2.1 Describe with Examples the Kinds of Influences That Affect Children and Young People’s Development Including; Background, Health and Environment

- While children are influenced by many things, there are no stronger influences that that of their parents as they are usually their child’s first playmates and while the world expands with each passing year, parental influence is still one of the greatest factors in determining the ways in which a child will grow and develop.

If you fail to take note and report any concerns of child development the child or young person’s development could be affected in various areas.

Parents that are going through a marriage breakdown, divorce and separation can be stressful for all involved particularly the children/young person. They can become emotionally withdrawn and suffer a lack of confidence which can create low self esteem. Due to family upheaval, they may lose focus in their own abilities and suffer mentally. Similarly, children

2.1 Explain how children and young people’s development is influenced by a range of personal factors

Other factors that can affect a child’s development can include genetic problems passed on by a parent, mental or physical disabilities, poor living conditions causing illness such as asthma, learning difficulties, autism, dyspraxia, aspergers, poor communication skills due to sensory impairment such as deafness, blindness, partially sighted.

However, it is important to observe and note the difference between sequence of development and rate of development, when working with children so that the child’s needs are met. For instance if a child shows delays in any aspect of their growth, taking into account their background, health and environment in which they are growing up, as these factors will affect all areas of development. Tassani et al (2010) states that the difference between sequence of development and rate of development helps identify child’s needs during their stages of their school years. This will help the school to plan and ensure that the child has enough support they require in areas they are struggling with. It is important to be aware of each child’s development as this will give us the knowledge and understanding on how a child is developing so that any concerns or problems are easily spotted , and then investigated and offer the required support. For instance a child with language problems can then be referred to a speech therapist who would then work with the school to implement ways or skills that will help the child. If they

There are many factors that influence a child/young persons development such as health issues, personal characteristics, motivation to learn, behaviour, sensory impairment, disability and learning difficulties. Even before birth a child needs to reach many milestones and however small or large they can cause a delay in a child’s development and in many cases are completely out of the child’s or parents control. Faulty genetics for example is a factor that is completely out of our control.

There are different things that can affect a child’s development in their background these are just a few of them: -

There are many examples that show how different aspects of development can impact one another. In majority of cases, one aspect will lead to another as a natural result, so for example, if a child has a speaks foreign language as his/her first and family just came to UK to live, this may lead to having language barrier, he/she may become shy, not very communicative, isolated, which affects emotional and intellectual development, further, he/she may have difficulty making friends, which can weaken his/her self esteem, affecting social and behavioral development.

The area a child grows up in has an effect, for example if a child is brought up on a council estate in poor housing they are more likely to have health problems. If parents are not working or have low income jobs they are likely to buy cheaper food and usually this means lower quality which can lead to health problems. Children and their families may have lower expectations. They might settle for the life that id mapped out. If a child lives in high rise flats or appartments they have less oppportunities to play. In poor quality housing there may not be a garden or safe playing area. This is reducing the childs opportunities to develop their physical gross motor skills. This of course is not always the case

Changes to family circumstances can have a profound effect on children. Separation or Divorce can leave the child with a sense of bereavement, like they have lost one of their parents. They may feel angry or confused and worried about what will happen to them in the future. They may also feel that they are in some way to blame for the family breakdown so carry a burden of guilt. These negative emotions may lead to a lack of concentration at school, or exhibits themselves as withdrawn or aggressive behaviours.

Children and young people often experience many things which have a direct impact on their development; things such as their family environment and structure, personality, hospital visits, childcare arrangements, and culture.

A child’s development can be measured through physical and language milestones, intellectual, emotional and social development.

In addition to the facial features, other physical effects can include malformations, deficits in motors skills and some children even present with seizures. The cognitive impact can also be very damaging to a child. They can have a learning disability, mental retardation, memory deficits, information processing disorders, a lack of executive functioning skills, can inconsistently perform in abstract and generalizing tasks (they struggle to relate and build upon previous knowledge), and they often lack cognitive flexibility. Executive functioning is important for a student in the classroom. A student needs these skills for paying attention,

Child development is an important part of who we are and how we got to the way we are now. There are different areas that make up child development such as, physical, cognitive, social, and personality development. These areas make up who we are as a person. Society as well as family and friends share an influence on these areas of development. The culture in which a child is living in, can change how they think, act, socialize with others. Children oversees in the Middle East act different to how children in America act. As I went through my observation, I kept in mind the different areas of child development and saw how far the child was in each one.