Comprehensive assignment associated with the course Developmental Neuropsychology: Neuropsychological testing in children: Assignment of the Apple Dog Animal task
Grade: 8.2
Developmental
Neuropsychology
Assessment Neuropsychological Testing in Children
Word count: 1477/997
, 1. Theoretical part
Typical brain development depends on the interaction between genetic and environmental
factors (Babenko et al., 2015). Development of cognitive functions during childhood relies on
an interaction of experience and maturational changes in the brain (Richardson et al., 2018).
For example, increase myelinization of axons is related to improved processing speed
(Chevalier et al., 2015). Disturbances in brain development due to genetic and/or
environmental risk factors can therefore have a significant impact on cognitive outcome.
Therefore, identifying deviations from normal developmental trajectory as early as possible is
crucial for effective intervention strategies.
Early identification of impairments is of particular significance for attentional
functions as attention is a fundamental building block for other cognitive functions. During
development, children are constantly exposed to complex environments and therefore need to
prioritize sensory information that is most relevant. In addition, they need attentional
resources to complete tasks despite distractions, but also need to know when to redirect their
attention when activities are ineffective (Ruff and Rothbart, 1996). Without proper attentional
functions, acquisition of new knowledge and skills will be impaired.
The development of attention is characterised by a transition from attention that is
strongly determined by novel stimuli, to attention that is more strongly determined by
cognitive processes (such as goal-directed behaviour; Ruff & Rothbart, 1996). However,
attention is not a unitary construct; different components of attention can be distinguished
with unique developmental trajectories. Although there is no general consensus, several
attentional components are frequently reported in literature: vigilance/sustained attention,
selective attention and attentional control (Anderson et al., 2019). Therefore, cognitive
assessment should comprise of multiple tasks to gain a complete perspective on the attentional
functions of an individual child. However, the rate at which children develop varies, which
poses a challenge for the neuropsychologist because outcomes of assessment need to be
interpreted while taking individual variability into account. Reliable and valid age-
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller j0v1d2a3. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $7.00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
