Unit_1

1. Understand the expected pattern of development for children and young people from birth – 19 years 1.1 Development starts from when we are born right through to our old age and it refers to the process of maturing and developing skills, not of physical growth. There are five aspects of development, which are: Physical, Intellectual (cognitive), Communication, Social, emotional and behavioural, Moral Each child is an individual and will progress at their own rate, which gives the development norms a wide range of normal. Milestone chart Age Range Physical Intellectual Communication Social, behavioural And emotional Moral 0 –3 Bodies become stronger Co-ordinate movements( gross and motor skills) Age 1 , control of back and neck muscles, Support own head, Sit up Learn to stand and walk at approx 18 month Reach and grasp toys at 4 month (first palmer grasp then pincer grasp at about 10 month) Toddlers use hands as manipulative skills and hand eye co-ordination develops At 2 can scribble At 3 can thread large beads Recognise parent by sight, sound and smell Thinking skills develop to piece information together Toddlers use simple problem solving skills e.g. cause and effect Age 2 complete simple inset puzzles Age 3 understand basic concepts e.g. size, colour and shape Babies – crying, learn to babble, form first words Toddlers – under stand more than they can say Use gestures e.g. pointing to be understood Language skills develop Vocabulary expands At 3 – most have vocabulary of 200 words, use simple sentences. Babies – Totally dependent on adults. By 3 – confident and independent Egocentric – viewpoint centred on themselves Sharing and co-operating has to be learnt Learn acceptable and unacceptable behaviour Follow simple rules with guidance from adults 3 -5 Physically stronger Language skills develop rapid Increasingly independent and capable More body co-ordination with gross motor skills Learn to control their movements more skilfully Complete more complex tasks( fine motor skills, manipulative tasks By 5 – Hop, skip and most have dominant hand Understand more difficult concepts e.g. time Use problem solving skills to work things out By 5 – learning to read and write Vocabulary expands Constantly ask questions Communicate more confidently By 5 – communicate using complex sentences Start school , nursery learning through different situations to manage their feelings and behaviour better By 5 - separate easier from parents More independent e.g. going toilet alone More thoughtful towards others Understand right from wrong 5 -8 Develop more stamina and improved body co-ordination Enjoy team games Practice physical skills with exercise and outdoor play More skilful at manipulative skills by learning more challenging tasks By 6 – have legible hand writing and control and kick a football. By 8- ride a bike with stabilisers, create detailed drawings Develop reading, writing, listening and speaking skills Understand problem solving skills e.g. counting, calculating and estimating By 6- can do simple calculation By 8- tell the time Learn descriptive language and rules of grammar By 6- enjoy chatting By 8- telling jokes and complex conversations More mature and independent Friend ships are important- most having a best friend. Improved language skills Can express their feelings and manage behaviour in a more capable manner By 8- enjoy being part of a group and have stable friendships Concerned about rules e.g. fair and unfair Know when rules are being broken and remind others of rules 8 -12 Signs of puberty start in girls and menstruation can begin at 10 or 11 Boys start puberty later at 13 or 14 Thinking skills maturing Problem solving skills more developed Can interpret graphs, solve equations and calculations Read challenging texts Write complex stories Develop own slang words Enjoy chatting in groups of friends Can experience fear and anxiety due to changing of schools etc Feel peer pressure Rebel against parents and teachers Aware of consequences of their behaviour 12 -19 Girls complete process of puberty Body shape changes, breasts and hips develop Puberty starts in boys, voices get deeper, develop muscular body shape, facial and body hair Start to think about their future Pressures to achieve and succeed Communication skills expand in expressing themselves, discussing ideas and analysing information Experiment with ideas, feelings and behaviour Experience romantic relationships Become concerned about their appearance e.g. weight, body image Show interest in moral issues Experiment with cigarettes, alcohol, drugs and sexual relationships 1.2 All development happens in the same order, but can occur at different rates. The rate of development is important because it is unique. Children can develop at the same rate as other children, but as they are all individuals they will learn different skills in their own way. The sequence of development as explained above shows the different steps most children would follow in their development. 2. Understand the factors that influence children and young people’s development and how these affect practice. 2.1 There are many factors that are laid out below that can affect a child’s development. Learning difficulties Learning disabilities can cause a matter of issues, conditions such as ADHD, can have a big impact on allowing a child to develop as his/her peers due to the nature of the condition ie: rushing round, lack of concentration, outburst in the classroom. This can also cause issue when making and keeping friends as other children do not understand. Sensory impairment Hearing and sight problems are the more common causes of development delay it can be that a loss of hearing can result in speech and communication problems. Health Health conditions can cause developmental delays in children and young people and in some cases can create a range of disabilities. If a child has been subject to neglect/severe neglect, this can have a severe effect on a child’s development and future development. Disability There are a range of disabilities that. 2.2 There are also many external factors that can affect development such as: Family background Family values and culture have a big affect on development and the way adults interact, encourage and care for the child also have a big impact on the progress of the child and how they develop. The environment Housing condition, safety and opportunities for play and education can all influence how a child develops Poverty and deprivation Lack of money has a big effect on development leading to poor nutrition, reducing the child’s expectations and lack of opportunities can lead to lack of ambitions Looked after children (children in care) Children with in the care system can suffer from low self-esteem, attachment disorder, behavioral and emotion issues. Children within this category are generally more vulnerable and often suffer from a lack of stability, which have a knock on effect of their social and academic development. Personal choices Children can make personal choices for e.g. drug or alcohol use which can affect their chances in live and hinder development. In 1999 the government published a report called ‘Opportunity for All’ which states that the following problems prevent people (and so Children) from making the most of their lives. Lack of opportunities to work. Work is the most important route out of low income. But the consequences of being unemployed are wider than lack of money. It can contribute to ill-health and can deny future employment opportunities. Lack of opportunities to acquire education and skills. Adults without basic skills are much more likely to spend long periods out of work . Childhood deprivation. This has linked problems of low income, poor health, poor housing and unsafe environments. Disrupted families. Evidence shows that children in lone-parent families are particularly likely to suffer the effects of persistently low household incomes. Stresses within families can lead to exclusion; in extreme cases to homelessness. Poor housing. This directly affects people’s quality of life and leads to a range of physical and mental health problems, and can cause difficulties for children trying to do homework. Poor neighbourhoods. The most deprived areas suffer from a combination of poor housing, high rates of crime, unemployment, poor health and family disruption. 2.3 Child development theories are an organized set of principles that are designed to explain and predict something. Over the years, psychologists and other scientists have devised a variety of theories with which to explain observations and discoveries about child development. There are many major influences on current practices such as: Constuctivist, Behaviourist, Psychoanalytic, Humanist, Attachment, and Social learning. Each offers insights into the forces guiding childhood growth. Each also has limitations, which is why many developmental scientists use more than one theory to guide their thinking about the growth of children. Developmental theories provide insights into how children grow and learn. Theories are helpful for understanding and guiding developmental processes. Theories can be useful decision-making tools. Since a variety of theories exists, we need to understand these different approaches for working with children. Theories will help you form your personal values and beliefs about learning. They will also help you understand strategies for promoting children’s development. Some examples of different theories Theory Theorists Influences on practice Constructivist Piaget Vygotsky Bruner The importance of ‘Hands on ‘experience, play and active learning The importance of adults scaffolding children’s learning and open-ended questions Behaviourist Pavlov Watson Skinner The importance of praise, encouragement and positive reinforcement for encouraging acceptable behaviour Social learning Bandura The importance of being a good role model for children Psychoanalytical Freud Erikson Understanding how the unconscious mind can influence children’s behaviour, e.g. fears and phobias Humanist Maslow The importance of satisfying children’s basic needs in order for them to develop and learn Attachment Bowlby The importance of a strong attachment relationship and the key person system 3. Understand how to monitor children and young people’s development and interventions that should take place if this is not following the expected pattern. 3.2 There are various methods of monitoring children’s development and co-operation between parents and professionals such as: Health visitor, Doctors, Teachers helps in achieving this goal. A child’s growth and development can monitored in a number of ways, including: By checking a child’s milestones and filling in the health check questionnaires By a health professional examining a child at regular scheduled health checks Through some screening tests. Regular observation is a good way to monitor a Childs development through recording what a child can do. Observing a child can be done in various different ways such as: Written record, checklists, photographs etc. Assessment frameworks can also be used e.g. Early year’s foundation stage framework which monitors children from birth to five years assessing their achievements against early learning goals or the common assessment framework which monitors concerns about children and provides a way for professionals to share information. Standard measurements provides different ways for professionals to assess a child’s progress against children of the same age group e.g. height and weight, hearing and vision tests, SATS in schools etc. Information from parents and carers also provides a good monitoring tool as they are first to notice any problems or difficulties 3.2. Children’s development may not follow the expected pattern for various reasons, as there are many different influences that can affect development, both positive and negative throughout their life. These factors are: Health, Disability, sensory impairment, Learning difficulties, Family background, The environment, Poverty and deprivation, Children in care and Personal choices. 3.3 Disability can cover a wide range of problems e.g. immobility or limited mobility, communication issues, intellectual development, and emotional, social or behavioural problems, But we must remember that each child is an individual and treat them as such by not focusing on their disability. It is also important not to pre judge anyone with disabilities and assume they have a greater range of disabilities e.g. that they can’t understand you because they are in a wheel chair etc. The child’s needs must always be me, to maximise their opportunities for learning and developing. 3.4 We need to recognise when children require interventions due to the expected pattern not being followed and to ensure that early intervention is put into practice to optimise positive outcomes and promote development to a higher degree. Interventions that may be required are: Physiotherapist, Speech and language therapist, Special educational needs co-ordinator or inclusion co-ordinator Educational psychologist Types of intervention Professional intervention Role Physiotherapist Specialises in mobility and maximising the body’s movement and function, may help a child with muscle weakness, stiffness or difficulty in controlling their movements Speech and language therapist Provides support with speech. Language or communication difficulties Special educational needs co-ordinator or inclusion co-ordinator Organises support services in schools and nurseries for special educational needs Educational psychologist Provides support for behavioural and educational difficulties e.g. ADHD It is also important to remember that special equipment and technology be required in the intervention Types of equipment Equipment and technology Purpose Sensory room Stimulation for all the senses through lights sounds and textures. This helps sensory impairments, autistic spectrum disorder and other disabilities Hydrotherapy pool Provides water based exercise and stimulation for mobility difficulties e.g. cerebral palsy Voice activated computer programs Provides assistance with co-ordination or fine motor skill problems Specialised stands, chairs and frames Enables access to resources, move around in the setting or participate in play activities. 4. Understand the importance of early intervention to support the speech, langusge and communication needs of children and young people 4.1 Communication skills are central to a child’s learning and development. These skills are fundamental if children and young people are to take an active part in family, school and social life. As good communicators, we often take these skills for granted but many children struggle to express themselves and to make themselves understood. Some of these children might struggle with: Attention and listening skills Understanding Talking (putting together/combining words to make sentences and phrases) Speech (the way we produce sounds to form words) Ability to interact with people We know that delayed speech and language development is more likely to have an impact on learning ability and specifically reading and writing skills at school. Children with talking and understanding difficulties, who are not given help, are more likely to have difficulty in school, personal relationships and potential careers. SLCN (Speech, Language and Communication Needs) is often called a ‘hidden difficulty’. Many children with SLCN look just like other children, and can be just as intelligent. This means that instead of communication difficulties people may see children struggling to learn to read, showing poor behaviour, having difficulties learning or socialising with others. Some children may become withdrawn or isolated. Their needs are often misinterpreted, misdiagnosed or missed altogether. This is why early identification of SLCN is so important as late recognition will lead to children not fulfilling their full potential and they are at risk of experiencing long term problems with behaviour plus it can have an impact on them being able make and sustain relationships. 4.2 There are many professionals who can help children and their parents with SLCN such as: Health visitor or GP, Speech and language therapists and Educational psychologists. It is very important for all the professionals involved to work together in providing help for the child and the family Multi agency teams are different professionals working together to provide services that meet the needs of the child. With SLCN this may be a health visitor or GP, that has been approached by a parent or carer about the child’s communication difficulties. This could lead to a referral to an audiometric assessment (hearing test) which could result in a referral to a speech therapist and language therapist and the child could also be assessed by an psychologist or supported by SENCO in school or key person in nursery. 4.3 Children and young people with SLCN can benefit from play and activities as it supports speech, language communication and helps them practice different words, communicate with each other and develop their use of language through activities like role play ,group games, songs, stories, books and puppets. For children that are reluctant to speak puppets can prove to be very useful, they help children make mouth movements or specific sounds. Books that use rhymes and repetition to reinforce certain words can also prove to be very useful. Interactive toys that make noises when you press things can also encourage children to communicate. 5. Understand the potential effects of transition on children and young people’s development. 5.1 Transition is a time of change. As we pass through the various stages of life we experience many times of transition. For the baby this can mean being weaned from milks to solid foods, to progress from nappies to being toilet trained. For the child it means starting nursery and then school, moving up to the secondary school, and then maybe going to university and leaving home. As adults we experience marriage or divorce, children being born and changing the family dynamic and then children leaving home. We may change our job or take on new responsibilities and a new role. A family member may die and the family structure changes. Transition is a natural part of growing up and of maturing. Handled well it makes us stronger people. But when it is surrounded by uncertainty or negative reactions, then it can make us most unhappy. There are a variety of different transitions involving different situations e.g. Emotional transitions – Bereavement, going into foster care, Changing carers, new baby in the family Physical transitions - moving house Psychological transitions – Puberty, long term medical conditions Intellectual transitions - Changing schools Transitions can be responded to in both negative and positive ways and can affect all aspects of development and behaviour, but generally these effects are temporary and short lived. Parents and carers need to deal with transition in a positive and sensitive way and provide support if necessary. Negative effects of transitions include: Regression- Going back to development or behaviour of a younger child e.g bed wetting Changes in behaviour- withdrawn or clingy, aggressive or attention seeking Physical problems- food refusal, anorexia or bulimia, sleep disturbances or nightmares Speech problems- Stuttering or selective mutism Mental problems- Depression, lack of concentration, self harm(drug misuse, risky sexual behaviour), suicidal tendencies During early childhood the child’s brain is in a particular state of development during which it is actively strengthening existing pathways and creating new ones. The child who faces transition with love and support will view change in a more positive light than the child who has been harshly criticised, punished or ridiculed at these times. One has learned to deal confidently with transition, and the other tends to be afraid of moving on or facing new challenges. 5.2 Close relationships with caring adults have a positive effect on the development of children and adolescents. These relationships provide a nurturing support system that promotes positive transitions during the maturation process. Close relationships with caring adults are supportive connections cultivated mainly through trust, consistency, and the development of emotional bonds through positive interactions. These relationships allow adolescents to develop their own life skills by learning from their experiences with others. Close relationships with caring adults can occur in a wide variety of settings with a number of different familial and non-familial adults. These individuals can include parents, friends, teachers, religious figures, coaches, and mentors. These relationships foster a sense of belonging, which is an essential ingredient of successful child development. Forming relationships with others is an important basic human need. Research indicates that close relationships, even with just one caring adult, can directly affect youth outcomes. Through mentoring, tutoring, and encouragement, close relationships with caring adults can influence school attendance and achievement. Families and communities that provide opportunities for close relationships to develop among caring adults and youth demonstrate higher rates of academic success among young people The need for belonging and acceptance can be fulfilled through youth, academic, and workplace mentoring relationships developed between caring adults and children. Close relationships with caring adults are associated with increased behavioural stability among children and adolescents. Children who maintain close relationships with adults may demonstrate lower levels of anti-social behaviour, delinquency, and other negative outcomes. When in the presence of adults in social development program settings, children have opportunities to learn and practice behaviours that can prevent risky sexual practices in early adulthood. Being around adults who treat young people with respect may encourage young people to be respectful of others.