Define and describe the Growth and Development
Growth is the progressive increase in the size of a child or parts of a child.
Development is the progressive acquisition of various skills (abilities) such as head support, speaking, learning, expressing the feelings etc...
Child development refers to the natural growth and learning that occurs in all children from birth to adulthood, including physical, intellectual, and social-emotional growth
.Let us see the difference between the ‘Growth’ and ‘Development’
Growth refers to an increase in size, height, weight etc. ./.Easily measured and observed /It is limited / Starts with birth to reach the maximum at maturity / Concerned with various aspects and parts of body and behaviour as a whole / Quantitative change
Development refers to improvement in the functioning of the body process / Cannot be measured easily’/A continuous unending process all through life /Limited to specific areas / Qualitative and Quantitative change .
Human development constitutes the development of different areas such as physical, motor, language and speech, emotional, social and cognitive developments. By the time the child reaches adulthood, the development of major areas will be completed. But the development of these areas of a person with learning disabilities can be affected or distorted.
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What are the areas of development of a child ?
Areas of Development Human development constitutes the development of different areas such as physical, motor, language and speech, emotional, social and cognitive developments. By the time the child reaches adulthood, the development of major areas will be completed. But the development of these areas of a person with learning disabilities can be affected or distorted.
a. Physical development: Physical development means changes in height and weight and associated changes in size and shape and the functioning of the body. Physical development influences child’s behaviour directly by determining what they can do and indirectly by influencing their attitudes towards self and others. Physical development provides children with the abilities they need to explore and interact with the world around them.
b. Motor development: Motor development means the development of control over bodily movements through the coordinated activity of the nerve centres, the nerves and the muscles. It includes the Gross motor abilities and fine motor abilities which is crucial in the education process — writing, drawing, speech etc. Motor development is partially responsible for overcoming the helplessness of new-born infants.
c. Language and speech development: Language development is the process by which children come to understand and communicate language during early childhood. The thoughts and feelings can be communicated in any form of language (gestures, emotional expressions, speech or written language), but it is most commonly and most effectively done by speech.
Speech development is the ability to use meaningful ideas through spoken words. Speech is a motor-mental skill. d. Emotional Development: Emotions are complex psychological and biological responses to internal and external stimuli.
d.Emotional development can be defined as the ability to express, control, understand and accept one's emotions. All emotions play an important role in children’s lives through the influence they have on children’s personal and social adjustments.
e. Social Development: It is the acquisition of the ability to behave in accordance with social expectations — control emotions, waiting patiently, making friends, sharing toys, taking care of others etc. The change of children into social, nonsocial or antisocial person depends mainly on learning, not on heredity. Young children develop these abilities in small increments over time.
f. Cognitive or intellectual development: Cognitive development is the sum total of sensation, perception and cognition. Sensation means sensing something through sense organs. Perception gives additional meaning to sensing. Cognition is the process of thinking and knowing.
The intellectual or cognitive development helps a person to memorize, imagine, communicate, perceive and to solve problem. It develops from birth until adulthood.
3.Specify the Stages of child Development with reference to children with birth defects or disabilities
In pregnancy, each part of the baby’s body forms at a specific time. During these times, the body can be very sensitive to damage caused by medications, alcohol or other harmful exposures. We call this specific time the “critical period of development” for that body part.
The CPD (critical period of development) for the central nervous system is from the 3rd week to the 16th week of fetal growth.The development period for the heart is 3-6 weeks of fetal growth.Arms develop from the 4th to the 6th week of fetal growth.The CPD for the eyes is from the 4 1/2 week to the 8th week of fetal growth.The cpd for the legs is from the initial day of the 4th week to the the initial days of the 7th week of fetal growth. The CPD for teeth is 6th to 8th and for the palate ,it is the 6th to the initial days of the 12th week of fetal growth.The critical development period for the external genitala is the second half of the 8 th week to the first 3 quarters of the 12 the week.The CPD of the ears is from the 4th week ti the first half of the fetal growth.
In general, major defects of the body and internal organs are more likely to occur between 3 to 12 embryo / fetal weeks.Minor defects and functional defects including those affecting the brain are likely to occur even later in pregnancy.
Evaluate a child’s development after birth
Postnatal and later periods of life have been classified in to various stages or planes by different experts. Commonly used terms and classifications are given below:
Neonatal ( newborn baby ) period: ages 0–4 weeks;
Infant: ages 4 weeks – 1 year/ (Infancy means the speechless period or before walking. So for some children, it may be extended up to 2 years )
Toddler: ages 1–3 years -The word is derived from "to toddle", which means to walk unsteadily, like a child of this age.
The toddler years are a time of great cognitive, emotional and social development.
Preschooler: / Early childhood: ages 3–6 years;
Middle childhood: ages 6-8 years;
Later childhood: ages 8-12 years;
(‘Childhood’ is the development stage between infancy and puberty) Adolescent: ages 12–20 years;
Adult stage; ages 20- 45 years;
Middle age stage: 45 -65 years;
Old age stage: ages 65 and above
The development of communication and language in a child is as follows : The child during the early stages of infancy cries when wet or hungry, coos when comfortable (3 months ), makes simple sounds by 6 months , uses sound for different things by 9 months, begins to use simple single words by one year , begins to use words together by 2 years, uses simple sentences to express ideas by 3 years to 5 years. If the child lags behind during any one of these stages, parents should take steps to support the child without delay. Measures like speaking and singing to the child, consulting experts like speech therapists without delay is advocated.
