Chapter 21: Atypical development

Question 1

Williams syndrome

Answer 1

rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by deletion of about 26 genes from the long arm of chromosome 7

Question 2

developmental delay

Answer 2

delayed but normal path of development

Question 3

developmental difference

Answer 3

qualitatively different path of development

Question 4

lexical development

Answer 4

development of vocabulary

Question 5

atypical trajectory

Answer 5

sequence of development that departs from the typical sequence

Question 6

autism spectrum disorder

Answer 6

spectrum of psychological conditions characterised by widespread abnormalities of social interactions and communication, as well as severely restricted interest and highly repetitive behaviour

Question 7

congenital blindness

Answer 7

condition of being born unable to see or with severe visual impairment

Question 8

eye-tracking methodology

Answer 8

technology of eye-tracking allows automated recording of eye movements, and allows precise measures of visual behaviour

Question 9

mesosystem

Answer 9

in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, refers to the relation between different microsystems; e.g. relation between school and family

Question 10

exosystem

Answer 10

in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, this refers to the variety of influences like the mass media, the neighbours and family friends

Question 11

macrosystem

Answer 11

in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, this refers to the cultural level of influence

Question 12

chronosystem

Answer 12

in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, refers to the sociocultural events over the life course

Question 13

Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model

Answer 13

influential model that places individual human development into the wider context of interaction with the immediate environment, as well as the larger context

Question 14

microsystem

Answer 14

in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model refers to the individual child, their characteristics and the setting where interpersonal relationships relevant at the different points in the lifespan take place

Question 15

inhibitory control

Answer 15

ability to overcome a prepotent motor response

Question 16

joint attention

Answer 16

activity in which 2 individuals attend to the same object/ event

Question 17

central coherence hypothesis of autism

Answer 17

view that autism is due to lack of central coherence, which is reflected in the tendency to process information piecemeal rather than to integrate it

Question 18

executive function hypothesis of autism

Answer 18

view that autism is due to a deficit in executive function (i.e. skills pertaining to inhibiting inappropriate responses, planning, being mentally flexible, and generating novel ideas)

Question 19

theory of mind hypothesis of autism

Answer 19

view that people with autism have difficulties in understanding that others have thoughts and beliefs

Question 20

specific language impairment (SLI)

Answer 20

developmental language disorder that can affect both production and comprehension and that is unrelated to other atypicalities in development

Question 21

amniocentesis

Answer 21

medical procedure used in prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities and foetal infections, in which a small amount of amniotic fluid, which contains foetal tissues, is extracted from the amnion or amniotic sac surrounding a developing foetus, and the foetal DNA is examined for genetic abnormalities

Question 22

chromosomal structural abnormalities

Answer 22

atypical number of chromosomes/ structural abnormality in one or more chromosomes