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Emotional Development in Atypical Children
edited by Michael Lewis and Margaret Wolan Sullivan Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 1996 286 pages
Inadequate socioemotional development is often the reason why many children with disabilities are first identified. Beyond initial identification purposes, the assessment of socioemotional development often serves as the most salient variable with regard to diagnostic classification, school placement, and recommendations for psychological and behavioral treatment. With such important decisions at stake, it is critical that researchers and practitioners alike are guided by a strong foundation in the normative socioemotional development for children with both normal and atypical development. Resources that delineate the normative emotional development of children without developmental problems are plentiful; however, finding a similar source of information for children with identified problems is more challenging. The book, Emotional Development in Atypical Children, edited by Michael Lewis and Margaret Wolan Sullivan, successfully addresses this challenge by providing a compact, yet comprehensive, discussion of socioemotional development in children with developmental, emotional, and behavioral problems.
This book consists of 12 chapters that cover a vast array of topics and populations, including children with autism, Down syndrome, shyness, and externalizing disorders. In the preface, the editors indicate that their intended audience includes researchers, clinicians, and educators. The editors also report that their intended purpose is to bring attention to the emotional development and skills of atypical children and to identify new areas of study and intervention. Each chapter addresses these goals through use of a similar format.
Chapter 1 provides a strong foundation in...