Abnormal Child Psychology: A Developmental Perspective [Hardcover]

Linda Wilmshurst (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

I would recommend this book for publication. I would use a book like this for a child psychopathology or a developmental psychopathology course at the advance undergraduate or introductory graduate level. I would be more likely, however, to use it as a supplemental text for the child psychopathology class. - Carlos F. Pozzi, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Wheaton College, USA

Linda Wilmhurst has uniquely presented the information of abnormal behavior in child and adolescents in a refreshing way. Although the material can be found in many different places, Wilmhurst has integrated the material so that students can understand the complexity of the field and that there are many facets of the issues that must be explored when explaining abnormal development in children and adolescents….This work clearly relates the material in the field by gathering salient concepts and information and presenting it within a developmental contextual frame so that a novice could process the information easier. I think this book would compete most closely with the text by Mash and Wolfe 3^rd Ed. But I think Wilmhurst’s approach is significantly more integrated and more understandable for a student who is unfamiliar with the theoretical and developmental context of psychopathology…The K3 paradigm is an excellent pedagogical tool to facilitate content integration…I strongly recommend this book for publication. - Suzanne Morin, Associate Professor of Psychology, Shippensburg University, USA

This text is particularly appealing in its presentation of developmental problems on a continuum, that is, distinguishing ‘normal’ variations of development from mild impairment from more severe impairment…its unique contribution is in the presentation of case examples along the continuum of normal to abnormal…an excellent tool in helping students understand the broader context of children’s behavioral disorders and in helping students distinguish garden variety behavior problems from more severe disorders. - Elizabeth Soliday, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Washington State University at Vancouver, Canada

Product Description

Abnormal Child Psychology: A Developmental Perspective is intended for undergraduate and Masters-level students enrolled in courses in Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology. Written from a developmental perspective, the book is organized around five prominent and recurring themes: the course of normal development proceeds in an orderly and predictable direction; maladaptive behaviors represent deviations from the normal path; maladaptive behavior is represented by a continuum of severity (symptoms, syndromes, disorders) based on the degree to which behaviors deviate from the norm; individual, interpersonal, contextual and cultural factors interact in a reciprocal way to influence normal development and abnormal deviations; theoretical input from diverse perspectives can guide our understanding of underlying processes that precipitate and maintain behaviors and the different developmental pathways that might result.

The text provides students with a learning model which incorporates three essential cornerstones, which are pivotal to understanding child and adolescent psychopathology: the K3 paradigm that consists of knowledge of developmental expectations, knowledge of the sources of influence, and knowledge of the theoretical models. Each chapter opens with a case illustration to highlight the themes of the material that follows. The chapters conclude with a Summary Review, Glossary of New Terms and a Set of Review Questions.    

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 648 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (August 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415953634
• ISBN-13: 978-0415953634
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #800,820 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for school psychologists..., June 6, 2009

By	Steve "On the road to find out." (Western Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Abnormal Child Psychology: A Developmental Perspective (Hardcover)

It's been a while since I got my school psych degree, and my texts are getting dated. I wanted a psychopathology book that would have up-to-date research in it. Wilmshurt's book is an excellent source for this and more. The book is broken up into many short chunks of information. This might be disruptive to some, but it fits well with my short attention span! There is a lot of focus on the relevance of the information to the school settings. She even does a good job of comparing IDEA definitions with DSM and other definitions. Highly recommended for MH or public ed people in the States that work with school-aged kids. A+. -steve k. Western Wa.