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Assessing Children's Developmental Needs
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A Distinction Level essay on Assessing The Developmental Needs of Children, Unit 18, Health and Social Care Level 3 BTEC.
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Unit 18 Assessing Children’s Development and Support NeedsIn this document information can be found on the definition of Growth and what it is
and it’s principles. Development is defined and what development is explained, and examples
are given, alongside the definition of milestones and what milestones are and how they
develop. Reflexes are defined and explained, and the stages of growth and development are
provided.
What is Growth?
Growth can be defined as the increase in weight, height, and the circumference of the
head. (https://www.olcc.lancs.sch.uk/)1
Growth is predictable; however, it varies in each stage of life.
Growth is independent and rapid during the fetal stage, the infancy stage and the
adolescent stage. (https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/)2
Growth has principles, they consist of the:
Principle of continuity
Principle of integration
Principle of lack of uniformity in the developmental rate
Principle of individual difference
Principle of uniformity pattern
Principle of proceeding from General to specific
Principle of interaction between Heredity and Environment
Principle of interrelation
Principle of cephalocaudal
Principle of proximodistal
Principle of predictability
(https://educerecentre.com/)3
Growth spans from the very moment of conception until maturity is reached. It revolves
around the body, the mental and emotional state. Developments during growth include
the fine motor skills – the small muscle groups that control the mouth, fingers and toes;
and the gross motor skills - the large muscles that control the arms, legs and torso. As
growth develops, humans to learn to use a pincer grasp (infancy), which relates to fine
motor skills, and kick their legs and cruise (infancy), which relates to gross motor skills.
,What is Development?
Development is the skills and abilities, as well as capabilities, acquired throughout
growth. (https://www.olcc.lancs.sch.uk/)4
Development also deals with emotions, and emotional development can be
triggered by a feeling, or an event throughout growth, The same applies to mental
development, which works in tandem with emotional development. For example,
developing a bad mental health disorder, such as depression, would cause emotions to
be negative, which would in turn be detrimental to the mental state as the brain would
be unable to regulate moods as proactively.
During physical development milestones are acquired, such as: Sight, being able
to recognize, acknowledge and utilize objects. These milestones would be followed by
facial recognition, such as an infant recognizing its primary caregiver and responding
positively, as well as picking up a toy such as a block and banging it.
Hearing, I.g general audio recognition (reacting to sounds, such as turning their head
towards clapping, or a loud noise), and in the case of an infant and a human in early
childhood, responding to their name being called or to the sound of their caregiver’s
voice.
This is followed by a development in speech, relating to incoherent speech (As seen in
infancy, babbling) to coherent speech (Forming clear sentences, as seen in early
childhood from ages 4-8). Finally, cognitive skills, which relate building towers with
blocks in infancy to solving complex problems like math, at ages 4-8.
What are reflexes?
Reflexes are uncontrollable, instinctive movements and actions. Reflexes are monitored
to ensure normal brain activity. Some reflexes only occur in certain developmental
stages. A common reflex, rooting, is associated with hand to mouth reflexes, where an
infant will suck on their fingers and/or hands.
(Markedbyteachers.com)
Some reflexes seen in newborns are: The Rooting Reflex, where a baby will follow a
finger placed near its mouth and attempt to suck on it, The Moro Reflex, the reflex that
occurs when a baby is surprised or startled. They’ll react by throwing their head and
stretching out their limbs before bringing them back into their body. Sometimes they
may also cry out. It only occurs until they are around 2-3 months old.
Stages of Growth
,There are seven stages of growth, and they consist of:
• Infancy (0-2 years of age)
• Early Childhood (3-8 years of age)
• Middle Childhood (9-11 years of age)
• Adolescence (12-18 years of age)
• Early Adulthood (40-45)
• Middle Adulthood (45-65)
• Late Adulthood (65+)
(http://sciencenetlinks.com)
Developmental Stages consist of the PIES:
P- Physical, I- Intellectual, E- Emotional and S- Social
What are milestones?
Milestones are important ant reference points when considering the development of a
child from infancy to early childhood. The most important milestones for development
tend to occur during infancy, toddlerhood, and early childhood. The milestones consist
of the PIES: Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social. Physical milestones consist of
learning to control fine and gross motor skills, for example, an infant kicking their legs,
or attempting to turn over, or wiggling their toes. An intellectual milestone would be
learning to babble in infancy, and then eventually form clear sentences in early
childhood. Emotional milestones vary from understanding and experiencing fear when
approached by strangers and expressing positive emotions with positive interaction is
introduced. Social milestones are learning how to play with other children, instead of
around them, communicating with their bodies and their speech to form friendships,
attachments, and overall bonds.
(Developmental milestones record)
Physical milestones 0-8:
During infancy (0-2years old), development is rapid and changing continuously daily,
fluctuating in pace between each individual child. From 0-6 months a child will learn to
hold up their head and support its weight with their neck as their gross motor skills
develop. During the duration of this development, they will eventually learn how to twist
their torso to roll over and sit, this usually occurs around 6 months old. Around 24
months, a child will learn to crawl. This will evolve into them grabbing onto furniture
around them and pulling themselves up to stand. This milestone prepares a child to
walk, eventually they should be able to take a few steps before being able to walk.
Following 24 months, a child may begin to develop their gross motor skills to enable
them to kick a ball and even run. These physical developments can be aided by safe,
accessible environments.( /keepconnected.searchinstitute)
Transitioning into Early Childhood (3-8 years old), typical physical milestones involve
being able to walk backwards and side to side, climb stairs and perhaps learn to ride a
, tricycle. These milestones occur around the ages 3-4. At this age range, a child should
also begin to button and unbutton their clothes and hold a crayon and pen with a steady
hand. Around 4-5, a child may hop on a single foot and demonstrate balance by walking
along a straight line. A child may also run on the tips of their toes, instead of flat-footed
at 4-5. Children at this age range should also begin to use a knife and fork with both
hands. As these developments continue, a child should, around the ages 5-6, begin to
confidently hold a knife and fork and when writing, they should be able to join up their
words.
A child should also begin to jump and skip, as well as use both of their feet to hop.
At 5-6 years old, the dominant milestones should be being able to use their balance and
coordination to ride a bike, as well as having the confidence to jump larger distances or
to jump higher than they could before. Their hand-to-eye coordination should be
strongly developed and should allow them to run confidently both backwards and
forwards. At this age their ability to use a knife and fork should be developed and they
should be able to hold a pen confidently as well as write their name and a few
sentences on paper.
Once they reach 7-8 years, a child should be able to run in a perfect straight line,
hop, skip and jump confidently. They should also be able to use a pair of scissors
properly. (www.tutor2u.net)
However, there are factors in a child’s physical development that can cause it
to become delayed. These are developmental physical delays, or early motor delays.
(www.healthychildren.org)
These delays can be caused by a plethora of learning disabilities that affect their ability
to be mobile. Exposure to abuse, or abusive environments, such as a household that is
prone to drug abuse can lead to atypical physical development. Genetic disorders can
play large factors in physical developmental milestones, such as downs syndrome.
Issues that occur when the child is a baby can cause them to go through physical
developmental delays, such as not being handled properly and carefully.
Other factors that can cause motor delays are being born prematurely, which can cause
issues if a baby is brought out of the womb too early. Conditions like muscular
dystrophy can cause severe developmental delays as it does not allow the gross and
fine motor skills to develop as is needed. A child being born or developing poor eyesight
and/or vision can affect their perception and confidence, which will hinder them
physically. Narcotic intake, or an unhealthy pregnancy, can cause a child to be born
with health and mental issues, or even cause the baby to be born deformed.
Intellectual Milestones 0-8:
Intellectual development is most rapid between ages 0-3. All infants are born with the
cognitive development to recognize their current caregivers. During this age range (0-2),
attachments are easily formed and important to aiding intellectual development to its full
potential. At around a week old, a baby will demonstrate reacting to family voices and
begin to locate their mother via smell, either their personal scent or breast milk. At
around 18-24 months, a child begins to perceive objects around them and even attempt
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