Providing a meaningful framework for understanding the material, this book is written with the whole child in mind and discusses disorders in connection with the different stages of development. Four themes recur throughout the book, each based on developmental psychopathology, an interdisciplinary approach that asserts that maladaptive patterns of emotion, cognition, and behavior occur in the context of normal development. First, the authors include multi-factor explanations of disorders, including biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors. Second, they emphasize developmental frameworks and developmental pathways; for instance, considering disorders in the order in which they typically appear in a child's life. They also focus on the child-in-context, calling attention to the multiple settings in which the child is embedded. Finally, they emphasize the importance of a broad view that considers the whole child and his or her patterns of interest, abilities, and strengths, rather than a narrow view of a disorder or developmental delay. This holistic approach, which reflects the most up-to-date understanding of child and adolescent psychopathology, will teach you to think about disorders in terms of the individual children who are coping with distress and dysfunction.