Читать книгу Introduction to Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology - Robert Weis - Страница 21

Each subsection is organized by questions rather than by headings. For example, Chapter 6, on autism spectrum disorder, includes the following subsections: How Is Autism Spectrum Disorder Identified and Diagnosed? How Can We Use Applied Behavior Analysis to Treat Autism? and Is Medication Effective for Children With Autism? Questions like these serve three purposes:

1 They focus students’ reading. The questions are essentially learning objectives that are placed immediately before their relevant portion of the text. Consequently, they help students focus on salient topics regarding the description, causes, and treatments for each disorder.

2 They motivate students to read. Interesting, relevant questions prompt students to read the text and find answers. How common are childhood disorders? How does a child’s gender affect her likelihood of being diagnosed? Is the combination of medication and therapy more effective than either treatment alone? Questions like these spark interest and motivate students to learn more.

3 They facilitate learning. Psychologists know that completing practice tests and elaborating on one’s reading are two of the most effective strategies to promote learning and memory (Dunlosky, Rawson, Marsh, Nathan, & Willingham, 2013). The questions that appear throughout this book allow students to prepare for exams as they read and test their learning by comparing their answers with the section summaries. Students can also use these summaries to quickly review main points prior to class.