What Types of Internal and External Factors Affect Development

2.1 Explain how development of children and young people is influenced by their range of personal factors.
There are two main factors which affect a child and young person’s development.
The first is personal factors this can be linked to genetics, health and learning difficulties all of which influence the development of a child. Then there is personality which is linked to the environment which is influenced later on in the development.
Genetics
Genetic information about a child is important to know and understand if they have any condition which they were born with, has been passed down through the genes or does the child have any abnormalities which will influence its personal development. For example if a child is born with Downs Syndrome the child will be born with distinguished facial features which will lead to bullying. Nearly all individual with Downs Syndrome experience some type of physical impairment which can affect their cognitive ability and physical growth therefore they will need constant support through daily activities. Cerebral palsy is a non-progressive and non-contagious disability which is also developed at birth due to the brain, the exact severity can vary dramatically. This can affect the motor conditions which can cause physical disability in human development, resulting limits in movement and posture.
Learning Difficulties
Learning difficulties are also a personal factor which affects development of a child. This can affect their self-esteem and confidence and will mostly be treated different to other children in the class. For example a child who may have mild learning difficulties will be generally slow to develop language abilities and social behaviour during the pre-school years. They may be slow at acquiring academic skills such as reading, writing and maths which can lead to the child being frustrated as they feel they are not capable of doing simple tasks and need additional support in comparison to other children. This can cause behavioural problems inside and outside the school where parents have to find strategic ways by working with the school so that the Child’s needs are met.
Health
Health is also another important factor if a child has either severe or mild health problems it can affect the way child is going to develop both physically and mentally. If a child is born with Asthma, this can affect its breathing. This means when a child takes part in a physical activity they have to use an inhaler when they get breathless the inhaler will open their airways which will help them to breathe easily.
A child’s health may be affected during pregnancy if the mother does not sustain a healthy pregnancy and takes the use of drugs or drinks excessive amounts of alcohol this can result to premature birth and a lower birth weight which means that the development rate can be slow too.

2.2 Explain how development of children and young people is influenced by their range of External Factors.

The second factor which can influence the development of children and young people are external factors.

Poverty and deprivation

Poverty and deprivation do have a significant effect on how a child develops in and outside the school. For instance if a child is living in poverty then parents are not able to afford to buy high quality food which means eating minimal or the wrong quality of food can lead to health problems. This can affect the development of the pupil in school by not eating properly they are not able to concentrate in class. If a child is living in high rise council flats they don’t have access to a garden therefore they become deprived of outdoor play and are not able to develop their physical (gross motor skills). Statistics have commonly shown that children who come from deprived and poor backgrounds are less likely to thrive and achieve well in school, as parents find it extremely difficult to manage the child’s needs . This can have a severe impact on all areas of the development as they will not be able to fit in with other children at school and affect the way in which pupils are able to respond to different situations.

Pupils background and family environment

Pupils come from a range of different family environments this includes cultures and circumstances. Throughout the school years as many families will go through significant changes which will have an impact on a child’s development and behaviour. While these changes are happening in a pupils home life it is necessary to understand that the school is not always aware of these problems and it is important to inform the school of any changes which can affect the child at school , for example divorce, illness, bereavement, family break-up or even introducing a new partner. If any of these changes take place they may affect the child’s emotional /intellectual development. For example if a child has lost a very close family member i.e. Aunt it maybe that the child will find it difficult to control its emotions at school and may have sudden outbursts of tears just when the teacher thinks the pupil is coping. It may also have an effect on how a pupil learns as they may not be able to concentrate in school through lessons while thinking about the recent even that have taken place at home. It is important for both teachers and parents to liaise with each other and inform the school of any particular change in the pupils personal circumstances, where it may affect the pupils ability to learn at school.

Personal Choices

The choices children make as they grow older affect their development, this can be to do with the choice of friends they may have, groups they interact with any other extra-curricular activity they may want to do and so on. If a child makes the choice between healthy food and fatty food and knows the outcome of both but still decides to take an unhealthy diet this will affect the health of a child such as diabetes, obesity tooth decay which lead to further health problems as the child grows up. This is why it is important that from time to time they may need advice and support from adults/ parents to enable them to make choices which are right for them.

Looked after/care status

If a child is being looked after or in care i.e. they are separated from their family for any reason this can affect their development in many ways. The problems children suffer while being looked after in care is that they have less opportunity to make positive relationships with key figures, due to already having a negative experience of being separated from familiar figures which were close to them this could be parents. Further problems then lead to them not being able to relate to others and can cause behavioural problems and disorders. Their ability to communicate with others can become frustrating and behaviour starts to get aggressive as they can’t express their emotions which then lead to isolation and withdrawal. This is not to say that the school do not work closely with carers or social workers in fact they are monitored on a regular basis to ensure that they are making expected levels of progress.

Education

The opportunities education provides for them is the way a child and young person will see how it helps them to achieve success and prosperity in their lives. Parent’s education and their feelings towards education have an impact on the way a child develops and how they see it they need re assurance that their parents value education so therefore it is important to go to school and learn as this will help them with skills they will need as they grow older. This does not mean that every child that attends school will have any previous education this can be due to the fact that they are from another country where educations begins at a later stage. Alternatively they may have come from a different country where English is not their first language or may never have spoken English, therefore they may need to have additional support until they are settled.