Theories Of Developmental Psychology

Developmental psychology is the chapter of mental processes and learning of how people nurture and change over the course of a lifetime. “The changes started with newborns and children, it prolonged to include teenage years, adult development, ageing, and the entire life expectation.” (Bennett, 2010) The theories of human development research examines change through a wide-ranging variety of issues including motor skills and other psychophysiological processes; cognitive development involving areas such as; problem solving, moral and theoretical understanding language, personality emotional development and self-perception. The disorder of developmental disabilities is developing in the sense that delays, disorders or impairment exist within
traditionally considered developmental domains such as cognitive communication, social or motor abilities. The social construction of developmental disabilities allows a person to communicate in many ways that are useful for accomplishing certain purposes. It is important to understand child development because it allows us to appreciate cognitive, emotional, physical, and education growth that children go through from birth to adulthood. The social structure of developmental disabilities helps an individual to communicate in certain ways and accomplish certain commitments. The educational system provides educational and social services that would prepare an individual to be independent as possible. This paper will provide a definition of developmental disabilities as well as background for accepting the construct of developmental disabilities, discuss basic theoretical positions of growth and development such as behavioral, cognitive and environmental theory, understanding human development that helps understanding of developmental disabilities and the explanation of Nature vs Nurtures controversy that affect professional development.

The period of growth and development extend throughout the lifecycle.
It is a process where the person thinks normally, eventually and takes a responsible place in community. Early intervention is the experiences and opportunities for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their parents. They provide a primary care that intended to encourage the children behavioral capabilities to form and impact their connections with people. Development theories exist in the area of early childhood development that explains child development and learning. A theory that include beliefs about the nature of learning and development, the role of heredity and environment, communities and contribute to the development process. Researchers believe that each theory provides beneficial information in understanding why children behave, grow and learn as they do. Theories can assist in making decisions about the care of young children and provide guidance to parents and caregivers. One of the idea discuss is the behavioral theory. This theory shape a child’s learning through positive reinforcement. It facilitated the child learning that helps and strengthening parents’ confidence and development enhancing learning experience and opportunities. The parents will provide children with experiences and opportunities that influence their development, it also recognize and understand the important role of children’s growth and
progress. According to Bronfenbrenner, the aim of science and development is the “systematic understanding of the processes and outcomes of human development.” (p.188). The approach of early intervention focus based on the theory that responsibility for child nurture within the family to provide effective and efficient foundation for parents to approach to early childhood involvement. The issues that influence child development include but are not limited to type and severity of disability, parenting style and confidence and the characteristics of the experiences and opportunities that a child is afforded. During the growth of prenatal period, infancy and adolescents required good nutrients. The effect of inadequate nutrition is one cause of physical illness that causes an increase in nutritional needs that results malnutrition, emotional illness that could alter growth and development. The congenital condition may contribute to growth impairment or possible cause of chronic illnesses that could result growth retardation. Different diseases and chronic infections can cause rapid growth periods and critical periods of development that may also delay the achievement of having normal kids. In order to understand the periods of children’s live they become mature enough to gain certain skills that they could picked up prior to that maturation. According to Angela Oswalt, Master of Social Work, “children are ready and open to develop certain things during specific stages, however it doesn’t happen. Instead they need proper environmental stimuli to develop these abilities.” The biological system theory focuses on interactions and influence outside environment on the child’s development. The author believes babies need proper environment to share the ability to grow and gain the first year of life. If babies are not fed and nurtured they will not have tools to build, block to grow and will not develop to thrive. This is one of reason why it is very important for parents to understand their children growth and to give their needs to help them succeed. Children without any cognitive or physical problems at birth may not be able to develop certain stages of life. The shortage of needs such as food, medical care make it hard to absorb all basic building tools and stimulation they need to gain certain abilities in life. Theorist disagree how important for children to have that special stimuli at each growing stage in order to reach their milestones. Some theorist believes that children who do not get the right nurturing at the right times to jumpstart their developmental potential are going to have problem in life and inability to develop permanent. According to Jean Piagest, Psychologists “cognitive development theory views as buys, motivated, explorers thinking develops as they act directly on the environment.” (Calverley. 2010). The goal of the theory is to explain the methods and tools by which the infant and child improves reasoning and help think through a problem. Cognitive development is restructuring of mental processes as a result of living progress and environmental knowledge. Kids build an understanding of the environment then experience disagreements of what they know and what they discover in their environment. Piaget highlighted the importance of cognitive development, and how it’s developed or attained. The theory is that we store these mental representations and apply them when needed. At the sensorimotor stage the thinking involves forming knowledge via the senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. This outlook proposes that we get to know about how children think by listening and observing different ways in which they solve problems and that children should be guided in actively constructing knowledge. According to Lev Vygotsky, Russian psychologist he believed that development and cultural experience help kids to think and learn. He agree with Jean Piaget that in order for kids to learn they need to focus and experience different tasks. Children go through different stages that help kids think and shape what they see and learn about the environment. Both Psychologist agree that it would be better for a kid to give learning task that are appropriate for their stage of thinking. Each psychologist have different beliefs about basic theories of child development. Over the years, psychologist and other researcher developed different variety of theories to explain observations and discoveries about child development.

Vygotsky discussed that children should have different opportunities for social interaction to learn how to think on their own and to use the experience as needed in different situation. He believes that children learn best when new information is set for them. It would be a lot easier for kids to have a starting point. However on the other hand Albert Bandura another psychologist argued that children learn from their environment and behavior affects the environment. He believes children learn from their parents and caregivers so they must provide a good example. Kids learn from observing and watching people. They learn by copying what they see. So parents or caregivers should set a good example for the kids. Another psychologist disagree from Albert Bandura. He was the American psychologist and social philosopher, B.F. Skinner believes that parents should learn how to give punishments and reward to children to influence good behavior. According to Daniel Keating a professor of Psychology, Psychiatry and Pediatrics and associate in the survey research center at the institute for social research at the University of Michigan.
He discussed, “The source of these social disparities have often framed for public discourse in terms of the nature-nurture polarity.” (Keating, 2011). The behavior genetic findings of substantial heritability of a range of characteristics and newer technologies, and nurture have pointed to be strong regularities of social patterns as well as to the indeterminacy of genetic influence. Nurture refers to all the environmental variables that impact who we are including early childhood experiences, social relationships and surrounding beliefs. Both components play a vital part in all lives. Nature is responsible for producing healthy, well developed babies. However, nurture plays an important role in the early stages of human development. Researcher believes that early human development focused due to nurture as it builds up on the talents provided by
nature.
Conclusion
In the course of human development, the individual experience physical or psychological trauma related to disease, injury, environmental insufficiencies or manifest intrapersonal vulnerability which interferes the normal development, a gap thus develops causing in inconsistency between expected coping behaviors and the required basic skills and abilities to attain development. The implication of different theories helps and prevent of lacking nurturance in different aspects of growth and development. The researcher provides parents and families a much better way to help their children with learning experiences and better opportunities. It is believed through research and development that developmental disability is caused by a combination of biological, genetic, and environmental factors. Developmental disability changes a child’s behavior, their cognitive abilities, and their social and emotional development. Although more research and study in the field is growing and public awareness is becoming more common, there is still much research that needs to be done in order to better understand the physiological and psychological characteristics and environmental causes. One thing we do know is that we have a better understanding about the disorder and that gives us better idea to help and find a cure.