Cognitive Development Theory for Kids With Disabilities

Infant Development

• The first stage of cognitive development occurs in infancy, according to psychologist Erik Erikson. Infants who receive consistent love and care from adults learn to see the world as being essentially safe. This provides the foundation for them to explore and develop their cognitive skills. Infants who receive inconsistent care or lack of affection learn to think of the world as threatening and caregivers as untrustworthy. Infants who develop a sense of trust tend to do better in all aspects of cognitive development than those who do not. An infant whose parents are struggling with the demands of caring for a disabled child may suffer from a failure to develop trust. This can also occur when parents are afraid to become attached to a child with severe medical problems.

Toddler Development

• The second stage of cognitive development occurs during the toddler years. The toddler begins to move away from complete dependence on caregivers and starts to learn how to interact with others while developing motor skills through play. Theory of mind, or the ability to attribute thoughts and feelings to other people, develops at this stage. A 2009 study by researchers Giaouri, Alevriadou and Tsakiridou at the University of Western Macedonia found that children with Down Syndrome and other intellectual disabilities had trouble developing theory of mind. Physical disabilities can cause delays in cognitive development at this stage if parents become so protective of the child that they discourage the toddler's desire for more autonomy. When this occurs, the toddler may become overly passive and dependent instead of continuing to develop along with peers.

School Years

• During the grade school years, most children are constantly developing new physical, social and verbal skills through play, classroom experiences and socialization with other children. A child with disabilities may lag behind in any of these areas even if the disability has no direct effect on the skill in question. For instance, a child with impaired motor skills may be perfectly capable of developing social and language skills equivalent to those of other children, but may have less opportunities to practice those skills because of lack of confidence, apathy or overprotective parenting.

Intervening Effectively

• Children with disabilities can make much better progress with all areas of cognitive development if their parents and other caregivers are aware of what they need and when they need it. Infants need as much affection and physical closeness as possible. Toddlers need to be encouraged to try new things and take chances and to keep trying when they don't succeed right away. Schoolchildren need to be encouraged to participate in activities with other children and to become as self-sufficient as possible depending on their individual conditions. With the help of caregivers, many children with disabilities can progress through the stages of cognitive development at their own rate.