Our class tends to focus on typical development—how “most” children/adolescents think and behave.

But there are many cases where development diverges, such as with developmental exceptionality

(children who differ in functioning, skills, impairments, etc.).

This assignment gives you the opportunity to learn more about a developmental exceptionality of your

choice, and to share what you have learned with your classmates.

For this assignment, working either alone or with your group, you are to:

1. Select one exceptionality seen in childhood and/or adolescence. You can certainly select an

exceptionality that is seen across the lifespan, but you should focus on its’ manifestations in

childhood/adolescence.

Possible exceptionalities include (but are not limited to):

• ADHD

• Autism

• Giftedness

• Deafness

• Conduct Disorder

• Schizophrenia

• Eating Disorders (ie, anorexia, bulimia)

• Specific Learning Disorders (ie, dyslexia, dyscalculia)

• Intellectual Disability

• Physical Disability

• Anxiety Disorders

• Depression

2. Read and research to gain a general knowledge of the exceptionality. For disorders, a good place to

start is with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Version 5 (DSM-5), which can

be accessed through UBC library. We’ve also posted a few starter resources on Canvas to begin your

reading.

You’ll want to be familiar with the criteria for a child having this exceptionality, the characteristics,

developmental progression (typical onset, etc.), risk factors, and possible treatments/supports.

3. Locate and read 1 recent empirical research article (published in 2010 or later) on the exceptionality.

This research article can examine the prevalence of the exceptionality, the presentation of the

exceptionality, risk factors, treatments, support, cultural variations, etc. Good places to begin your

search for articles are either Google Scholar () or PsycINFO (through UBC library: ). You want to look

for empirical studies—ie, those where new research is conducted (vs. a review article, chapter, or

book). A useful hint here is to make sure the article has methods and results sections! If you’re

having trouble telling whether the article you’ve found is empirical research, check in with Lily/TAs!4. Create a poster or presentation teaching your fellow classmates about this exceptionality. The

format is up to you—a PDF poster, infographic, Prezi presentation, video presentation, etc—just

think about how you can best convey the information. You should include:

• A general description of the exceptionality: prevalence, characteristics, risk factors, etc.

• Connections to course concepts (ie, how children with this exceptionality differ from the typical

development discussed in our course)

• A summary of the research article’s main questions and findings

• A list of references in APA style.

Your poster/presentation should be 600-800 words, not including figures/images. Bullet-point style is

encouraged! All sources must be cited in-text and in a reference list, using APA format. Your reference

list is not part of the word limit.

This assignment is a “gallery walk” in that everyone’s assignment will be (anonymously) visible to

classmates—so that everyone else can learn about these examples of developmental exceptionality too!