Having positive relationships through transitions, for some young people is essential, however sometimes, in certain cases; it can be argued that children could simply be left alone to deal with the transition themselves.
Firstly, we can look at positive relationships. If a child is provided with a positive home environment, where there is little or no disruption, both parents are present and together they encourage the child emotionally, socially and academically, in a safe and secure home, it is likely the child will feel protected and confident about changes taking places. They may not even notice particular transitions are happening to them. I was lucky enough to come from such a background and looking back, I do not recognise any transitions from my childhood being an issue at all. Actually they were not even recognised by my parents, we just grew up and that was it.
Positive relationships do not stop at home though. Teachers and staff at the school should provide positive relationships too. This is extremely important if the child experiences problems at home and is not encouraged and supported by their parents. Someone needs to be in the child’s life to offer support, notice that changes are approaching and to be available to help and guide the child as best as possible, whether this be supporting them emotionally or academically throughout the different transitions they are experiencing. Teachers and TA’s however need to be aware that they cannot become emotionally involved, they have an obligation to remain professional, and they must understand the limits of their role. With this is mind though, a supportive and understanding teacher/TA, is an excellent intervention for any child whether they have home support or not.
Building up a child’s self esteem and confidence, by providing a positive, happy learning environment, using relative, thought out interventions, will encourage that child to develop coping skills in order to effectively manage changes in their lives. It also offers a foundation for other pupils in the class who may be experiencing, or are about to experience the same change.
Friends and peers, regardless of age, can also have a positive effect of transitions. They may be going through the same transitions themselves, or they may have experienced similar issues to you. They are available to offer guidance and an ear for listening, a shoulder to cry on, or just the thought of knowing you are not on your own is a helpful intervention in itself. Friends are particularly helpful when a child is going through a unique transition such as their parents splitting up. They can offer support, empathy and companionship which can be priceless for that child.
Negative relationships can hinder a child’s passage through transitions. At home, parents may not be there to offer support, they may be busy with work or a younger sibling, and may not notice the child is encountering problems dealing with a change in their life. They could assume the child is old enough to cope alone and may not offer any emotional help. Or on the opposite side of the coin, they could be over caring, and may ‘baby’ a child to the extent that transitions such as starting primary school and detaching themselves from Mum, becomes almost impossible to deal with.
Friends could also play a negative part when a child is going through a transition. They could put pressure on you to participate in something wrong to mask what is really going on. For example, if you confided in a friend at school and told them you were being bullied, they could encourage you to skip school with them, so that you did not have to attend that day.
They could offer you bad advice if they are not experienced in the transition, and they may gossip about you or become competitive. They may just have absolutely no understanding of what you are going through and may be totally unaccommodating, leaving you to feel silly, isolated and that you must be the only one experiencing these feelings.
So, as we can see, positive relationships do significantly help when children and young people are experiencing normal and unique transitions. However, do we really need to aid children through every one of these changes with such force? ‘Normal’ transitions needn’t be a struggle for most children. Children should relish and welcome some of these changes, and be encouraged to think of them as stepping stones rather than ‘scary things that happen to us’. I feel that putting emphasis on every transition that happens will almost force issues onto the child and could cause stress and worry, and have a negative impact on the way they cope.
All children are unique, and have very different coping levels. I believe that a good balance between offering emotional support, and having respect for a child’s own ability to master the transition on their own, is absolutely essential.
H Akers
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Signs we hope to NEVER see...
There are four main types of abuse; physical, emotional, sexual and neglect. I am going to go into more detail about the possible signs, symptoms and behaviours that may cause concern in the context of safeguarding.
Physical Abuse
The obvious way of telling if a child is being physically abused is by their appearance. If they have bruises, burns, blemishes and cuts. However children play all the time and these kinds of injuries often occur without any cause for concern. This is why it is important to record and check for a reoccurrence. The physical symptoms have to be persistent or spasmodic in order to raise alarm bells.
It is also important to realise that not all abuse is obvious and we do have to look out for some less obvious signs. A child who is being physically abused may have a fear of physical contact, they may not like other children hugging them or holding their hand. They may be reluctant to change for PE, this may be a sign that they are trying to cover up symptoms of the abuse. A child may be aggressive towards other people in school because they are used to having aggression shown towards them at home and think it is normal behaviour.
A child may however show a different sort of behaviour and could be overly kind and loving to other people and constantly wanting to help and gain some sort of affection and recognition because they are not getting any at home.
An example of physical abuse case is Baby P who suffered from extensive internal and external injuries over a nine month period and eventually died as a result.
Emotional Abuse
The most common type of emotional abuse in schools is bullying. Being emotionally abused is someone undermining your confidence and sense of self-worth. This could be through constant teasing, being humiliated in front of other people or just being ignored. Obvious signs of a child being emotionally abused may be that they are extremely clingy, they lack in self-confidence and self-esteem and they are emotionally withdrawn.
Perhaps less obvious signs include the child being anxious about new situations or having an inability to concentrate and are easily distracted. However this could be easily confused with signs of autism or Asperger’s so it is sometimes difficult to differentiate certain symptoms. The child may also develop and eating disorder or self-harm as a way of coping with being bullied at school.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is when a child is used sexually by an adult or young person. They may be pursued, pressurized, forced or tricked into having sexual contact with and adult or young person, whether it be kissing, touching the young person’s genitals or breasts, oral sex or intercourse. However sexual abuse is also forcing a child look at pornographic images.
The obvious signs that a child is being sexually abused may be that their sexual behaviour is inappropriate for their age, for example a 7 year old thrusting in the classroom or wanting to touch other people sexually. They may also have genital irritation and perhaps often have their hands down their pants.
A less obvious sign may be their lack of trust in adults because they are used to being abused by someone who they thought they could trust.
Neglect
A child who is being neglected is the failure by the parent to meet the child’s basic needs. Whether this is not showing them any love or affection at home, not feeding them breakfast before they come to school or letting them wear clothes which are dirty. Harm is not always intended but often the child is intentionally deprived.
An obvious sign of neglect is a child coming into school who is dirty, hungry or tired as I mentioned above. Some less obvious signs may be that the child is seeking attention, again because they are not getting any at home. Likewise they may be overly affectionate and eager to please as a result of this. They may also be extremely shy or prefer solo activities because the neglect has caused them to become very introverted.
They may be very academic as a way of getting attention and praise at school and in order to please their parents.
Neglect can also often lead to a child self-harming in order to get some attention, because any attention is good attention.
There are key aspects of supporting a child in a school who you think is being abused and these should be met at every school. The first step is recognising the signs, this can be any of the obvious or unobvious signs I have mentioned above in relation to the different types of abuse. Keeping a record of these signs is very important and it is just as important to make sure that the records are filed away and are kept confidential to those who are involved. It is then necessary to follow your own schools particular policies and procedures in order to report the abuse.
S Heaton-Jones
Physical Abuse
The obvious way of telling if a child is being physically abused is by their appearance. If they have bruises, burns, blemishes and cuts. However children play all the time and these kinds of injuries often occur without any cause for concern. This is why it is important to record and check for a reoccurrence. The physical symptoms have to be persistent or spasmodic in order to raise alarm bells.
It is also important to realise that not all abuse is obvious and we do have to look out for some less obvious signs. A child who is being physically abused may have a fear of physical contact, they may not like other children hugging them or holding their hand. They may be reluctant to change for PE, this may be a sign that they are trying to cover up symptoms of the abuse. A child may be aggressive towards other people in school because they are used to having aggression shown towards them at home and think it is normal behaviour.
A child may however show a different sort of behaviour and could be overly kind and loving to other people and constantly wanting to help and gain some sort of affection and recognition because they are not getting any at home.
An example of physical abuse case is Baby P who suffered from extensive internal and external injuries over a nine month period and eventually died as a result.
Emotional Abuse
The most common type of emotional abuse in schools is bullying. Being emotionally abused is someone undermining your confidence and sense of self-worth. This could be through constant teasing, being humiliated in front of other people or just being ignored. Obvious signs of a child being emotionally abused may be that they are extremely clingy, they lack in self-confidence and self-esteem and they are emotionally withdrawn.
Perhaps less obvious signs include the child being anxious about new situations or having an inability to concentrate and are easily distracted. However this could be easily confused with signs of autism or Asperger’s so it is sometimes difficult to differentiate certain symptoms. The child may also develop and eating disorder or self-harm as a way of coping with being bullied at school.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is when a child is used sexually by an adult or young person. They may be pursued, pressurized, forced or tricked into having sexual contact with and adult or young person, whether it be kissing, touching the young person’s genitals or breasts, oral sex or intercourse. However sexual abuse is also forcing a child look at pornographic images.
The obvious signs that a child is being sexually abused may be that their sexual behaviour is inappropriate for their age, for example a 7 year old thrusting in the classroom or wanting to touch other people sexually. They may also have genital irritation and perhaps often have their hands down their pants.
A less obvious sign may be their lack of trust in adults because they are used to being abused by someone who they thought they could trust.
Neglect
A child who is being neglected is the failure by the parent to meet the child’s basic needs. Whether this is not showing them any love or affection at home, not feeding them breakfast before they come to school or letting them wear clothes which are dirty. Harm is not always intended but often the child is intentionally deprived.
An obvious sign of neglect is a child coming into school who is dirty, hungry or tired as I mentioned above. Some less obvious signs may be that the child is seeking attention, again because they are not getting any at home. Likewise they may be overly affectionate and eager to please as a result of this. They may also be extremely shy or prefer solo activities because the neglect has caused them to become very introverted.
They may be very academic as a way of getting attention and praise at school and in order to please their parents.
Neglect can also often lead to a child self-harming in order to get some attention, because any attention is good attention.
There are key aspects of supporting a child in a school who you think is being abused and these should be met at every school. The first step is recognising the signs, this can be any of the obvious or unobvious signs I have mentioned above in relation to the different types of abuse. Keeping a record of these signs is very important and it is just as important to make sure that the records are filed away and are kept confidential to those who are involved. It is then necessary to follow your own schools particular policies and procedures in order to report the abuse.
S Heaton-Jones
Support from within
Children and young people require supportive and stimulating environments in order to develop at the expected sequence and rate, when their environments are found to be lacking they will not reach the developmental stages they are required to-an over stimulating environment can also be detrimental to development.
Children and young people can experience disadvantageous external factors such as;
· Poor relationships with their families
· Be exposed to neglect or abuse
· Adults around them involved with drugs or alcohol
· Be at a socio-economic disadvantage
· Come from a single/step parent family
· Come from a background of unemployment/criminal activity
· Low/high expectations of behaviour/learning
· Low involvement from parents/carers
One, some or all of the above factors will impact on the child’s sequence and rate of development. By recognising and assisting those children and young people in an appropriate and supportive manner-support coming from the family, school or outside agencies such as social services-the most favourable outcome can be expected for that child.
If a child is expected to behave in a certain way or if the expectations at home are too high then the pressure this puts upon the child can adversely impact on their development. For example, it is expected that 9 year old ‘John’ should be in all the top sets at school, his parents are both in academic professions, so the pressure is on ‘John’ to follow in their footsteps. ‘John’ is struggling in his maths and is feeling inadequate, he spends his breaks and lunchtimes going over the work done in class, this behaviour is having a direct impact on his social development as he is not mixing with his peers. Indeed, his refusal to join in playground games and instead do maths is causing the other children to tease and bully him and he is now seen in a negative way as a ‘goody-two-shoes’ and a ‘swot’.
This teasing/bullying from his peers together with the pressure at home, has depleted all of ‘John’s’ self confidence and now that even if he wanted to join in with his peer he couldn’t as he has already ostracised himself from his social group and has consequently fallen behind too in terms of his social development.
The ‘parenting style’ that is favoured within a family will directly impact on the social development of children and young people, for example;
“Authoritarian Parenting: Often rigid and controlling, authoritarian parents place high demands on their kids without allowing room for discussion or regard for the child's feelings. This can result in children who are fearful, anxious, frustrated or withdrawn.
Authoritative Parenting: Favouring supportive discipline, authoritative parents expect good behaviour from their kids, but they gently and lovingly guide them, rather than being forceful or cruel. Kids with authoritative parents are typically self-confident and socially adept.
Permissive Parenting: Extremely lenient, permissive parents allow children to decide for themselves what they feel is appropriate behaviour. Unfortunately, these kids often have poor control over their emotions and may have difficulty with their peer relationships.
Neglectful parenting: Unlike permissive parents who are involved in their children’s lives, neglectful parents place the welfare of their children as a low priority. Children of neglectful parents are frequently emotionally immature and may engage in antisocial behaviours.”
(Kids’ Development, 2011)
It is clear that the home as an external environment plays an important role in a child’s development, in that it is important that the child has positive interactions with its parents/carers as this is where a child will learn many specific behaviours and skills relating to ‘normal’ development. Children emulate their parents and what behaviours are learnt will impact directly onto the child’s rate and sequence of development.
E Paterson-Russell
Children and young people can experience disadvantageous external factors such as;
· Poor relationships with their families
· Be exposed to neglect or abuse
· Adults around them involved with drugs or alcohol
· Be at a socio-economic disadvantage
· Come from a single/step parent family
· Come from a background of unemployment/criminal activity
· Low/high expectations of behaviour/learning
· Low involvement from parents/carers
One, some or all of the above factors will impact on the child’s sequence and rate of development. By recognising and assisting those children and young people in an appropriate and supportive manner-support coming from the family, school or outside agencies such as social services-the most favourable outcome can be expected for that child.
If a child is expected to behave in a certain way or if the expectations at home are too high then the pressure this puts upon the child can adversely impact on their development. For example, it is expected that 9 year old ‘John’ should be in all the top sets at school, his parents are both in academic professions, so the pressure is on ‘John’ to follow in their footsteps. ‘John’ is struggling in his maths and is feeling inadequate, he spends his breaks and lunchtimes going over the work done in class, this behaviour is having a direct impact on his social development as he is not mixing with his peers. Indeed, his refusal to join in playground games and instead do maths is causing the other children to tease and bully him and he is now seen in a negative way as a ‘goody-two-shoes’ and a ‘swot’.
This teasing/bullying from his peers together with the pressure at home, has depleted all of ‘John’s’ self confidence and now that even if he wanted to join in with his peer he couldn’t as he has already ostracised himself from his social group and has consequently fallen behind too in terms of his social development.
The ‘parenting style’ that is favoured within a family will directly impact on the social development of children and young people, for example;
“Authoritarian Parenting: Often rigid and controlling, authoritarian parents place high demands on their kids without allowing room for discussion or regard for the child's feelings. This can result in children who are fearful, anxious, frustrated or withdrawn.
Authoritative Parenting: Favouring supportive discipline, authoritative parents expect good behaviour from their kids, but they gently and lovingly guide them, rather than being forceful or cruel. Kids with authoritative parents are typically self-confident and socially adept.
Permissive Parenting: Extremely lenient, permissive parents allow children to decide for themselves what they feel is appropriate behaviour. Unfortunately, these kids often have poor control over their emotions and may have difficulty with their peer relationships.
Neglectful parenting: Unlike permissive parents who are involved in their children’s lives, neglectful parents place the welfare of their children as a low priority. Children of neglectful parents are frequently emotionally immature and may engage in antisocial behaviours.”
(Kids’ Development, 2011)
It is clear that the home as an external environment plays an important role in a child’s development, in that it is important that the child has positive interactions with its parents/carers as this is where a child will learn many specific behaviours and skills relating to ‘normal’ development. Children emulate their parents and what behaviours are learnt will impact directly onto the child’s rate and sequence of development.
E Paterson-Russell
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Hear my case...
In order for a child to be fully supported with their speech language and communication issues it may necessary to involve multi agency teams. For the team to have the best chance of success early detection and assessment is vital. These teams would have to co-ordinate with the school, parent and child. They need to give access to any specialist equipment and include regular monitoring for real development to take place.
These teams would include agencies such as Speech and language therapists, psychologists and SEN Co-ordinators.
An example of how effective intervention would work in practice can be seen in the case below:
A child aged 4 has a profound hearing loss. After the birth the child’s mother had concerns surrounding his hearing but the child was not screened until he was 9 months old. These tests were found to be inconclusive. The child wore digital hearing aids for a year and had cochlear implants fitted but still there were no big improvements. At 17 months he took an auditory brainstem response test which showed he was profoundly deaf.
During this time the family were in contact with a teacher from the deaf who was new and there was no support from the speech and language therapist as they were on maternity leave.
When the child was 2 years and 9 months the mother and grandmother joined a charitable organisation which took a parent centred approach to teaching children to talk through listening. They identified that the child could hear across frequencies meaning he was able to understand speech but hadn’t learned to make sense of the sounds.
The charitable organisation was able to close the language gap between the child and other children through regular therapy sessions. The child’s mother and grandmother received specialist training to help them teach the child at home so that the therapy could become part of everyday life. They built a relationship to improve parental engagement with the child’s mother which meant she was willing to take 4 hour round trips so that she could attend ongoing training sessions. Finally, they helped to liaised with the local team to share their goals and assessment results and rebuild a relationship with the family.
As this was a charitable programme they were able to provide the family with additional finance to help attend training sessions and have been able to meet the cost incurred by the Speech and Language Therapy Service when meeting with the family.
The main problem with this case is that there is a distinct lack of appropriate intervention. There needed to be earlier interventions with people like health visitors and social workers so that the family would know what their options were and where they would find support. The family could have benefitted from advice on finances, respite, or sign language.
For parents of children with developmental issues it can seem like a mine field. It can be intimidating for them and put them well outside their comfort zone. It can also feel to them like they are being passed from pillar to post as they often see different people depending on the educational status of the child. On top of the day to day parenting which comes with all children they may need to attend specialist training to support their child. This can mean that their time is swallowed up with searching for funding or bureaucracy and there is very little ‘me’ time for the parent or for the parent to enjoy being with their child. Some interventions do not cross over from one age group to another and can also be too short an intervention. This is why communication and liaison between the agencies is key. If everyone has access to the same information then the transition should be smooth.
As an educator one may not always have the right answers or training to help a child and will need to refer to a specialist. Often agencies will offer training tips to teaching staff to give them support or show how new equipment works. If working with a child on 1 to 1 basis then on occasions the agency may be able share some of the day to day demands.
The more general drawbacks of a multi agency approach means that there are a lot of demands on time for a lot of people due to the high number of people involved. There is also a financial burden as there needs to be money spent on specialist equipment and decisions have to be made as to where that money is coming from. In some cases additional funding needs to be applied for and people are needed to ensure that happens. Occasionally schools have to take on children they simply don’t have the funding to support.
AM Osmond
These teams would include agencies such as Speech and language therapists, psychologists and SEN Co-ordinators.
An example of how effective intervention would work in practice can be seen in the case below:
A child aged 4 has a profound hearing loss. After the birth the child’s mother had concerns surrounding his hearing but the child was not screened until he was 9 months old. These tests were found to be inconclusive. The child wore digital hearing aids for a year and had cochlear implants fitted but still there were no big improvements. At 17 months he took an auditory brainstem response test which showed he was profoundly deaf.
During this time the family were in contact with a teacher from the deaf who was new and there was no support from the speech and language therapist as they were on maternity leave.
When the child was 2 years and 9 months the mother and grandmother joined a charitable organisation which took a parent centred approach to teaching children to talk through listening. They identified that the child could hear across frequencies meaning he was able to understand speech but hadn’t learned to make sense of the sounds.
The charitable organisation was able to close the language gap between the child and other children through regular therapy sessions. The child’s mother and grandmother received specialist training to help them teach the child at home so that the therapy could become part of everyday life. They built a relationship to improve parental engagement with the child’s mother which meant she was willing to take 4 hour round trips so that she could attend ongoing training sessions. Finally, they helped to liaised with the local team to share their goals and assessment results and rebuild a relationship with the family.
As this was a charitable programme they were able to provide the family with additional finance to help attend training sessions and have been able to meet the cost incurred by the Speech and Language Therapy Service when meeting with the family.
The main problem with this case is that there is a distinct lack of appropriate intervention. There needed to be earlier interventions with people like health visitors and social workers so that the family would know what their options were and where they would find support. The family could have benefitted from advice on finances, respite, or sign language.
For parents of children with developmental issues it can seem like a mine field. It can be intimidating for them and put them well outside their comfort zone. It can also feel to them like they are being passed from pillar to post as they often see different people depending on the educational status of the child. On top of the day to day parenting which comes with all children they may need to attend specialist training to support their child. This can mean that their time is swallowed up with searching for funding or bureaucracy and there is very little ‘me’ time for the parent or for the parent to enjoy being with their child. Some interventions do not cross over from one age group to another and can also be too short an intervention. This is why communication and liaison between the agencies is key. If everyone has access to the same information then the transition should be smooth.
As an educator one may not always have the right answers or training to help a child and will need to refer to a specialist. Often agencies will offer training tips to teaching staff to give them support or show how new equipment works. If working with a child on 1 to 1 basis then on occasions the agency may be able share some of the day to day demands.
The more general drawbacks of a multi agency approach means that there are a lot of demands on time for a lot of people due to the high number of people involved. There is also a financial burden as there needs to be money spent on specialist equipment and decisions have to be made as to where that money is coming from. In some cases additional funding needs to be applied for and people are needed to ensure that happens. Occasionally schools have to take on children they simply don’t have the funding to support.
AM Osmond
Speech waits for no man...
Speech and language are often confused, but there is a distinction between the two:
· Speech is the verbal expression of language and includes articulation, which is the way sounds and words are formed.
· Language is much broader and refers to the entire system of expressing and receiving information in a way that’s meaningful. Its understanding and being understood through communication which could be verbal, non-verbal or written.
Speech delays and disorders could include stuttering, cluttering or articulation difficulties. These difficulties do not necessarily mean the child has limited understanding but it does mean they cannot easily put things into spoken words for various reasons relating to their disorder.
In all cases it is important to remember it could simply be a phase in the child’s development and they will grow out of it. In the case of articulation difficulties it is very common for young children to pronounce words wrongly but very important that they are corrected. It is fair to say this can be viewed as “cute” or “funny” when the child is young and it could be encouraged by families, but it could be caused by a physical disability such as a cleft palate, oral malformation or hearing loss. Hopefully physical impairments such as these would be picked up by the child’s Health Visitor but we must remember some parents are more reliable at keeping appointments than others and to play devil’s advocate, some Health Visitors are better than others! Some parents may try to sweep problems under the carpet in the hope things will improve with time and may not want to admit their much cherished child is less than perfect. If a hearing loss is not picked up early enough it could have a very negative impact on the child’s development and they will struggle to learn and communicate.
In the case of stuttering, if the problem is still there at the age of 5 it is highly probable that the child will need some support and possibly speech and language therapy and the stutter will be an on-going problem. Therapy may help but there is no actual “cure” for a stutter or for cluttering. Early identification is very important as a child who cannot communicate properly could become withdrawn and lack confidence, therefore impacting on their self-esteem. They may be self-conscious so not contribute to group discussion or work and it is highly likely they would be the subject of teasing and bullying which would only exacerbate the problem. This would hinder their learning and impact on their emotional and social development.
The difficulties with early identification is that many of the traits of the disorders are very similar to the normal phases a child goes through whilst developing their speech and language so problems may not be picked up or thought a concern until the child starts nursery or school. In the case of hearing difficulties this could be way too late for the child as they miss crucial learning windows.
Language and communication could be affected by many many factors some personal and some external as mentioned in my previous assignment. Autistic children will almost always have a speech and language delay and may use little or no spoken words at all. They also will find other forms of communication difficult, such as eye contact and reading body language. Usually autistic children with more severe difficulties are diagnosed and earlier with support put in place. Children with mild difficulties may not be identified quite so easily and therefore may be seen as simply disruptive, naughty children who are punished for their behaviours. Autism also affects social relationships with peers as the child finds it difficult to react appropriately in social situations or show empathy for others. It is therefore vitally important to recognise and support autistic children as early as possible but this is not always easy and depends on the severity of their disability.
Children’s speech, language and communication could be affected by anxiety disorders such as Selective Mutism, extreme shyness or social anxiety. In the case of selective mutism the child may speak freely at home and the problem may only arise once they begin school. Therefore it would be impossible to predict the problem and put any interventions in place until the child is already in the learning environment. The child will be capable of speech and have understanding but will be unable to communicate vocally in certain situations. The disorder may be wrongly confused with shyness or rudeness and would undoubtedly hinder friendships and social development and the anxiety they experience would impact on their emotional wellbeing.
Bilingual children sometimes experience a delay in speech and language development purely because they are processing two different languages at the same time. The child would hopefully be easily identified and appropriate support put in place. Their understanding of language is often fine and the problem is when they come to vocalise it themselves. I personally understand a lot of the French language if it is spoken to me but would struggle to put as much of the language in to a two way conversation.
Trauma or abuse can also affect development. In my last role of Social work Assistant I observed that many neglected children had speech and language delay of varying severity. We have already looked at the impact neglect has on a child’s development in the previous assignment. If a child is ignored and not spoken to they will be unable to develop their speech and language and be unaware of how to communicate effectively. This again should primarily be picked up by the child’s Health Visitor but as I said before, these parents are less likely to keep appointments. School may therefore be the first place any problems are picked up. The child will more often than not have global development delays so the need to identify problems and begin support networks is invaluable to the child. It not only affects how they develop through childhood but will have an impact on them into adulthood. Early identification and intervention can open up more opportunities for the adult if the groundwork is done whilst the child is developing.
So to summarise, with all delays and disorders it is obviously ideal to identify and act as early as possible because it has such huge implications other areas of their lives such as their social and emotional development. The problems that can obstruct early diagnosis and interventions are inability and unwillingness to acknowledge the problem, lack of resources in a school and maybe not knowing what intervention to put in place.
R Frankham
· Speech is the verbal expression of language and includes articulation, which is the way sounds and words are formed.
· Language is much broader and refers to the entire system of expressing and receiving information in a way that’s meaningful. Its understanding and being understood through communication which could be verbal, non-verbal or written.
Speech delays and disorders could include stuttering, cluttering or articulation difficulties. These difficulties do not necessarily mean the child has limited understanding but it does mean they cannot easily put things into spoken words for various reasons relating to their disorder.
In all cases it is important to remember it could simply be a phase in the child’s development and they will grow out of it. In the case of articulation difficulties it is very common for young children to pronounce words wrongly but very important that they are corrected. It is fair to say this can be viewed as “cute” or “funny” when the child is young and it could be encouraged by families, but it could be caused by a physical disability such as a cleft palate, oral malformation or hearing loss. Hopefully physical impairments such as these would be picked up by the child’s Health Visitor but we must remember some parents are more reliable at keeping appointments than others and to play devil’s advocate, some Health Visitors are better than others! Some parents may try to sweep problems under the carpet in the hope things will improve with time and may not want to admit their much cherished child is less than perfect. If a hearing loss is not picked up early enough it could have a very negative impact on the child’s development and they will struggle to learn and communicate.
In the case of stuttering, if the problem is still there at the age of 5 it is highly probable that the child will need some support and possibly speech and language therapy and the stutter will be an on-going problem. Therapy may help but there is no actual “cure” for a stutter or for cluttering. Early identification is very important as a child who cannot communicate properly could become withdrawn and lack confidence, therefore impacting on their self-esteem. They may be self-conscious so not contribute to group discussion or work and it is highly likely they would be the subject of teasing and bullying which would only exacerbate the problem. This would hinder their learning and impact on their emotional and social development.
The difficulties with early identification is that many of the traits of the disorders are very similar to the normal phases a child goes through whilst developing their speech and language so problems may not be picked up or thought a concern until the child starts nursery or school. In the case of hearing difficulties this could be way too late for the child as they miss crucial learning windows.
Language and communication could be affected by many many factors some personal and some external as mentioned in my previous assignment. Autistic children will almost always have a speech and language delay and may use little or no spoken words at all. They also will find other forms of communication difficult, such as eye contact and reading body language. Usually autistic children with more severe difficulties are diagnosed and earlier with support put in place. Children with mild difficulties may not be identified quite so easily and therefore may be seen as simply disruptive, naughty children who are punished for their behaviours. Autism also affects social relationships with peers as the child finds it difficult to react appropriately in social situations or show empathy for others. It is therefore vitally important to recognise and support autistic children as early as possible but this is not always easy and depends on the severity of their disability.
Children’s speech, language and communication could be affected by anxiety disorders such as Selective Mutism, extreme shyness or social anxiety. In the case of selective mutism the child may speak freely at home and the problem may only arise once they begin school. Therefore it would be impossible to predict the problem and put any interventions in place until the child is already in the learning environment. The child will be capable of speech and have understanding but will be unable to communicate vocally in certain situations. The disorder may be wrongly confused with shyness or rudeness and would undoubtedly hinder friendships and social development and the anxiety they experience would impact on their emotional wellbeing.
Bilingual children sometimes experience a delay in speech and language development purely because they are processing two different languages at the same time. The child would hopefully be easily identified and appropriate support put in place. Their understanding of language is often fine and the problem is when they come to vocalise it themselves. I personally understand a lot of the French language if it is spoken to me but would struggle to put as much of the language in to a two way conversation.
Trauma or abuse can also affect development. In my last role of Social work Assistant I observed that many neglected children had speech and language delay of varying severity. We have already looked at the impact neglect has on a child’s development in the previous assignment. If a child is ignored and not spoken to they will be unable to develop their speech and language and be unaware of how to communicate effectively. This again should primarily be picked up by the child’s Health Visitor but as I said before, these parents are less likely to keep appointments. School may therefore be the first place any problems are picked up. The child will more often than not have global development delays so the need to identify problems and begin support networks is invaluable to the child. It not only affects how they develop through childhood but will have an impact on them into adulthood. Early identification and intervention can open up more opportunities for the adult if the groundwork is done whilst the child is developing.
So to summarise, with all delays and disorders it is obviously ideal to identify and act as early as possible because it has such huge implications other areas of their lives such as their social and emotional development. The problems that can obstruct early diagnosis and interventions are inability and unwillingness to acknowledge the problem, lack of resources in a school and maybe not knowing what intervention to put in place.
R Frankham
A theoretical transition period
Normal transitions can be described as the different stages of development according to Theorists such as Freud or Piaget. They can also be stages children go through like: Infancy to starting nursery, nursery school to infant school, then to junior school, then senior school and so on.
Normal transitions can be outlined as follows:
· Birth to 3 years
· 3 – 7 years
· 7 – 12 years
· 12 – 16 years
Birth to 3 years
· Being born and entering the outside world – having a difficult birth can be traumatic for the baby
· Learning and developing new skills – they are learning to focus, think, taste, textures etc.
· Teething – can cause discomfort
· Eating solid food and learning to feed themselves – weaning and start of independence
· Learning to sit up – seeing the world from a different angle, lots of praise
· Learning to crawl and walk - exciting
· Learning to communicate – this stage is important as they form a bond with parents, siblings and others, and they start listening to language
· Learning toilet training - independence
· Attending day care – they have little concept of danger, separation from parents
All these transitions are very exciting and interesting for children, and positive. They receive lots of praise as they go through these transitions. In most cases they are getting a lot of love and fuss. They are getting all the attention and praise, then as they move into the next stage: 3 – 7 years, suddenly they are not getting all the attention; they are one in a class of 30.
3 – 7 Years
· Learning and developing new skills – can be exciting
· Attending school, nursery or pre-school – separation anxiety
· Changing between different settings i.e. new school, new classroom, new teacher – bigger classes, less attention
· Leaving parents – frightening, as it’s a legal requirement rather than a choice, as the child has to go whether he wants to or not.
· Going to a child minder – separation anxiety if parents need to work
· Joining after school clubs – new people, change, new friends
· Leaving friends – change of settings loss of friends
· Moving house or relocating – change of environment, new settings
· Family structure change – moving from only child to first child
· Arrival of new sibling – having to share parents and toys
· Starting new activities such as sports – new friends, new rules
· Completing homework – means work rather than play
These transitions can be both positive and negative, as it can be exciting learning new things such as hobbies etc. but it can also be challenging as it brings change. At this stage children experience less pleasure than birth to 3 years. Separation anxiety can pass from parents to a child.
7 – 12 Years
· Changing to different settings – a frightening transition for some children
· Starting new school – big transition
· Leaving friends
· Arrival of a new sibling – quite common, and can affect a child as they will have to share affection of parents
· Moving house or relocating – upheaval of familiar surroundings
· Family structure change
· Meeting new friends – can be exciting
· Completing homework – less play and more work, having to meet deadlines, more stress
· Growing – can be exciting
· Onset of hormones/puberty – very difficult transition
There is a lot less praise during these transitions in a child’s life. There is also the added emotion as puberty starts. This can be a difficult time for teenagers as everything is changing and they are discovering more about life, and the human body, which can be scary for some. Often at this stage, things that children are going through map against things that parents are going through. Parents could be going through transitions themselves at the same time that children are going through transitions, like having another child, getting promoted or being made redundant, bereavement of grandparents etc. Parents may have to share their affection so the child may not feel so loved. Starting a new school is a huge transition for the child.
“Many primary schools make serious efforts to engage with the children’s early years experience, through contact with families but also with the local early years provision. In some areas, there is an additional transition between an infant and junior school. Many secondary schools have also made considerable effort to ease the move between the primary and secondary stage.”
(Lindon 2009)
12-16 Years
· Starting senior school – being at the top of the age hierarchy, now they have to start at the bottom again and work themselves up
· Moving to college, university or starting a job – more independence
· Leaving friends – difficult time, could cause insecurity
· Friendships change to relationships
· Leaving home to start at university
· Family structure change
· Completing homework – this can be so important as a lot of homework is course work and they will be graded on it
· Choosing options – taking ownership
· Examinations – lots of exams which will determine their future
· Hormones/puberty – very difficult time as they don’t really know what is going on in their bodies
· Moving house or relocating – a huge upheaval
Often at this stage, children are leaving home to start college or university. Some may be glad to get away from the home environment, while others may find it challenging. Parents may change their room into a shrine, which can be hard for the child, or parents may want to change their room into a guest room once they move out, so the child may feel ousted. At this stage, there are more enforced changes, as children are encouraged to be more independent.
The following is an example of how a transition in a 4 year old can affect the child:
Transition: Starting school
Pros of the transition – learn new skills; gain confidence, exciting, meet new friends, independence
Cons of the transition – separation anxiety, tiredness, learning to cope with new surroundings, frightened of the unknown
Intervention – Before the child starts school, children are invited to an open day, where they come in to the new setting with their parents for a visit. There after, the teacher and TA can do a home visit where, one person talks to the parent about her anxieties, asks about the child’s likes, dislikes, fears, and any health or dietary issues. The other person takes time to play with the child and observes child behaviour, etc. The children are then invited to come in for an hour for the first day, with or without their parents. No activity is arranged, but the child can explore the new setting, either on their own or with their parents. Times are staggered throughout the day for the children to attend so that there are only a few children in at any particular time. Each child is given an induction timetable to gradually help them get used to the new setting. (Vygotsky’s scaffolding strategy). Parents are encouraged to work in partnership with the teaching staff, to use positive dialogue only, when speaking to their child about their new school, and not to speak about their own anxieties in front of the child as they could be transferring their own anxieties onto the child. They are also encouraged to make the drop of sessions brief so as not to prolong the agony for the child. So often, parents linger when dropping off their child, and this can make it really difficult for the child. Phone calls can be made to the parents if certain children are really upset when they drop them off, so as to reassure them that all is well and they have settled. Distractions are used to help the child and get their mind off the separation. Later, budding up children can be useful as they can distract each other. The TA can pick up on the child’s favourite activity or toy, for example, trains or Bob the builder, when doing the home visit, and arrange activities around that, focusing on his favourite topic.
The following is an example of how a transition in a 7 year old can affect the child:
Transition: moving from infant school to junior school
Pros of the transition – learn new skills, hobbies or sports clubs, gain independence, meet new friends, exciting.
Cons of the transition – loss of friendships, anxiety of the unknown, change of age hierarchy, bigger school, new teachers, knock of confidence, commuting, and parent anxiety.
Intervention – Buddy time with pupils from the junior school. During the last term of the year, a class from the junior school visits the infant’s school, and children are buddied up to do creative arts sessions together. The older child is a mentor for the younger one. After a fortnight, the class from the infant’s school visits the same class but this time at the junior school, in their new class for September, also doing a creative fun activity. This process is repeated throughout the term fortnightly so that the children gradually get to know their new setting, and fear of the unknown is reduced. During their ‘buddy time’ they can play icebreaker games, and do exciting activities, working in pairs or groups. This will ease the anxiety and promote social interaction between the pupils. The children will also get to know their new teachers, and it will help the teacher to get to know personalities of the new pupils.
P Clarke
Normal transitions can be outlined as follows:
· Birth to 3 years
· 3 – 7 years
· 7 – 12 years
· 12 – 16 years
Birth to 3 years
· Being born and entering the outside world – having a difficult birth can be traumatic for the baby
· Learning and developing new skills – they are learning to focus, think, taste, textures etc.
· Teething – can cause discomfort
· Eating solid food and learning to feed themselves – weaning and start of independence
· Learning to sit up – seeing the world from a different angle, lots of praise
· Learning to crawl and walk - exciting
· Learning to communicate – this stage is important as they form a bond with parents, siblings and others, and they start listening to language
· Learning toilet training - independence
· Attending day care – they have little concept of danger, separation from parents
All these transitions are very exciting and interesting for children, and positive. They receive lots of praise as they go through these transitions. In most cases they are getting a lot of love and fuss. They are getting all the attention and praise, then as they move into the next stage: 3 – 7 years, suddenly they are not getting all the attention; they are one in a class of 30.
3 – 7 Years
· Learning and developing new skills – can be exciting
· Attending school, nursery or pre-school – separation anxiety
· Changing between different settings i.e. new school, new classroom, new teacher – bigger classes, less attention
· Leaving parents – frightening, as it’s a legal requirement rather than a choice, as the child has to go whether he wants to or not.
· Going to a child minder – separation anxiety if parents need to work
· Joining after school clubs – new people, change, new friends
· Leaving friends – change of settings loss of friends
· Moving house or relocating – change of environment, new settings
· Family structure change – moving from only child to first child
· Arrival of new sibling – having to share parents and toys
· Starting new activities such as sports – new friends, new rules
· Completing homework – means work rather than play
These transitions can be both positive and negative, as it can be exciting learning new things such as hobbies etc. but it can also be challenging as it brings change. At this stage children experience less pleasure than birth to 3 years. Separation anxiety can pass from parents to a child.
7 – 12 Years
· Changing to different settings – a frightening transition for some children
· Starting new school – big transition
· Leaving friends
· Arrival of a new sibling – quite common, and can affect a child as they will have to share affection of parents
· Moving house or relocating – upheaval of familiar surroundings
· Family structure change
· Meeting new friends – can be exciting
· Completing homework – less play and more work, having to meet deadlines, more stress
· Growing – can be exciting
· Onset of hormones/puberty – very difficult transition
There is a lot less praise during these transitions in a child’s life. There is also the added emotion as puberty starts. This can be a difficult time for teenagers as everything is changing and they are discovering more about life, and the human body, which can be scary for some. Often at this stage, things that children are going through map against things that parents are going through. Parents could be going through transitions themselves at the same time that children are going through transitions, like having another child, getting promoted or being made redundant, bereavement of grandparents etc. Parents may have to share their affection so the child may not feel so loved. Starting a new school is a huge transition for the child.
“Many primary schools make serious efforts to engage with the children’s early years experience, through contact with families but also with the local early years provision. In some areas, there is an additional transition between an infant and junior school. Many secondary schools have also made considerable effort to ease the move between the primary and secondary stage.”
(Lindon 2009)
12-16 Years
· Starting senior school – being at the top of the age hierarchy, now they have to start at the bottom again and work themselves up
· Moving to college, university or starting a job – more independence
· Leaving friends – difficult time, could cause insecurity
· Friendships change to relationships
· Leaving home to start at university
· Family structure change
· Completing homework – this can be so important as a lot of homework is course work and they will be graded on it
· Choosing options – taking ownership
· Examinations – lots of exams which will determine their future
· Hormones/puberty – very difficult time as they don’t really know what is going on in their bodies
· Moving house or relocating – a huge upheaval
Often at this stage, children are leaving home to start college or university. Some may be glad to get away from the home environment, while others may find it challenging. Parents may change their room into a shrine, which can be hard for the child, or parents may want to change their room into a guest room once they move out, so the child may feel ousted. At this stage, there are more enforced changes, as children are encouraged to be more independent.
The following is an example of how a transition in a 4 year old can affect the child:
Transition: Starting school
Pros of the transition – learn new skills; gain confidence, exciting, meet new friends, independence
Cons of the transition – separation anxiety, tiredness, learning to cope with new surroundings, frightened of the unknown
Intervention – Before the child starts school, children are invited to an open day, where they come in to the new setting with their parents for a visit. There after, the teacher and TA can do a home visit where, one person talks to the parent about her anxieties, asks about the child’s likes, dislikes, fears, and any health or dietary issues. The other person takes time to play with the child and observes child behaviour, etc. The children are then invited to come in for an hour for the first day, with or without their parents. No activity is arranged, but the child can explore the new setting, either on their own or with their parents. Times are staggered throughout the day for the children to attend so that there are only a few children in at any particular time. Each child is given an induction timetable to gradually help them get used to the new setting. (Vygotsky’s scaffolding strategy). Parents are encouraged to work in partnership with the teaching staff, to use positive dialogue only, when speaking to their child about their new school, and not to speak about their own anxieties in front of the child as they could be transferring their own anxieties onto the child. They are also encouraged to make the drop of sessions brief so as not to prolong the agony for the child. So often, parents linger when dropping off their child, and this can make it really difficult for the child. Phone calls can be made to the parents if certain children are really upset when they drop them off, so as to reassure them that all is well and they have settled. Distractions are used to help the child and get their mind off the separation. Later, budding up children can be useful as they can distract each other. The TA can pick up on the child’s favourite activity or toy, for example, trains or Bob the builder, when doing the home visit, and arrange activities around that, focusing on his favourite topic.
The following is an example of how a transition in a 7 year old can affect the child:
Transition: moving from infant school to junior school
Pros of the transition – learn new skills, hobbies or sports clubs, gain independence, meet new friends, exciting.
Cons of the transition – loss of friendships, anxiety of the unknown, change of age hierarchy, bigger school, new teachers, knock of confidence, commuting, and parent anxiety.
Intervention – Buddy time with pupils from the junior school. During the last term of the year, a class from the junior school visits the infant’s school, and children are buddied up to do creative arts sessions together. The older child is a mentor for the younger one. After a fortnight, the class from the infant’s school visits the same class but this time at the junior school, in their new class for September, also doing a creative fun activity. This process is repeated throughout the term fortnightly so that the children gradually get to know their new setting, and fear of the unknown is reduced. During their ‘buddy time’ they can play icebreaker games, and do exciting activities, working in pairs or groups. This will ease the anxiety and promote social interaction between the pupils. The children will also get to know their new teachers, and it will help the teacher to get to know personalities of the new pupils.
P Clarke
"Two hearts" are better than one
Positive relationships are needed during periods of transition, as the lack of them could have serious negative consequences on a child’s all round development and ability to cope with life later on. However, it must be clear as to what is meant by ‘positive’, in relation to what outcome is intended from having positive relationships.
Definition: Positive
Confident, optimistic, focusing on good things rather than bad, producing good results.
By having positive relationships during times of transitions, it is generally understood that the child will have people around them that they can trust, and that make them feel cared for. Children need to feel safe and secure at all times and, consistency is essential to that feeling of security, so it can be assumed that these positive relationships have formed with people they see regularly, and who have strong morals and values i.e. keeping promises, being reliable, judging fairly. Therefore it is more likely that positive relationships are formed with parents, family members, teachers, classmates, or activity leaders. Children who are fortunate enough to have positive relationships are more likely to succeed academically, and socially, because they feel emotionally secure and therefore have more self-esteem and confidence to approach new skills, and are better able to cope with new experiences and changes in their lives, whether they are positive or negative. They are better able to do so, because they know and feel that they are not alone, but have people around them who they can trust to give them guidance, support and advice on even the most sensitive and personal issues. Older children who pass through transitions with the appropriate emotional support from such positive relationships, are less likely to succumb to feelings of depression, and low self-esteem, which can, and does, often lead to serious damaging behaviour, such as self-harming and drug taking.
On the other hand though, positive relationships do not always result in more confident, emotionally secure children and do not always produce good outcomes. For example, many times, parents, siblings, grandparents and other people close to a child, will use phrases during distressing times, such as, ‘you will never need to worry’ or ‘I’ll always be here for you’. This kind of ‘positive’ statement is said with the good intention to reassure and comfort the child and may indeed do so for that moment. But, it can, and has had the opposite effect, when the person who uttered those words is no longer alive. If a child has grown up hearing, and believing that the person will never leave them, when that person does die, the child can often feel anger and resentment, they and also feel cheated at being left alone and may never again be able to trust, or get close to another human being ever again. So, instead of a positive relationship producing a positive outcome, as was intended, it could have the worst effect ever on that child’s future life.
Another example of when relationships do not always have positive outcomes during times of transition is, for example, if the parents of an older child get divorced. A myriad of emotions may be going through that young persons’ head i.e. guilt, anger, rejection, fear, hate. The child may also be going through another transition such as puberty, with mood swings and body changes at the same time. A positive relationship with a well-meaning friend, may have disastrous effects. Friends usually agree with you and tell you what you want to hear and not what you need to hear. The friend may encourage anger and vengeful behaviour just by agreeing in the hope that it will make her friend feel better, instead of giving good advice or helping to find support either from the school councillor or other trusted adult.
Generally though, if children are fortunate to have positive relationships that offer the right kind of advice and support during times of transition and are handled sensitively and tactfully they will be in a better position, both emotionally and intellectually to cope with future transitions. This includes allowing the child to recognise and to be aware of the fact that there can be negative outcomes and not everything will always turn out positively. What is essential is to help children pass through the ups and downs of life. Mistakes will be made, different emotions will be felt. Our experiences, both good and bad, make us who we are, how we think, how we behave and how we cope with the changes our lives.
A Constantinou
Definition: Positive
Confident, optimistic, focusing on good things rather than bad, producing good results.
By having positive relationships during times of transitions, it is generally understood that the child will have people around them that they can trust, and that make them feel cared for. Children need to feel safe and secure at all times and, consistency is essential to that feeling of security, so it can be assumed that these positive relationships have formed with people they see regularly, and who have strong morals and values i.e. keeping promises, being reliable, judging fairly. Therefore it is more likely that positive relationships are formed with parents, family members, teachers, classmates, or activity leaders. Children who are fortunate enough to have positive relationships are more likely to succeed academically, and socially, because they feel emotionally secure and therefore have more self-esteem and confidence to approach new skills, and are better able to cope with new experiences and changes in their lives, whether they are positive or negative. They are better able to do so, because they know and feel that they are not alone, but have people around them who they can trust to give them guidance, support and advice on even the most sensitive and personal issues. Older children who pass through transitions with the appropriate emotional support from such positive relationships, are less likely to succumb to feelings of depression, and low self-esteem, which can, and does, often lead to serious damaging behaviour, such as self-harming and drug taking.
On the other hand though, positive relationships do not always result in more confident, emotionally secure children and do not always produce good outcomes. For example, many times, parents, siblings, grandparents and other people close to a child, will use phrases during distressing times, such as, ‘you will never need to worry’ or ‘I’ll always be here for you’. This kind of ‘positive’ statement is said with the good intention to reassure and comfort the child and may indeed do so for that moment. But, it can, and has had the opposite effect, when the person who uttered those words is no longer alive. If a child has grown up hearing, and believing that the person will never leave them, when that person does die, the child can often feel anger and resentment, they and also feel cheated at being left alone and may never again be able to trust, or get close to another human being ever again. So, instead of a positive relationship producing a positive outcome, as was intended, it could have the worst effect ever on that child’s future life.
Another example of when relationships do not always have positive outcomes during times of transition is, for example, if the parents of an older child get divorced. A myriad of emotions may be going through that young persons’ head i.e. guilt, anger, rejection, fear, hate. The child may also be going through another transition such as puberty, with mood swings and body changes at the same time. A positive relationship with a well-meaning friend, may have disastrous effects. Friends usually agree with you and tell you what you want to hear and not what you need to hear. The friend may encourage anger and vengeful behaviour just by agreeing in the hope that it will make her friend feel better, instead of giving good advice or helping to find support either from the school councillor or other trusted adult.
Generally though, if children are fortunate to have positive relationships that offer the right kind of advice and support during times of transition and are handled sensitively and tactfully they will be in a better position, both emotionally and intellectually to cope with future transitions. This includes allowing the child to recognise and to be aware of the fact that there can be negative outcomes and not everything will always turn out positively. What is essential is to help children pass through the ups and downs of life. Mistakes will be made, different emotions will be felt. Our experiences, both good and bad, make us who we are, how we think, how we behave and how we cope with the changes our lives.
A Constantinou
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