Cognitive Development in Secondary

School Children
Unit No. 6
 Cognitive Development
• Cognitive development is a unique process and is specific to
each school-age child.

• Sometimes school-age children may exhibit cognitive

difficulties that can affect their learning and behavior
 Cognitive Development (Con…)
• School-age children’s thinking skills become increasingly
sophisticated (refined) as they encounter new people, place,
and ideas.
• They develop the ability to learn in abstract ways from books,
art, movies, and experiences.
• They are able to focus and concentrate on tasks for longer
periods of time, understand a variety of concepts and their
memory improves significantly.
 Cognitive Development (Con…)
• The chart below highlights cognitive development milestones
during the school-age years.

• Think of milestones as guidelines to help you understand and

identify typical patterns of growth and development, or to
help you know when and what to look for as school-age
children mature.
 Cognitive Developmental Milestones
Middle Childhood (ages 5-7)
• They begin to understand how their behavior affects others.
• They are developing their oral language skills, acquiring new
vocabulary and sentence structures.
• They can compose sentences with five or more words.
• They enjoy planning and building.
• They understand concepts of space, time, and dimension.
 Middle Childhood (ages 5-7) (Con…)
• They understand concepts like yesterday, today, and
tomorrow. They know left and right.
• They begin to develop a sense of self-confidence and mastery
of their learning.
• They begin to reason and argue.
• They can perform simple addition and subtraction.
• They have increased memory, attention span, and impulse
(desire) control.
 Early Adolescence (ages 8-12)
• They are capable of perspective taking and understand and
consider other’s perspectives.
• They begin to think logically.
• They begin using and manipulating symbols
representationally.
• They become more goal oriented.
• They may develop special interests that are a source of
motivation.
 Early Adolescence (ages 8-12) (Con…)
• They begin to understand facets (aspects) of the adult world
like money and telling time.
• They may enjoy reading a book. They can interpret the
context of a paragraph and writes stories.
• They appreciate humor and word games.
• They understand the conservation of objects.
 Intellectual Disabilities in Adults
Intellectual disability involves problems with general mental
abilities that affect functioning in two areas:
1. Intellectual functioning (such as learning, problem solving,
judgement).
2. Adaptive functioning (activities of daily life such as
communication and independent living).
Additionally, the intellectual and adaptive deficit begin early in
the developmental period.
 Diagnosing Intellectual Disability
• Intellectual disability is identified by problems in both
intellectual and adaptive functioning.
• Intellectual functioning is measured with individually
administered and psychometrically valid, comprehensive,
culturally appropriate, psychometrically sound tests of
intelligence.
• A full-scale IQ score of around 70 to 75 indicates a
significant limitation in intellectual functioning.
Diagnosing Intellectual Disability (Con…)
• However, the IQ score must be interpreted in the context of
the person’s difficulties in general mental abilities.

• Moreover, scores on subtests can vary considerably so that

the full-scale IQ score may not accurately reflect overall
intellectual functioning.

• Therefore, clinical judgment is needed in interpreting the

results of IQ tests.
 Areas of Adaptive Functioning
Three areas of adaptive functioning are considered:
1.Conceptual – language, reading, writing, math, reasoning,
knowledge, memory.
2.Social – empathy, social judgment, communication skills, the
ability to follow rules and the ability to make and keep
friendships.
3.Practical – independence in areas such as personal care, job
responsibilities, managing money, recreation, and organizing
school and work tasks.
 Adaptive Functioning
• Adaptive functioning is assessed through standardized
measures with the individual and interviews with others, such
as family members, teachers and caregivers.
• Intellectual disability is identified as mild (most people with
intellectual disability are in this category), moderate or
severe.
• The symptoms of intellectual disability begin during
childhood.
 Adaptive Functioning (Con…)
• Delays in language or motor skills may be seen by age two.
• However, mild levels of intellectual disability may not be
identified until school age when a child has difficulty with
academics.
 Treatment
• Intellectual disability is a life-long condition.
• However, early and ongoing intervention may improve
functioning and enable the person to thrive throughout their
lifetime.
• Once a diagnosis is made, help for individuals with
intellectual disability is focused on looking at the individual’s
strengths and needs, and the supports he or she needs to
function at home, in school/work and in the community.
 Treatment (Con…)
• Many different types of supports and services can help, such as:
• Early intervention (infants and toddlers).
• Special education.
• Family support (for example, respite care support groups for
families).
• Vocational programs.
• Day programs for adults.
• Housing and residential options.
 Tips for Parents
• Learn about your child’s disability.
• Connect with other parents of children with disabilities.
• Be patient; learning may come slower for your child.
• Encourage independence and responsibility.
• Educate yourself on the educational services your child
deserves.
• Learn the laws that are written to help your child live their
best life.
• Look for opportunities in your community for social,
recreational and sports activities (such as Special Olympics).
 Common Disorders Affecting Adults
• The number of individuals experiencing mental illness
around the world continues to grow.

• Characterized by what people experience in their mind, but

sometimes involving physical symptoms, and their emotional
well-being, the cause of many mental health disorders is yet
to be discovered.
 1. Depression
• Depression is the most-common mental disorder and
generally affects women more often than men.

• It is often characterized by loss of interest or pleasure,

general sadness, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, difficulty
falling asleep, eating pattern changes, exhaustion and a lack
of concentration, genetics, life events, medical problems and
medications can bring the illness on.
 1. Depression (Con…)
• Depression can severely interfere with a person’s ability to
function at work or school and can have a negative impact on
relationships.
• At its most severe state, depression can lead to suicidal
thoughts and actions.
• To effectively treat depression in some cases, cognitive
behavior therapy, psychotherapy and antidepressant
medication can be valuable.
 2. Anxiety
• It is common for a person experiencing depression to also
have anxiety (and vice versa), a disorder that affects 18.1
percent of the population, every year.
• Anxiety disorder develop from a multitude of factors,
including genetics, brain chemistry and life events, and while
it is a highly treatable illness, only 36.9 percent of those who
live with anxiety actually seek out treatment, and ultimately,
access it.
• Psychotherapy and medication play an important role in
helping to control and manage the symptoms of anxiety.
 3. Bipolar Affective Disorder
• Depressive episodes are often characterized by feelings of
extreme sadness, hopelessness, little energy, and trouble
sleeping.
• While the cause of bipolar is not entirely known, a mixture of
genetic, neurochemical and environmental factors can play a
role in the progression of the illness, which can be treated
through medication and psychosocial support.
 4. Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses
• Psychoses, including schizophrenia, is a severe mental illness
impacting about 23 million people worldwide and is
characterized by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions,
sense of self, and behavior.

• Those who have these illnesses can experience difficulty for

people to work, study, or interact socially.
 5. Dementia
• Dementia is generally chronic or progressive in nature and
entails a deterioration of cognitive function beyond normal
aging, impacting about 50 million people across the globe.
• From memory, orientation and thinking, to comprehension,
calculation, and language, the decline in cognitive function is
generally met with deterioration in emotional and social
control. Dementia is caused by a variety of diseases that
impact the brain, and there is currently no cure available, but
there are relaxing treatments designed to ease the suffering
and confusion of the sufferer.
 Conclusion
• Mental health illnesses are a global issue that touches nearly
every person in some way. While every situation is unique,
there are treatment and recovery options available to help an
individual achieve strength and support.
• Taking the time to recognize your symptoms and get an
accurate diagnosis can help best determine the most
appropriate treatment be it be pharmaceutical intervention or
treatment plan involving psychotherapy with a licensed
therapist.