All teachers and professionals dealing with children with special educational needs must have an understanding of child development in order to make judgements, against some notions of normality, about children’s behaviour in terms of delay, disorder and diversity. This ground-breaking book provides a framework for understanding the physical, sensory, emotional, social, linguistic, and cognitive development of children, but especially those with special educational needs. Written for practitioners and students alike, it helps keep track of children’s developmental progress and provides a sound understanding and knowledge of the child in order to optimise learning opportunities. Although the book is essentially practical, the authors cover the theoretical ground which is vital in fully understanding cognitive development. The ability of the authors to explain accessibly how to put theory into practice is a key strength which the reader will appreciate.