A Practical Guide to Congenital Developmental Disorders and Learning Difficulties

To give children with congenital developmental conditions that manifest special learning needs and specific disabilities their best chance to succeed, early identification and appropriate interventions and support, is necessary. This text highlights what to look for when there are concerns about a child’s development. Practical and accessible, it is divided into three sections: Part 1 looks at the theory and policy context, discussing the social model of disability, the responsibility of health, social care and education services to the child and family and the role of reviews and assessment in recognising developmental disorders. Part 2 provides a reference guide to atypical developmental conditions and disorders. For each condition, aetiology, prominent theories and research, profile of features – including triggers and behaviours, diagnostic assessment procedures and appropriate interventions are given and links made to sources of further information and support. Part 3 explores practical issues how to work sensitively and effectively with children and their families, looking at the psychological implications of diagnosis, and how to plan, promote, deliver and evaluate multi-agency support. Designed to support professionals working within a multi-modal, collaborative approach to assessment and intervention processes, it is suitable for health visitors, allied health therapists, nurses, teachers and social care practitioners. It is also a useful reference for students in these areas learning about child development and includes critical reading exercises; online searching tasks; self-assessment questions; reflective activities and document analysis prompts.

Table of Contents:
Part 1: The Dynamics of Health, Special Education and Disability in the UK 1. Effecting Social Change 2. Child Development, Reviews and Screening 3. Syndromes, Diagnoses and Classification of Disorders Part 2: Identifying and Understanding Disorders 4. Higher Incidence Developmental Disorders 5. Lower Incidence Developmental Disorders Neurological Disorders Part 3: Application To Practice: Working in Partnerships, Meeting All Needs 6. Psychosocial Implications Of Developmental Disorders 7. Working With the Child or Young Person 8. Development of Multiagency Policy: Supporting the Parent 9. The Way Forward: Promoting Integrative Practice

About the Author :
Judith P. Hudson, PhD, is a former teacher, assessor and lecturer in special education needs and specific learning disorders at the University of Gloucestershire, UK, and is currently an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Tasmania, Australia.

Review :
"The book is an ambitious, extremely detailed and well-researched title set out in three broad and related sections... This book is a carefully structured contribution to multidisciplinary working with much to offer the education practitioner working in the SEND area." - John Perry, nasen Special "This is a well-conceived and constructed book. The logically arranged content uses a solid educational process, designed to help the reader embed the issues discussed, throughout. It is designed to meet the needs of a new generation of health professionals in child assessment for learning difficulty related issues. This is particularly timely as new discoveries in neurology are accelerating understanding and earlier diagnosis. At the same time, Government policy is leading to an expanding workforce in public health, especially in the health visitors with most child and family contact. This increased workforce will be better placed to utilise the knowledge illuminated by a text of this kind." – Dr Bill Whitehead, Assistant Subject Head, Nursing, Radiography and Healthcare Practice, University of Derby, UK "This book is a veritable goldmine of practical information, useful as an everyday resource for specialists in the field and as an invaluable reference book for generalists, such as teachers, health visitors and school nurses. Anyone looking to advise service users about their rights will also find much food for thought in the amount of detail given, as the text traces the multiple changes in policy across the years. Whilst these mainly apply to England, much of the information is potentially useful as a general guide elsewhere. Above all, sound science and well considered underlying theory underpins the strongly ethical, human rights and social stance, which is threaded throughout the book." – Emeritus Professor Dame Sarah Cowley, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, King’s College London, UK.