Child and young person development 2

Examples of how the different aspects of development can affect each other

(a)    Physical & Intellectual development

If a child has a developmental delay affecting their fine motor skills they will have problems with holding the pencil. It makes writing more difficult for them, having a negative impact on their intellectual, cognitive development.

(b)   Social & Intellectual development

If a child is behind their peers in intellectual development, it can affect their social skills. They might feel to be outsiders in the classroom because they cannot reach at least the average level in their performance. Also a delayed intellectual development can make it difficult for these children to participate in play activities with their peers because it is hard for them to follow the rules or simply the conversation with children at the same age.

(c)    Emotional & Physical development

Issues of physical development can affect confidence and emotional development. For example, if a child has developmental delay in gross motor skills and cannot kick the ball as well as their peers, this disadvantage might exclude them from playground games and opportunities of socialising. Puberty can be a problematic time for young people who might feel ashamed by their changing body and lose self-confidence.

Maslow described emotional developments using a triangle or a pyramid

Abraham Maslow created the hierarchy of needs to explain and model the factors that motivate people in their development. Although the theory was not originally presented in the form of a pyramid by Maslow, this shape shows excellently that without the foundation of the most essential physiological needs a person cannot strive for more abstract goals.

The bottom of the pyramid consists of the physiological needs of not only a human but any animal on earth, the most basic requirements of survival: air to breathe, food, water, sleep, excretion. Humans need clothing and shelter to keep them warm; and adequate sexual activity to sustain the species.

If their physical needs are satisfied, a person can concentrate on their safety. A physical safety or a security of body needs to be ensured against war, violence or disasters. Financial security means reliable employment, sufficient resources and property. Moral safety can be provided by one’s family, friends and community.

The third level of human needs is the desire to love and be loved, to belong to other people and have interpersonal relationships. These include friendships, family, sexual intimacy and being a member of a community (in clubs, with co-workers or in a religious group, etc.) A lack of socialisation can lead to loneliness, social anxiety and clinical depression.

Esteem includes self-respect and recognition by others that is every person’s basic need so that we can feel that we are useful members of this society. A “lower” version of this need is the desire to be respected by others and the “higher” version means strong self-esteem and confidence in ourselves.

These four basic layers of the hierarchy are called the “deficiency needs or “d-needs” by Maslow. If these needs are not met, there might not be any physical symptoms but the person will feel tense and anxious. Furthermore, without the basic requirements being satisfied, a person cannot raise to the top level to fulfil their self-actualisation. It means reaching one’s full potential, being creative and spontaneous. It is a state where one is able to accept facts, to solve problems objectively and act in a moral way without having prejudice. (Maslow's hierarchy of needs, n.d.)

Reference list

Maslow's hierarchy of needs, n.d. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia,
< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs>