Child Development: A Practitioner's Guide

Books on child development frequently present theory and research without reference to practice, while practice-oriented texts often deal with development superficially. This much-needed resource fills a crucial gap, focusing on how practitioners can apply the latest developmental knowledge to assessment and intervention with children and families. The book begins with a theoretical framework for understanding the transactions between individual development and the child's wider environments, examining the crucial roles of attachment and parenting and the ecology of risk and protective factors. Chapters then detail normal behavior and salient developmental tasks for infancy, toddlerhood, the preschool period, and middle childhood. Numerous case vignettes and observational examples bring the research to life and highlight special considerations for working with children with difficulties.

Douglas Davies, MSW, PhD, is Clinical/Practice Associate Professor at the School of Social Work and Lecturer in Psychiatry at the Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He is an infant mental health specialist, and has published several articles on intervention with young children and their families. In his practice, he works with children and families, supervises clinicians, and offers consultation to mental health agencies and child care centers. He frequently presents professional workshops on practice with infants and toddlers, play therapy, treatment of child witnesses of domestic violence, and developmental approaches to child therapy.