Development is about Pattern, influence, monitoring, interventions, and transitions the skills and knowledge of a child so neural growth affects the way that children are able to think. Personal factors that may influence children and young people’s development. There are many reasons and factors why a child is not following the expected pattern of development. Children may be emotionally unsettled due to a number of reasons. Family life plays a significant part in a child’s development.
If for instance the child is living with parents who constantly argue and fight this will have an effect on the child and cause stress. Also if the child is from a one parent family there may be difficulties as a parent trying to juggle everything on their own may not have as much time to spend nurturing and boosting a child’s development. The child may be at a disadvantage environmentally due to poor housing or area in which they live with little access to amenities which can cause stress to parents which will affect the child’s physical, communicative, social, and moral aspects, of development.
Some children have a poor diet and this can affect their growth and affects the physical side of development. Also some children’s genetic code may affect the pattern in which they develop. This could mean that they are slower to develop but no reason is found. These all play a part cultural issues that may affect a child’s development as well as health status, disability, sensory impairment and learning difficulties are all part of looking at child development, we look at the following five Aspects.
Pattern, influence, monitoring, interventions, transitions within Physical - This is how a child masters movements the child develops increased strength this will enable child to gain independence. Children will develop at different rates and in many different ways, although the sequence of how they develop is relatively the same. Communication – This is about learning to communicate with other people and understanding their communications. Talking, reading and writing and also use of gestures are all examples of skills that most children learn.
Communication and language development are linked to cognitive development because more sophisticated communication involves thinking about what others are trying to convey as well as thinking about what you are trying to express. Social emotional and behavioural– This area of development is about relationships and also about understanding oneself. Being able to feel sorry for someone or knowing what behaviour is acceptable are examples of skills that children learn. This area is closely tied to cognitive and language development.
Morals- this is in relation to social development children need to know what socially acceptable behaviour is, this will help to build a successful relationship. Understanding what is right and wrong is important to, boundaries in the setting should be clear. Health Status - Delayed cognitive skills, poor concentration levels due to family life, personal problems, disability’s, if a child suffers from health issues such as asthma, it may make them unable to take part in activities which will affect the overall development.
A child with learning difficulties, physical disabilities or sensory deficiencies (blindness & deafness) will make it unable for them to socialize and work with other children. This is a huge part in helping their development. They may also be withdrawn and made feel like they don’t belong. Many of the above have an effect on there health, this may be limited in what they can do, poor attendance due to illness which can then lead to problems building relationships in life feeling left out isolated.
Sensory Impairment - Delayed interaction socially, delayed speech and language, difficulty listening in noisy environments, many children also face other challenges, such as medical conditions or physical disabilities. A very small number of children and young people with SI can be blind and deaf, but most have some useful vision and/or hearing. It may not be clear at first how well a child can see or hear, especially if they have other problems and this will have to be assessed on an ongoing bases with test done.
They don’t experience the world in the same way as sighted hearing people their whole knowledge and experience of the world is different. Sight and hearing are often called the distance senses because they give us information about what’s happening all around us. Touch, taste and the balance senses are close senses, giving information only about what is happening now, within arm’s reach. Smell gives some distance information, but it’s much less useful to us than sight and hearing. Sight and hearing provide most of the information we need to learn and function.
When one distance sense is impaired, information from the other can be used to compensate to some degree – for example, a deaf person lip-reading. People with single sensory impairments can also use their more developed sense to keep in contact with the world around them. Children and young people with multi-sensory impairment (MSI), however, cannot use either of the distance senses to compensate. In addition, many children and young people with MSI have impairments of other senses, as well as sight and hearing.
They may have poor balance, limited movement, under- or over-sensitive touch or an impaired sense of smell. Learning to do things differently will test not only them but there family’s as to the way they can adapt. Learning Difficulties - Easily distracted, delayed cognitive skills, memory difficulties, co-dependency of other areas of development may be disadvantaged if a child had specific difficulties. Each child will achieve milestones in development whether physically, mentally, creatively or emotionally. With a child with learning difficulties these milestones will take longer to achieve.
From disruptive to disastrous, learning difficulties certainly impact on the lives of sufferers, their family and friends. They compromise everyday quality of life in so many ways, especially when children are involved. Learning difficulties often affect people of normal and above-average intelligence, who simply struggle to do those things most of us take for granted. The child will learn to cope with learning strategies and general avoidance. Trouble is, the young tears and tantrums, are hard to ignore, especially when the underlying problem is not of their doing.
Poverty and Deprivation - Low self-esteem and expectations, poor diet, low concentration levels, lack of opportunities, poor health. Family Environment and Background - Children from poor/low income families are more likely to develop behavioural problems, strong relationships in the family environment has a positive impact on a child's social and emotional and cognitive development, may influence personal choices. Personal choices - Develops communication skills, children feel their opinions are respected and valued which also boosts confidence and self-esteem, and sense of self.
Looked After/Care Status - May find it difficult to trust others and build strong relationships, may develop behavioural problems, may be withdrawn and prefer solitary play Intervention - Early intervention is a system of coordinated services that promotes the child's age appropriate growth and development and supports families during the critical early years. This can help prevent child abuse and neglect, mitigate the effects of abuse and neglect, improve parenting skills, strengthen families and improve the child's developmental, social, and educational gains.
Reduce the feeling of isolation, stress and frustration that families may experience. You will also find that help reduces behaviours by using positive behaviour strategies and interventions. Children with disabilities grow up to become productive, independent individuals and this stops them feeling left out and unwelcomed as if they don’t belong. The earlier children at high risk from abuse or neglect, or children with disabilities receive assistance and the sooner their families receive support towards their child's development the better the outcome.
The health professionals are always available from social workers to doctors and nurses and health visitors, to psychologists a psychiatrists and speech and language therapist Through the ages From babes this is usually very rapid early on in the child’s development. Within weeks of being born a baby will start to smile and respond to sounds and environments around them. By 6 months as their muscles begin to develop they will reach for and hold objects which they will also put into their mouths, baby will start to enjoy making new and different sounds and will display their feelings in crying, laughing, squealing.
Babies tend to sit up before they crawl, and crawl before they walk. Within weeks of birth, young babies will begin smiling, and responding to sounds around them, babies from 6 months will start to sit up and crawl, enjoy new tastes and textures of foods and use their hand eye coordination to hold onto objects.
Problems you may come across are you feel unable to meet your baby's needs most of the time you see your baby in a negative or are disappointed with your child, you do not feel able to respond to the baby, your baby does not usually calm most of the time when picked up, your baby has a high pitched cry and no real smile until around 8 weeks. Children are different and may develop at different rates. So if your child does not do all the things in this it may be because your child is working on some different area of learning and development and early intervention will help. From 12 months the child will learn how to hold onto things to make it easier, they will learn to kick and throw things like balls toys and other objects.
They will also have understanding of toileting and where there need to go. From about the age of 2 years old – they begin to understand the consequences to their actions and what happens to others their speech will begin to develop as they start to respond and understand more words when they are listening, and also start to copy sounds such as their name. Problems may arise like does not show pleasure when child sees familiar people also the child is not making eye contact or cannot be reassured by mother or close carer.
It is a good idea to check with your community child health nurse or a doctor if you feel that there is a problem. From 1-3 years the child starts developing balance, coordination, stability, and an improved ability to manipulate objects like balls, playground equipment, cutlery, crayons, and other objects. The child develops increased strength throughout this next stage and uses skills to master challenges in the environment, such as stairs, to also include walking with toys pushing pulling and grabbing things, they may start to use one hand more than another showing preference in how they hold items.
There may be a problem if a child is still mostly silent while playing or does not respond when others talk to them or the child is not able to point to objects when they are named uses signs, grunts or gestures only when the child wants something. Always encourage and nurture. 3-6 years during this time they can kick balls, stand and hop on one foot jump, do a forward roll, and run quickly. They also begin to skip and in addition to running and walking. Also at this stage the pre-schoolers manipulate small objects, such as pencils, brushes or scissors.
They can cut on a line with scissors, fold paper and draw a person During this time children begin to be able to play cooperatively with other children some of the time learn about sharing and taking turns they also learn to separate from parent more easily in familiar surroundings and become more independent and resistant to help from parents, they also start to support other children who are distressed, and they can start to be involved in complicated make believe play due to memories they have started to build and thing that they have seen.
At this age they learn to climb ladders and trees stand, walk and run on tiptoes ride a tricycle skilfully, turning safely stand on one foot for several second, be reliable with toileting, though they may still have 'accidents' when stressed, tired or if they forget to go to the toilet, they may have been too busy. Many will still wet the bed but in time with encouragement they will grow out of this. Other things they will start to enjoy like helping adults with daily activities.
They also show improved skills in ball games. At this age there may be a problem if the child does not yet interact with other children or with adults through play or becomes excessively aggressive or withdrawn with other children something could be amiss at home, also they may play in repetitious, stereotyped ways. Other things to look out for would be not doing these activities as well as other children of the same age. 6 – 9 years on they will be able to draw numbers letters and practice writing their name.
Children will also be able to ride a bike play games solve puzzles and show increased confidence when climbing/playing outside they will also be able to play as a team, form friendships, and connect with others well. Children continue to build on their language both written and spoken. They will be able to hold conversations and imagine and recall stories. Their knowledge of books will continue as they understand the meaning of text and begin to recognise letters, sounds and words. They also have a clear sense of right and wrong by this age.
Many children place great emphasis on the development of their own physical ability sometimes misjudge their ability before they reach the age nine. Being able to do handstands, hit the ball, ride fast, etc often carries considerable status within the peer group, they are also able to pour water into a bowl or cup and string beads easily. Their drawings become more recognizable, and they are able to explain what happens in the picture. Their block buildings become taller, larger and more complex, including towers, roads, furniture, etc. particularly for boys.
Children of this age will really appreciate an adult watching their efforts with a realistic and encouraging attitude. Generally speaking energy levels are high and they will be able to draw a picture of a house and will include the garden and sky, be able to ride a two wheeler bike like to climb and swim and be able to throw and catch a ball. As parent we can listen to their stories encourage them in a realistic way, Watch them in their physical endeavours. Give them a little individual time each day as supporting them will help the get the confidence they need to grow.
10 – 11 years – skills will still be developing but in a more complex manner. Their humour may change as they begin to understand and use sarcasm and wit. Their ability to think logically begins to mature and as their intellect increases so too may the confidence and skills required to debate/argue both formally and informally. Have a understanding of rules so everyone can live happily alongside each other. Many children’s body will begin to change shape over the next few years. Girls will grow buds of breasts at ten or eleven, her hips will take shape and she may begin to menstruate at eleven or twelve.
Eleven is an early start for a first period and even at twelve and thirteen girls are not always emotionally prepared and welcoming of this powerful sign of approaching fertility. When her periods begin your daughter may be proud and excited to be growing up like all her friends or she may, in the back of her mind, be anxious about approaching adolescence and the complications that this introduces into her life. Her biology demands that she be a woman soon - whether she likes it or not! How she feels about it will be strongly affected by her impression of how well adult life has treated her mother and the women close to her.
Womanhood may seem rich and pleasurable or scary and hard. For the boys the physical changes and emotional challenges are not so dramatic for boys at this age, as they tend to mature physically a little later than girls. However around twelve some boys experience masturbation and nocturnal emissions. Boys of this age can be very competitive and success at sport, or his social position in the playground may be close to your son's heart and a source of concern for him. Things to look out for and be aware of are the child can get a bit 'wobbly' around the eleven or twelve year mark.
They can get over-anxious or over-enthusiastic about approaching adolescence. Changing demands at school can show up some weaknesses for children who had coped happily enough until now and social life at school can be a competitive challenge. If your child's reading or writing is not up to average it may not be noticed until now and it's a chance to do something to help before high school. Talk with your child's teacher and get some advice and support. At these time you might need to seek another adults or health professional’s support.
Just remembering that the child still needs guidance and safe limits from the parents but they also need to be a little more independent. 12 and 19, they may need a great deal of reassurance as they approach adulthood. Their bodies are going through many physical changes and they may become very self-conscious. They will also be experiencing huge emotional changes which they may find difficult to control, shifting between childish and adult behaviour and needs. Their independence may cause them to distance themselves from parents and become closer to peers.
They will begin to think to their future adulthood in relation to occupations, relationships etc. The support and guidance given to children during this time will have a great bearing on the pace of their development. As a teenager forms their individual identity, education should guide them on moral, social, economic and culture codes. Parental beliefs and values will be questioned and often dismissed as the teenager builds their own value system. Strong friendships may be developed with others of the same sex, whilst an interest in the opposite sex begins to develop.
Between childhood and adulthood is referred to as adolescence during this period is very different in each child in most cases. Brains developing with increase in reaction times and co-ordination. The changes in your child’s body at this age are rapid and can be dramatic. Around 12, 13 and 14 girls will develop breasts and fat deposits around their hips and thighs. They begin to menstruate have periods, they may suffer cramping and find all the hygienic responsibilities that go with menstruation a burden, particularly if they have started early.
They grow pubic hair and many will mature radically in their facial features. These powerful signs of sexual maturing can be milestones to be proud of for some, but for others they are frightening signs of adulthood for which they feel unprepared. These dramatic physical changes come for boys more around 14, 15, and even 16 years, although nocturnal emissions wet dreams often begin at about 12 years old. They will have a period of pronounced and rapid growth spurt, when they seem to grow centimetres in their sleep.
They develop pubic hair and later facial hair; their voices deepen sometimes with embarrassing irregularity and they experience a massive boost of testosterone. Boys and girls alike often feel awkward and uncomfortable inhabiting these almost foreign bodies, and can, not surprisingly, be privately absorbed by whether the breasts/penis and arms/hips are too big or too small. Walking styles and posture can change to hide or underline some aspect of their physical development that they feel self-conscious about, although there is very little that the adolescent doesn’t feel self-conscious about when it comes to his or her body.
Adolescents are now capable of seeing the negative side of people and things they thought perfect in their childhood. Physical Development both girls and boys undergo radical physical changes - boys somewhat later than girls, the changes include hormonal changes which may affect mood these changes are self-absorbing for your adolescent and may be frightening it is a time of strength and physical dexterity and adolescents can reap satisfying rewards through sport.
Adolescents often feel some grief at the passing of their childhood and parent need to look out for the signs and support but also giving them time to themselves, they can feel strange about their bodies changing so fast. They are moving away from their family emotionally and become more independent and grown up their peer group is of utmost importance like friends from school or in job placements. The family is still the adolescent's strongest social support.
