Developmental psychopathology as domain of research on atypical development

The main aim of the analysis is to present the area of interest of developmental psychopathology and to answer the question why this domain enables a new perspective in the research on the nature of psychological disorders. After a brief presentation of the history of birth of this new domain and its actual status, it is worthwhile to defi ne the key concepts of developmental psychopathology and to reveal the specifi city of its theoretical claims as well as empirical studies. Moreover, the aims of further research were shown.

Behavioral therapy of developmental disorders from the standpoint of behavior analysis

The article presents the characteristics and methods of therapy of developmental disorders; these methods are derived from the theory of learning and are collectively called behavioral therapy. This presentation takes the standpoint of behavior analysis i.e. a science concerned with behavior and environmental variables which affect it. The article starts with a brief overview of the most basic assumptions of behavior analysis and of the main areas of its applications. Three essential goals of behavioral therapy of developmental disorders have been indicated, and the most important methods used to achieve these goals were described. It has been suggested to classify methods of behavioral therapy according to various kinds of learning from which they are derived and to the laws of learning that constitute the mechanism of their work. Conclusion of this article emphasizes empirically proven effectiveness of behavioral therapy in the treatment of developmental disorders.

Behavioural analysis of self-aggressive behavior among people with developmental disorders

The aim of the article is to present the causes of self-destructive behavior among intellectually disabled patients according to behavioral theory. We will provide 5 hypotheses on the occurrence of self-injurious behavior: 1) self-aggression as learnt behavior under the control of positive reinforcement, 2) self-aggression as acquired behavior resulting from avoiding an aversive stimulus (under the control of negative reinforcement), 3) self-aggression as a means of supplying oneself with stimuli (the self-stimulation hypothesis), 4) self-aggression resulting from improper
functioning of physiological processes (the organic hypothesis), 5) self-aggression resulting from several of the above-mentioned reasons.

Integration of therapeutic paradigms and methods of treatments of autistic children

During the past years therapists working with adults have tended to combine basic theoretical streams and create new therapeutic methods (Styła, Jędrasik-Styła, 2009). There are many treatments recommended for children with autism, but they are less integrated on a theoretical level than treatments for adults. In this article common aspects of methods such as applied behavior analysis and sensory integration were presented and possibilities for their theoretical integration were analyzed.

Behavioral intervention in cases of extreme food selection

The aim of the article will be to present the applied procedure and the results of studies on its effectiveness in the case of two children displaying an extreme form of food selection, i.e. refusing to eat. The first child, a two-year-old boy, was only breastfed at the start of the therapy, at which point he weighed 8,200 grams (well below the third centile in weight). The other child, a girl aged three, ate only yoghurt and one type of soup during a given period, while her weight remained within the third centile. In both cases behavioural intervention consisting in increasing food acceptance led to the increase in the number of eaten meals and in weight

Parenting stress and parental perceptions of parents of autistic children involved in different forms of therapy

Parents of children with autism face a number of problems related to their children’s specific developmental disabilities. A signifi cant factor affecting the scope and severity of the parents’ difficulties is availability of professional help for their children. So far we have limited knowledge of the relationship between the type of therapeutic intervention provided for the child and the level of parental stress and parents’ perception of their parenting experiences. The purpose of the present study was to compare two groups of parents of autistic preschool children: those receiving regular, intensive behavioral therapy delivered at a therapy centre, and those using eclectic consultative-internet therapy. The comparison included parental stress profile and positive perception of parenting experience. The study also included parents of typically developing children. The comparisons revealed a number of differences between the parents of autistic children and the parents of typically developing children, as well as some differences between the stress profi les in the two groups of parents of autistic children. In addition, a positive perception of parenting experience was shown to be a viable predictor of parental stress.

Sprawozdanie z VI Międzynarodowego Sympozjum Naukowego Polskiego Towarzystwa Psychologii Behawioralnej

Kraków, 19–20 marca 2010

RECENZJA:

J. Morton (2004), Understanding Developmental Disorders. A Causal Modelling Approach. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing