Adhd and Piaget's Theories

PART ONE

What is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder? ADHD is a behavioral disorder that is neurodevelopmental in origin—meaning it is caused by a biological problem with the brain functions that control emotions and learning (Low Birthweight in Newborns). Symptoms of this disorder range from mild to severe, and not all children will have the same symptoms. Although no main source is known to cause this disorder, doctors and researchers believe that ADHD symptoms are linked to neurodevelopmental problems (Low Birth Weight in Newborns). Studies are being done to conclude other possible causes, including low birth weight. Low birth weight is a term used to describe babies who are born weighing less than three pounds, four ounces, almost four pounds less than the average newborn (Low Birth Weight in Newborns). We know that babies born with low birth weight face a higher risk of health problems, and researchers are now finding that they are also more susceptible of developing ADHD (O’Brien). The study of 30,000 children in the Archives of Diseases in Childhood found an increase of ADHD in children with low birth weight. These Danish researchers also found that babies born at less than thirty-four weeks were three times more likely to develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder than babies born between thirty-four and thirty-six weeks (ADHD Linked to Premature Birth). Up to this point, researches had found a link between low birth weight and ADHD, but the studies had been done on babies born at or before twenty-eight weeks (ADHD Linked to Premature Birth). The overall weight of the child’s brain at thirty-four weeks is only 65% of what it would weigh at full term; therefore, it is speculated that premature birth results in the disruption to the maturational processes of the brain (O’Brien). Researchers believe this is the link between low birth weight and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder concerning brain development (O’Brien). It is

Cited: "ADHD Linked to Premature Birth." BBC News. BBC, 06 Apr. 2006. Web. 30 May 2013. "Low Birthweight in Newborns." Low Birthweight in Newborns Approach at CHB. Boston Children 's Hospital, n.d. Web. 30 May 2013. O 'Brien, Dina, Dr. "The Relationship Between Prematurity and ADHD." Hand to Hold. N.p., 4 Jan. 2012. Web. 30 May 2013. PART TWO There are four stages to Piaget’s cognitive development: Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, and Formal Operational. During early stages, from birth to twenty-four months, infants are only aware of what is right in front of them. The child focuses on their environment around them, and relies on seeing, touching, and feeling to learn things about themselves. According to Piaget, the most important development during this stage is the concept of “object permanence,” which occurs around seven to nine months. Object permanence is the awareness that object still exists, even when it can no longer be seen. For example, if you were to hide a toy under a blanket, a child who has developed object permanence knows that the toy is there and can find it. A child who has not developed object permanence believes the toy has disappeared. By the end of the Sensorimotor stage, an infant has began crawling, standing, and walking, and also have begun early language development. The second stage of Piaget’s cognitive development is known as the Preoperational Stage, occurring between the ages of two and seven. During this stage, the child can engage in symbolic play, and have developed an imagination. This child may use an object to represent something else, such pretending that a broom is a horse. An important feature a child displays during this stage is egocentrism. This refers to the child’s inability to see a situation from another person’s point of view. To test whether or not children are egocentric, Piaget used the ‘Three Mountain Task’. Piaget concluded that the four-year olds thinking was egocentric, as the seven year olds was not. Children, at this stage, do not understand more complex concepts such as cause and effect, time, and comparison. The third stage is the Concrete Operational Stage, which occurs around age seven to age eleven. This stage marks the beginning of logical or operational thoughts for the child. Their thinking becomes less egocentric, and the child can now understand that although the appearance of something changes, the “thing” itself does not. For example, if a child decided to spread out a pile of blocks, they know there are still as many blocks as there were before, even though it looks different. The last stage of Piaget’s cognitive development is known as the Formal Operational Stage, which occurs between the ages of eleven and sixteen. Adolescents have now gained the ability to think in an abstract matter, and can now understand things such as science and algebra. The most distinct difference between the Concrete Operational stage, and the Formal Operational stage, is known as inferential thinking. A child who needs to draw a picture or use objects is still in the Concrete Operational Stage, whereas a child who can reason an answer in their head in the Formal Operational stage. They can also formulate hypotheses and consider different possibilities. For example, a child who has progressed to this stage could now hypothesize what will happen to a plant in the absence of water.