Clinicians and practitioners-in-training can often lose sight of the normal developmental landscape that underlies behavior, especially in the field of cognitive development. It exists in an insular bubble within the broader field of psychology, and within each sub-domain there is a wide continuum between the anchors of atypical and optimal development. Clinicians need to learn, and to be reminded of, the unique peculiarities of developing cognitive skills in order to appreciate normal developmental phenomena.
In A Clinician's Guide to Normal Cognitive Development in Childhood, every chapter provides students and established professionals with an accessible set of descriptions of normal childhood cognition, accompanied by suggestions for how to think about normal development in a clinical context. Each sub-topic within cognitive development is explicated through a succinct presentation of empirical data in that area, followed by a discussion of the ethical implications. With an extensive review of data and clinical practice techniques, professionals and students alike will benefit enormously from this resource.
About the Author :
Elisabeth Hollister Sandberg, PhD, is a member of the Psychology Department faculty at Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts.
Becky L. Spritz, PhD, is a member of the Psychology Department faculty at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island.
Review :
"Cognitive development is a rich and burgeoning field with much to offer the practicing clinician. But how to master the diverse field in an economical way? This book is the answer." - Nora Newcombe, PhD, Professor of Psychology and James H. Glackin Distinguished Faculty Fellow, Temple University, Pennsylvania
"This book marries developmental science with clinical practice. It's a great resource for anyone who works with children, including teachers, clinicians, childcare providers, and parents. Children's behavior can seem mysterious and idiosyncratic. This book puts it all in perspective by explaining the typical course of cognitive and socio-emotional development, and relating these changes to clinical situations. This is an invaluable guide for communicating with children and interpreting their behavior." - Kelly Mix, PhD, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, Michigan State University, College of Education
