Explain How Disability May Affect Child Development

Disabilities affect the development of a child in many ways but it is important to focus on the needs of the individual child rather than only the disability.
Physical disabilities can affect a childâ€TMs development as they may not be able to run around and play outside with their friends, this will then affect their confidence and social skills. For example cerebral palsy affects movement and coordination and can also cause communication and learning difficulties. Children can also be affected by seizures and epilepsy, some children will be able to take part in a schoolâ€TMs activities completely unaffected but others may need extra support . A child with a hearing impairment may have a slow development of their speech and language. Slow language development can lead to not performing well at school as they may struggle to communicate their ideas, increase their vocabulary and join in
From an early age they can assist with feeding and swallowing problems. They will assist a child by helping them gain the ability to use language and a variety of communication issues, which in turn increases their self esteem and confidence. They will work alongside schools to help monitor and review.
An educational psychologist will be used if a child is not making the progress that is expected and they will assess and advise the school in the best steps forward to help the child.
Assistive technology is used when children need a little extra help. For example using speech recognition software so a child can type with a speech to text programme. This will be used if a child is unable to hold a pen, control movements of their hand or struggle with fine motor skills. This will help a child learn the same curriculum as their classmates, being involved and not left out.
Question: Question 9
Answer: Children will not reach their full potential without speech, language and