the food intake so that she should take care of her diet
for her sake and that of the fetus. It is important that she gets a
continuous supply of fresh vegetables, fruits, minerals, and vitamins
needed.
2. Child Nutrition. Adequate nutrition contributes to a continuous
brain
growth., rapid skeletal, and muscular development. It is not the
amount of food that children eat but what they eat that contributes to healthy
living. A healthy diet includes an adequate supply of fruits and vegetables,
whole grains, food rich in calcium and protein such as oranges, apples,
tomatoes, and green vegetables are not only appealing but also highly
nutritious.
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3. Early Sensory Stimulation. Children under 6 years of age tend to be
farsighted, because their eyes have not matured and are shaped differently
from those of adults. After that age not only the eyes are more mature but
can focus better.
Minority of children’s vision does not develop properly. About 10
percent of 6 years old have defective near vision, and 7 percent have
defective distant vision, the later number jumps to 17 percent by 11 years
of age.
Sensory deprivation exists in terms of the reception of sounds from the
environment. Same with the visual handicaps, children may also suffer
from auditory problem.

Factors That Affect Growth

1. Genetic History. According to Lynne Levitsky, M.D. chief of the pediatric

endocrine unit of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, the child’s
genetic history influences to a large extent his growth. As a matter of
fact, it is number one in the list. By just looking at the parents’ height,
the rate of growth of the child can more or less be predicted.
2. Nutrition. It is another factor that affects growth. “Without a good diet,
kids won’t grow normally,” says Jo Anne Hattner, R.D., a pediatric
specialist at the American Dietetic Association. Sometimes parents miss
an assuring and wholesome calories for the child, thus, derailing his
chances for a healthy diet. A child, no matter how fat should never be
put on diet. He must have in his diet, nutritious food but less on juice or
soda which can interfere with the child’s appetite for food rich in needed
nutrients.
3. Medical Conditions. Children born with or develop serious medical
conditions can have stunted growth if not treated. Some of these are:
gastrointestinal disorders such as celiac disease; food allergies; thyroid
problems; hormone deficiency; heart, kidney, or liver ailments, and
certain chromosomal abnormalities. It is important that medications are
monitored closely. There are stimulants like Ritalin prescribed for ADHD
which have been found to have adverse effects on growth. The problem
that accrues from stimulants is more often dose-related and is usually
easily fixed, says Barry B. Bercu, M.D., head of endocrine, diabetes, and
metabolism department at All Children’s Hospital, in St. Petersburg,
Florida.
4. Exercise. Regular physical activity promotes growth by strengthening
bones and muscles. However, caution should be observed in doing high-
impact sports like running and gymnastics because they too, can impede
growth if done excessively. Moreover, they can cause trauma to
developing bones.
5. Sleep. About 70 to 80 percent of growth hormone is secreted during
sleep, says Paul Saenger, M.D., a pediatric endocrinologist at Children’s
Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center, in New York City.
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6. Emotional Well-Being. Children must be nurtured with love, patience,

and understanding. They need supportive family environment. When
children experience anxieties brought by emotional neglect and too
much tension growth is also stunted. The condition called “psychosocial
growth failure “ by doctors -is extremely rare, but its consequences are
as real as malnutrition.

IV. Exceptional Development: Physical Disabilities, Sensory Impairments, Learning

Disabilities, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders

A. Physical Disabilities. The physically handicapped have impairments that

are temporary or permanent. Such as: paralysis, stiffness or lack of
motor coordination of bones, muscles or joints so that they special
equipment or help in moving about.

Crippling disabilities include the following:

a. Impairment of the bone and muscle systems which affects mobility

and manual dexterity difficult and impossible as in the case of the
amputees and those with severe fractures;
b. Impairment of the nerve and muscle systems making mobility
awkward and uncoordinated as in cerebral palsy; and
c. Deformities or absence of body organs and systems necessary for
mobility like in the case of the club-foot and paraplegics.

It is evident that growth is affected by physical disabilities like

orthopedic handicaps, dysfunction of the neuro-muscular system,
and congenital deformities. These are contributory factors in the
making of the group of exceptional children called the crippled.

Causes of Handicaps

A number of factors have been identified as causes of crippling

handicaps, impairments, and disabilities. These are:
1. Prenatal factors. These are factors that affect normal
development before and after conception virtually lasting up to
the first trimester or the third trimester of the life. Specifically
these include the following:
a. Genetic or chromosomal aberrations. This results from bold
incompatibility of the husband and wife. There is a transfer of
defective genes from parent to offspring.
b. Prematurity. Birth of the fetus is usually earlier than the ninth
month of pregnancy.
c. Infection. This is caused by bacteria or virus on the fetus in the
womb of the mother, the germs usually come from highly
communicable diseases.
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like rubella and venereal diseases. The neonatal sepsis is

caused by infection either directly from the mother or the
outside environment like poorly sanitized delivery room,
infected hospital gadgets, and many others.
d. Malnutrition. Insufficient intake of food nutrients necessary to
sustain growth and development of the fetus and the mother.
e. Irradiation. Pertains to the exposure of the pregnant mother to
radioactive elements like x-ray. Exposure of the mother also
affects the fetus.
f. Metabolic disturbances. Inability of the mother or the fetus to
make use of food of birth.
g. Drug Abuse. Entry of large quantities of medicines into the
body thus affecting the fetus. Thalidomide used by mothers
has affected thousands of babies who were born without limbs
and other extremities.
2. Perinatal factors. These are factors that cause crippling
conditions during the period of birth.
a. Birth injuries. These are injuries suffered by the newborn baby.
Injury to the spine will cause paralysis (kernicterus).
b. Difficult labor. Hard and prolonged labor before the actual
birth which interrupts the oxygen labor intake of mother to
fetus.
c. Hemorrhage. Profuse bleeding of the mother during birth
which might be caused by damage of the uterus.
3. Postnatal factors. These are factors causing crippling conditions
after birth.
a. Infections. These are caused by illness like diphtheria, typhoid,
meningitis, encephalomyelitis, and rickets in infants.
b. Tumor and abscess in the brain. They destroy the brain cells
connected with movement thus impairing mobility.
c. Fractures and dislocation. These are destructions of mobility
organs either through falls and other accidents causing bone
fractures or dislocation.
d. Tuberculosis of the bones. TB germs are likely to attack the
bones of the very young causing crippling conditions.
e. Cerebrovascular injuries. These are injuries in the head region
enough to cause brain damage.
f. Post-seizure or post-surgical complications. These are
convulsions after the delivery of the baby which cause crippling
conditions.
g. Arthritis, rheumatism. These are disease affecting the spinal
column and the muscles of locomotion at the back.
B. Sensory Impairments. In terms of severity of impairment, there are two
classes of visual handicaps: visual impairment and blindness.
1. Visual impairment. It is visual problem that calls for specific
modification or adjustments in the student’s educational programs.
Major and minor alterations can be done in the instructional
environment depending upon the kind of impairment.
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