Human Behavior, Learning, and the Developing Brain: Atypical Development

Thoroughly examining brain-behavior relationships in atypically developing children, this important volume integrates theories and data from multiple disciplines. Leading authorities present research on specific clinical problems, including autism, Williams syndrome, learning and language disabilities, ADHD, and issues facing infants of diabetic mothers. In addition, the effects of social stress and maltreatment on brain development and behavior are reviewed. Demonstrating the uses of cutting-edge methods from developmental neuroscience, developmental psychology, and cognitive science, the contributors emphasize the implications of their findings for real-world educational and clinical practices. Illustrations include eight pages in full color.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Christopher J. Graver, PhD(Madigan Army Medical Center)
Description:Human development is dynamic in nature, as is development gone awry. Atypical development can be understood through many perspectives that explore complex etiologies, necessitating a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and remediation. This book covers atypical development from many perspectives and attempts to bridge neuroscience knowledge and educational methods.
Purpose:The intent of this book is to present transdisciplinary research in cognitive neuroscience and developmental psychopathology. This is accomplished with a converging evidence approach to understanding atypical development.
Audience:This book will appeal to a wide audience of psychologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, educators, speech and language pathologists, and anyone else interested in developmental neuroscience. The editors are accomplished scholars in this field.
Features:The book tackles several specific disorders or diseases that affect development, such as autism, William's Syndrome, and dyslexia. Some chapters provide a brief overview of normal development before launching into the abnormalities of a particular syndrome. Notably, the chapters are not merely introductions, but take a sophisticated look at the syndromes. On the one hand, there is some overlap between chapters. On the other hand, the book covers only a handful of syndromes and it is unclear why these were selected over other, more prevalent syndromes. There are few figures and illustrations, although a book of this sort lends itself to more visual demonstrations of the subject. Additionally, readers will find that some chapter titles miss the mark, such as the one titled "Central Nervous System Substrates of Impulsivity," which is actually a chapter about ADHD that includes some information about impulsivity.
Assessment:In general, this is an interesting book. It provides a sophisticated review of current knowledge regarding particular syndromes and does so through a variety of experimental and clinical perspectives. There is, however, room for improvement. Readers looking for general information regarding neuroscience or atypical development will not find it here, but for those interested in the few syndromes covered in this book, it provides a valuable summary of the current literature.

Donna Coch, EdD, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Education at Dartmouth College. She earned a doctoral degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Oregon. Dr. Coch’s research focuses on what happens in the brain as children learn how to read, particularly in terms of phonological and orthographic processing. A goal of both her research and teaching is to make meaningful connections between the fields of developmental cognitive neuroscience and education.
 
Geraldine Dawson, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington, where she is also Director of the Autism Center. She is internationally recognized for her pioneering research on early diagnosis and brain function in autism and early biological risk factors for psychopathology. Dr. Dawson has published over 125 scientific articles and chapters and a number of books, and has been the recipient of continuous research funding from the National Institutes of Health for her studies on autism and child psychopathology.
 
Kurt W. Fischer, PhD, is Charles Bigelow Professor of Education and Human Development at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education and founder and director of the program in Mind, Brain, and Education. He studies cognitive and emotional development from birth through adulthood, combining analysis of the commonalities across people with the diversity of pathways of learning and development. Dr. Fischer is the author of several books and over 200 scientific articles, and is founding president of the International Mind, Brain, and Education Society and editor of its journal Mind, Brain, and Education.