REVIEWER PROFED
community, creating a support
The Department of Education (DepEd)
recognizes the right of every learner,
regardless of abilities, to quality and
inclusive education. Special Education
policies adhere to the principles of
inclusivity, respect, and support for learners
with diverse abilities. The overarching goal
of Special Education in the Philippines is to
provide an inclusive and supportive
educational environment that empowers
learners with diverse abilities to achieve
their full potential academically, socially,
and emotionally.
1. Inclusive Learning Environments -
To establish and maintain inclusive
learning environments in
mainstream schools where learners
with diverse abilities can actively
participate and receive appropriate
support.
2. Individualized Support - To deliver
individualized support that
addresses the unique needs of each
learner with diverse abilities, utilizing
specialized teaching methods,
assistive technologies, and
accommodations.
3. Professional Development - To
conduct continuous professional
development programs for
educators, administrators, and
support staff, enhancing their
competencies in understanding and
catering to diverse learning needs.
4. Parent and Community Engagement
- To encourage active collaboration
with parents, caregivers, and the
network that contributes to the
holistic development of learners with
diverse abilities.
5. Accessible Learning Materials - To
ensure the availability of accessible
learning materials and resources
that accommodate different learning
styles, promoting effective
engagement with the curriculum.
6. Transition Planning - To develop and
implement comprehensive transition
plans that facilitate the smooth
progression of learners with diverse
abilities between different
educational levels and into post-
school life.
7. Advocacy and Policy Development -
To advocate for policies and
practices that protect the rights and
promote the inclusion of learners
with diverse abilities within the
broader educational context.
8. Continuous Improvement - To
engage in ongoing assessment and
reflection, continuously refining
SPED policies, goals, and objectives
based on emerging research, best
practices, and feedback from the
educational community.

The rights of individuals with special needs
in an educational context are grounded in
the principles of inclusivity, non-
discrimination, and equal access to quality
education. Various international and
national laws, policies, and frameworks aim
to safeguard these rights. The following
rights are often enshrined in international
conventions such as the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (CRPD) and are translated into
national laws and policies to ensure the
protection and promotion of the rights of
individuals with special needs in the context
of education.
1. Right to Equal Educational Opportunities
3. Right to Individualized Education Plans
(IEPs)
Individuals with special needs are
entitled to receive individualized
support through the development
and implementation of Individualized
Education Plans (IEPs). These plans
outline specific accommodations,
modifications, and support services
tailored to the unique needs of each
student.
4. Right to Non-Discrimination
Individuals with special needs have
the right to be free from
discrimination on the basis of their
disabilities. Educational institutions
must ensure that all students are
treated fairly and are provided with
equal opportunities for learning and
participation.
5. Right to Accessible Learning Materials
Accessible learning materials are
essential for individuals with special
Individuals with special needs have
the right to access the same
educational opportunities as their
peers without disabilities. This
includes the right to enroll in
mainstream schools and participate
in the same curriculum.
2. Right to Inclusive Education
The right to inclusive education
emphasizes the need to
accommodate the diverse learning
needs of individuals with special
needs within regular educational
settings. Inclusion promotes a
supportive environment where every
learner can participate and learn
together.
needs. This includes the provision of
materials in formats that are
accessible to students with visual,
auditory, or other sensory
impairments.
6. Right to Reasonable Accommodations
Individuals with special needs have
the right to receive reasonable
accommodations to ensure their full
participation in educational activities.
This may include modifications to
assessments, provision of assistive
technologies, or adjustments to the
physical environment.
7. Right to Dignity and Respect
Individuals with special needs have
the right to be treated with dignity
and respect in all aspects of the
educational process. This includes
fostering a positive and inclusive
school culture that values diversity.
8. Right to Specialized Support Services
 Some individuals with special needs
may require additional support
services, such as speech therapy,
occupational therapy, or counseling.
They have the right to access these
services to enhance their
educational experience.
9. Right to Parental Involvement
Parents or guardians of individuals
with special needs have the right to
be actively involved in the
educational planning and decision-
CHAPTER 5
TYPICAL AND ATYPICAL DEVELOPMENT
AMONG CHILDREN
Introduction
Have you ever wondered how children
develop? Maybe at one time you have
compared your development with that of a
sibling or cousin of yours. If this is the case,
you are inty that occurs id development
which is the pattern of this is change, and
stability thatateurs from conception up until
adolescence Crouch do not grow at the
same rate at the same time. This also goes
for the studeldren do inclusive classroom.
Knowing their capabilities can help you
better as their leacher. Find out more about
their development as this chapter focuses
on the typical and atypical development
among children from infancy to adolescence
Objectives:
At the end of the chapter you will be able to:
identify typical and atypical milestones in
the various stages of child
development; and
differentiate typical and atypical
development of children in various stages of
their development.
1. CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND ITS
IMPORTANCE
making processes. Collaboration
between educators and parents is
essential for the success of students
with special needs.
10. Right to Advocacy and Redress
Individuals with special needs and
their families have the right to
advocate for their educational rights.
In case of violations, there should be
mechanisms for redress, such as
complaint procedures and legal
recourse.
To ensure that a child meets his/her
developmental milestones, it is crucial to
observe and monitor his/her development.
The milestones or developmental skills that
need to be mastered usually at the same
rate act as a guide for ideal development. It
is done by checking the progress of a child
based on his or her age to see if the child is
developing within expectations. For others,
checking the milestones can help detect any
difficulties at a particular stage. Intervention
can then be given which can help in the
development of a child. Usually, it is the
parents, teachers, and pediatricians who
use the checklists.
II. CHILD DEVELOPMENT THEORIES
During the early 20th century, interest in
child development began, specifically, that
which focused on detecting abnormalities.
Certain theories were discovered based on
this interest to appreciate the growth that
children experience from birth to
adolescence.
A. Psychosocial Development Theory of
Erik Erikson
This is an eight-stage theory that describes
the changes one goes through in a lifetime.
The main focus of Erikson's theory is the
conflicts or crises one experiences through
social interaction. Starting from birth, each
person is faced with a conflict that needs to
be resolved since it has an impact on the
function of the succeeding stages. If one
successfully overcomes the crisis of each
stage, a psychological virtue emerges.
Stages of Psychosocial Development
Infant, Toddler, Pre-schooler, Grade-
schooler, Teenager, Young Adult, Middle-
age Adult, Older Adult,
Generativity vs Stagnation
Intimacy vs Isolation
Identity vs Role Confusion
Industry vs Inferiority
Initiative vs Guilt
Autonomy vs Shame & Doubt
Increase in Complexity
Trust vs Mistrust
B. Cognitive Developmental Theory of
Jean Piaget
ev Vygotsky
This theory believes that children learn
actively through hands- on experiences.
Vygotsky highlights the importance of other
people such as parents, caregivers, and
peers in the development of children.
Culture plays an integral role as well.
Interaction with others allows learning to be
integrated in the child's understanding of the
world. Also included in the theory is the
zone of proximal development, which is the
portion in between what one can do on his
or her own and with help. Children best
learn when they are in this zone.
D. Social Learning Theory of Albert
Bandura
This theory believes that learning takes
place through observation and modeling. As
a child observes the actions of the people in
This theory is concerned with the thought
processes of a person and how they are
used to understand and interact with the
environment. Piaget's theory focuses on
children's intellectual development and has
four stages.
A. Sensorimotor Stage From birth to two
years old, a child's knowledge is limited to
his or her use of the senses.
B. Preoperational Stage From two to six
years old, a child learns through the use of
language. However, mental manipulation of
information does not take place yet.
C. Concrete Operational Stage - From 7 to
11 years old, a child begins to think logically
and have better understanding of mental
operations. However, abstract concepts are
still difficult to understand.
D. Formal Operational Stage From 12 years
old to adulthood, a person has the ability to
think in abstract concepts.
C. Sociocultural Theory of L
his or her environment, new information is
acquired and new skills are developed.
III. TYPICAL AND ATYPICAL
DEVELOPMENT
The development of a child usually follows a
predictable pattern. There are certain skills
and abilities that are observed to gauge a
child's development are called
developmental milestones. Examples of
these sitting. babbling, and following
directions. However, each child is unique.
With this, not all reach a milestone at the
same time, thus the terms typical and
atypical development. Let us define the two
terms first before we look further into what
makes a child's development typical and
atypical.
The term typical development refers to the
normal progression where children grow by
acquiring knowledge, skills, and behavior
called developmental milestones at a
certain time frame.
Atypical development is a term used when
development does not follow the normal
course. More so, a child is developing
atypically when he/ she reaches a milestone
earlier or later than other children his/her
age.
There is no clear way to identify if a child is
developing typically or atypically. However,
there are three commonly accepted
principles of child development that one
should look into. The principles are as
follows:
1. Rate of development differs among
children
2. Development occurs in a relatively
orderly process
3. Development takes place gradually
IV. DOMAINS OF DEVELOPMENT
The developmental milestones are
categorized into four domains namely,
physical, social and emotional, language,
and cognitive.
The physical domain refers to the
development of physical changes such as
size and strength. The development occurs
in both gross and fine motor skills. The
development of the senses and their uses
are also part of the physical domain which is
influenced by illness and nutrition.
A child's experience, expression, and
management of emotions along with the
ability to establish positive relationships with
others refer to the social-emotional domain.
This includes both the intrapersonal and
interpersonal processes that take place in a
child.
The language domain refers to the process
of acquiring language in a consistent order
without the need for explicit teaching from
the environment.
Construction of thought process which
includes remembering, problem solving, and
decision making refers to the cognitive
domain.
V. STAGES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Stages, along with age are used as ranges
to mark significant periods in a human
development timeline. In each stage, growth
and development occur in the four domains
mentioned above.
The stages are as follows:
A. Infancy (birth to 2 years)
B. Early Childhood (3 to 8 years)
C. Middle Childhood (9 to 11 years)
D. Adolescence (12 to 18 years)
Infancy (birth to 2 years) is a critical stage in
child development because growth is rapid.
Many believe that this stage is the most
important stage in one's life since the
changes that occur in infancy will affect the
later stages of development. This stage is
also known as the building block for the
succeeding stages in the attainment of
crucial knowledge, skills and behaviors. Let
us look at the chart below to see the typical
and atypical developmental milestones in
the infancy stage..
Early Childhood (3 to 8 years old) is a
period of life with slow growth and rapid
development. Most psychologists label this
stage as the exploratory and questioning
stage since the children enjoy discovering
new things in their surroundings.
Interactions with family and the people
around them will help shape their
development (see Table 5.2).
Middle Childhood (9 to 11 years) is a stage
that brings various changes
in a child's life. Independence is a
characteristic that children in this stage
asserts. Developing friendships is another
milestone that is evident in
this stage. Children should be given more
tasks to develop their sense of
responsibility to further develop their
growing independence.

Adolescence (12 to 18 years) is the period

where puberty begins. By the end of this
stage, most will have completed puberty.
The child is now called a teen during this
stage. The teen is becoming more vocal
about his/ her opinions due to the
development of a unique personality. Peer
pressure, however, will be present, which is
why guidance from parents and guardians is
very much needed.