THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT ON LEARNING OUTCOMES

International Journal of Scientific Research and Innovative Technology ISSN: 2313-3759 Vol. 4 No. 11; November 2017

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THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT ON LEARNING OUTCOMES AMONG CHILDREN WITH GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY Abstract: Positive learning outcomes of children with global developmental delays are closely connected to the safe and supportive environments for them in the early and middle childhood years of life. The medical fraternity has enlightened us on the important influence an individual’s environment has on their health. This has led to many health promotion interventions which focus on improving health by improving the environment of children. Therefore, the parents, caregivers, teachers and educators in general require the necessary insights to move beyond attempting to change individual behaviours and instead focus on creating healthy environments, which are conducive to health. Rationale: To evaluate and understand the development of children with global developmental delay and intellectual disability and inspire safe and supportive environments that support learning and positive outcomes for them. Key Words: children; child development; brain development; chronological age; developmental age; developmental quotient; developmental milestones; development delays; intellectual disability; healthy social environments Introduction The domain of social intelligence and development is a critical component of descriptions of human ability and behaviour that must be explored and supported in child development since human beings are intrinsically social beings. Developing competencies in this domain would enhance a child’s ability to succeed in the various social environments they are exposed to such as home, school and church as well as positively influence mental health, success in work, and the ability to be a citizen in a democracy.1 This necessitates the need for parents, caregivers, teachers and educators in general to pay special attention to this domain if they are to be successful in nurturing children because learning is a social process as stated by Bandura (1968), Dewey (1916), and Vygotsky (1978).2 I am cognizant of the fact that both hereditary and environmental factors determine the behaviour of a person as they grow up rendering child development a gradual unfolding of biologically determined characteristics and traits that arises as the child learns from experiences. One of the longest debates that has at times elicited emotions in the intellectual history concerns the relative influence of genetic and environmental factors on human behavioural differences, the so-called nature-nurture debate. The contentious debate has been an attempt to answer the question, is nature or nurture the stronger influence on the human behaviour?-hence the genotype-phenotype variance. 1Huitt, William G. and Courtney Dawson, “Social Development: Why It Is Important and How to Impact It.,” Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University., April 2011, 1. 2Ibid.


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The three principle players in the debate over determinants of human personalities are Charles Darwin, Sigmund Freud, and B.F. Skinner. Darwin was a strong proponent of nature and Skinner as a strong advocate of nurture, leaning heavily upon one’s experiences in life and the environment shaping personality. Freud would fall somewhere near the center of the nature-nature continuum, leaning toward nurture, but giving some credit to nature as giving humans through genetics some low-level instinctive drives that impact the development of personality. However, most recent literature shows that multiple genes interact with multiple environmental variables such as abiotic factors (physical parts of the environment such as water and sunlight that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems)and culture to produce the phenotype (the observable features of an individual).3Remarkably, the most recent research in the area of behavioral genetics has led many to conclude that trying to separate out nature and nurture as explanations for behaviour is both impossible and unproductive and hencesupport a perspective that more strongly emphasizes the joint influence of genes and the environment.4 However, the thrust of this paper is more environment than genetics with a focus on children from birth to eleven years, normally termed as early and middle childhood. Brain development occurs rapidly during these early years of the human life. Development takes place at the greatest rate in the early childhood years. Child development is the process whereby a young baby and child explores and learns and grows into adulthood. Huitt and Dawson observed that child development is divided into three main areas— physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development. Focusing on the brain, they say the connections between nerve cells in the human body are created as a child interacts with the environment. The links allow a greater number of messages to pass through the brain. Therefore, infant care and interaction with caregivers is crucial to brain development which is the mental engine of the human body functions.5 Brain Development Modern technology allows scientists to take pictures of the brain. By comparing pictures, scientists are able to study rates of development. A child is born with an average of 100 billion brain cells called neurons. These neural cells though sufficient for the body, are normally small and mostly unconnected to the different parts of the brain. After birth, the connections between the neurons develop rapidly. These connections, or links, are called synapses. The synaptic connections may be as much as 15,000 connections for each cell. The connections are gradually shaped and wired up by the child’s interactions with the world as a child grows and experiences life, initially through interactions with the family and close relatives and later through peers and the world. The connections influence the ability of a child to learn, solve problems, get along with others, and control emotions. Through repeated emotionally safe experiences, the neurons communicate to connect to other cells and strengthen important pathways to various parts of the brain. One of the ways the connections are strengthened is through relational attachments in the child’s social environments. If those vital connections are not 3Virginie Orgogozo, Baptiste Morizot, and Arnaud Martin, “The Differential View of Genotype–phenotype Relationships,” Frontiers in Genetics 6 (May 19, 2015), doi:10.3389/fgene.2015.00179. 4Mairi Levitt, “Perceptions of Nature, Nurture and Behaviour,” Life Sciences, Society and Policy 9 (December 12, 2013), doi:10.1186/2195-7819-9-13. 5Huitt, William G. and Courtney Dawson, “Social Development: Why It Is Important and How to Impact It.,” 1.


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strengthened, children are deprived the experiences they need to grow the frontal lobe responsible for thinking, memory, behaviour and movement.In effect, learning and executive function of the brain are compromised and children remain unable to regulate their emotions and behaviors in response to their experience of the world.6 Things like injury to, and disease in the brain too, would adversely affect the brains role in the different functions of the human body. Take for example the case highlighted by Pandya in “Understanding Brain, Mind and Soul”, the American railway foreman, Phineas Gage suffered an accident in 1848 that caused a metal tamping rod to enter under his left zygomatic arch and exit through the top of his skull. Before his accident, Gage was liked by friends and acquaintances who considered him to be honest, trustworthy, hardworking and dependable. The accident left him with little if any intellectual impairment but after the accident, Gage became vulgar, irresponsible, unpredictable and prone to profanity. The company that had previously regarded him as the most efficient and capable of their employees dismissed him from his job. His change in character after the accident made this the index case for personality change due to frontal lobe damage causing change in his behaviour, character and personality.7Mental health relates to our thoughts, feelings, behaviors and relationships with other people. It is an important part of human health and happiness and it can also affect our quality of life, physical health and our personal or professional achievements. The diagram below illustrates the functions of the different parts of the brain.

6“CH04.Pdf - 9781590708132_ch04.Pdf,” accessed September 7, 2017, https://www.g-w.com/pdf/sampchap/9781590708132_ch04.pdf. 7Sunil K. Pandya, “Understanding Brain, Mind and Soul: Contributions from Neurology and Neurosurgery,” Mens Sana Monographs 9, no. 1 (2011): 129, doi:10.4103/0973-1229.77431.


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Development occurs with sequential acquisition of skills in four different areas: Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Language (Language development most approximates cognition), and Psychosocial. Individual skills are built up and combined to produce ever more sophisticated achievements (such as walking, talking, playing, thinking and communicating) which are termed as developmental milestones. DekiPem in “Factors affecting early childhood development: golden 1000 days” posits that childhood development is a gradual unfolding of biologically determined characteristics and traits that arises as the child learns from experiences.8 This implies then that the child’s learning outcomes and adaptive functioning in a given environment is as a result of the influence from both the hereditary as well as environmental factors. This view advocating for the joint influence of genes and the environment on the human development is supported by scholars who have studied genetic and environmental influences on human development and 8Pem, Deki, “Factors Affecting Early Childhood Growth and Development: Golden 1000 Days.,” Journal of Advanced Practices in Nursing: Faculty of Nursing and Public Health, Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan. Volume 1, no. Issue I (2015): 1, doi:10.4172/2573-0347.1000101.


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behaviour such as Matt McGue and Thomas Bourchard Jr.9Other scholars who advocate for the same include Christopher J. Hopwood, M. Brent Donnellan, Daniel M. Blonigen, Robert F. Krueger, William G. Iacono, S. Alexandra Burt, and Gary Evans.10However, the principle proponent of this view is Sigmund Freud. Brain development during childhood allows the brain to be shaped by the environment in which a child is born and lives. Rather than possessing a genetic inheritance that includes a specialized body and mind fitted to a specific environmental niche, a human brain grows while exposed to the environment into which it is born. A child brings an ability to grasp complex patterns and a brain that grows through interacting with the environment. The environment shapes a child’s brain, narrowing the potential to learn from a wide number of possible environments to fit the actual one in which a child lives.11 For example, the child’s growing brain responds each time a caregiver provides sensory stimulation. This stimulation could be in the form of holding, talking, reading, or singing. When stimulation occurs, the child’s growing brain responds by forming new connections.The ability of an infant’s brain to change according to stimulation is known as plasticity.12 During these childhood period, many skills emerge and there is wide variation in the timing of milestones from child to child. In spite of the variability though, there is a general order agreed on in the progressive development of individual child skills and simple skills precede the more difficult ones. For example, when a child is born, they learn to suckle, before they learn to chew solid foods. The diagram below shows the World Health Organization (WHO)recognized ‘normal’ margins in children’s motor development in which children are expected to achieve certain developmental milestones. In it we deduce that sitting without support precedes hands-and-knees crawling, standing alone precedes walking alone. This achievement of skills is termed as ‘developmental milestones’. 9McGue, Matt and Thomas J. Bouchard, Jr, “Genetic and Environmental Influences on Human Behavioral Differences.,” University of Minnesota, Annual Reviews Inc., Annu. Rev. Neurosci., 21 (1998): 1. 10Christopher J. Hopwood et al., “Genetic and Environmental Influences on Personality Trait Stability and Growth during the Transition to Adulthood: A Three Wave Longitudinal Study,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 100, no. 3 (March 2011): 545–56, doi:10.1037/a0022409. 11McLeod, Sharynne and Ken Bleile, “Neurological and Developmental Foundations of Speech Acquisition” (INVITED SEMINAR PRESENTATION, AMERICAN SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEAR ING ASSOCIATION CONVENTION, Chicago., November 2003), 1, https://www.speech-language-therapy.com/pdf/docs/ASHA03McLeodBleile.pdf. 12“CH04.Pdf - 9781590708132_ch04.Pdf.”


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We know that most children achieve these milestones at around a certain age and this is what we mean when we speak of ‘normal development’.13 A child is therefore termed to be developing normally when their mental/functional (cognitive) age is in proportion or symmetrical to their chronological (increase in years) age as illustrated by the diagram below. 13Ibid.


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Mental/Functional Development Chronological Development (Increasing Age in Years) Adapted from Developmental Delay an information guide for parents Royal Children Hospital Melbourne Individuals are outside the ‘norm’ when they display a rate of development that is faster or slower than most children the same age.14 A development quotient (DQ), which is the numeric expression of a child's developmental level measured by dividing the developmental age by the chronological age and multiplying by 100 is most frequently used with infants or preschool children. It is a numerical indicator of a child's growth to maturity across a range of psychosocial competencies. Typically, these include areas such as personal-social development, attention span, expressive and receptivity of information. 15 Developmental age X 100% Chronological Age DQ < 70 indicates developmental delay16 14Snow, Kathie, “Developmental Age vs. Chronological Age.,” 2001, https://www.disabilityisnatural.com/dev-age-chron-age.html. 15Petersen, Reneva and Kirsty Donald, “Development in Infants and Children” (Division of Developmental Peadiatrics, RXH, March 2013). 16Ibid.


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Mental/Functional Development | | | | | |} |} A substantial Lag |} | Chronological Development (Increasing Age in Years) Adapted from Developmental Delay an information guide for parents Royal Children Hospital Melbourne It is good to note that the developmental gaps or variations between developmental (mental or functional) age and chronological age are two-fold in nature, showing a wide variation between children as well as variation between domains in same child. Developmental quotient which should ideally use a normed test/screen/milestone can help us establish the variation between domains in the same child. Sequential assessment yields a better true reflection. Developmental age X 100% Chronological Age E.g. Chronological Age = 12months, GM=6months, FM=6months, Language=4months, P/S=4months • DQ = 5/12 = 47% 17 17Ibid.


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Developmental Delay is the term used to describe young children who reach developmental milestones later than their peers. Developmental delay impacts on some or all elements of a child’s development. These include; Movement, Cognitive (thinking) and learning behavior, social and emotional, and Communication. Serious delays may eventually be diagnosed as specific developmental disabilities, while less severe delays may catch up over time with normal development and disappear. Professionals such as psychologists and pediatricians have long been interested in testing and screening infants and children to determine how they are progressing through the developmental milestones with a view of identifying those children who could not benefit from regular educational programs and who required additional support in order to learn and achieve their milestones; a move I believe family, church and school institutions ought to appreciate and embrace. Among such professionals we have Alfred Binet who developed an intelligence test used in identifying children that may need additional support in their learning programs. In addition to Binet, Gesell developed a scale that enables pediatricians and adoption agencies to differentiate potentially normal infants from those who are at risk for abnormal development. Similarly, Bayley developed Bayley Scale which is used by pediatricians to assess developmental delays and plan for intervention strategies.18Health professionals may use the term Developmental Delay until the cause of the delay is identified and a diagnosis made. The impact of developmental delay on the life of a child can only be assessed through observations made over time. Types of Delays Developmental delay is classified as either permanent or transient. Children with transient developmental delay are slow to achieve milestones, but will do so in time and then proceed to progress normally through life. Some extremely premature babies may show a delay in the area of sitting, crawling and walking but then progress on at a normal rate. Other causes of transient delay may be related to physical illness and prolonged hospitalization, immaturity, family stress or lack of opportunities to learn.19If the delay in development persists it is usually related to problems in one or more of the following areas: understanding and learning, moving, communication, hearing and seeing. An assessment is often needed to determine what area or areas are affected. This is then what is termed as persistent delays.If the delay affects more than one aspect of the development in a child, it is then referred to as global developmental delay. Disorders which cause persistent developmental delay are often termed developmental disabilities. All the following conditions may cause developmental delay; cerebral palsy, muscle disorders, language disorders, autism, emotional problems and disorders of vision and hearing. However, one of the most common causes is an intellectual disability.20 The below diagram illustrates that children with slower rates of learning acquire skills at different ages and the delay often becomes more obvious as the child grows older. 18Ayele, Moges, “Developmental Delays among Infants and Young Children in Addis Ababa: Screening, Risk Factors and Intervention” (Addis Ababa University: College of Education and Behavioral Studies School of Psychology, 2014), 16, http://etd.aau.edu.et/bitstream/123456789/7352/1/16.Moges%20Ayele.pdf. 19Caswell Health Care Pty Ltd, “Development Delay,” Child First Therapy, 2017, http://childfirsttherapy.com.au/children-we-see/development-delay-therapy/. 20The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne., “Developmental Delay-An Information Guide for Parents.” (Victoria, Australia, 2009), 5, http://www.rch.org.au/uploadedFiles/Main/Content/cdr/Dev_Delay.pdf.


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Mental/Functional Development Reading------------------------------------------------------------------ Normal Curve of Development Rapid progress needed to catch up ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Child with slower rate of learning Talking-------------------------------------------------- Delay 6 12 18 Chronological Development (Increasing Age in Years) Adapted from Developmental delay an information guide for parents Royal Children Hospital Melbourne The difference in skills, compared to their peers with normal rates of learning, often becomes more obvious as they grow older. For example, a child with a slower rate of learning may have a delay of one or two years in learning to talk but may later show a delay of many more years in learning to read.Global developmental delays and Intellectual disabilities refer to lifelong challenges to cognitive, adaptive and social skills that result from differences in neuropsychological development in children. These challenges vary in type and severity from individual to individual.21 Children who have a very slow rate of learning (moderate and severe intellectual disability) often cause concern in the first two years of life. Some of these concerns may be about slow feeding, lack of sustained interest in toys and people, or a delay in speaking the first words. Children with a mild intellectual disability may not cause concern until their third or fourth year with a delay in their talking. Yet others may only come to notice in their kindergarten years when their play, self-help and learning skills are less well developed than children of similar age. For some children with a very mild intellectual disability the problem may not become apparent until their early school years.22Children with an intellectual disability may also have problems in other areas such as vision and hearing. These problems may affect their learning. Some children 21Welie, Jos V. M., “Caring for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Ethical and Religious Perspectives,” Journal of Religion and Society 12 (2015): 123. 22The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne.., “Developmental Delay-An Information Guide for Parents.,” 6.


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may have epilepsy or may develop it during childhood. In such a case, drug therapy may be necessary, and if so, the doctor aims to control the seizures by choosing medication that best suits the child.23 A Closer Look at Global Developmental Delays and Intellectual Disabilities in Children Global developmental delays in childhood refers to a group of disorders that have in common deficits of adaptive and intellectual function in children. “The term global developmental delay is usually reserved for younger children (typically less than 5 years of age), whereas the term mental retardation is usually applied to older children when IQ testing is more valid and reliable.”24 Simply put then, global developmental delay is a term often used to describe young children whose limitations have not yet resulted in a formal diagnosis of intellectual disability. Intellectual disability is a descriptive term for sub-average intelligence and impaired adaptive functioning arising in the developmental period.25“Children with intellectual disabilities present with lower than average intelligence, which affects the development of their thinking, language, motor and social skills.”26Children with an intellectual disability show a delay in their understanding of the world and take longer to think and learn new skills, e.g. talking, self-help skills such as dressing and eating independently. The age of acquiring a specific skill depends on the rate of learning. The reason or cause of intellectual disability has not yet been established with certainty and hence is not always known. However over half are caused by factors before birth (prenatal), others by factors around the birth period (perinatal) and some later (postnatal).27 The chart below shows the timing of the causes of moderate, severe and profound intellectual disability. With the development of new knowledge, the percentage of unknown causes is slowly diminishing. For children with mild intellectual disability there is a larger percentage where the cause is unknown.

23Ibid., 7. 24M. Shevell, MD et al., “Practice Parameter: Evaluation of the Child with Global Developmental Delay Report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and The Practice Committee of the Child Neurology Society,” American Academy of Neurology, no. Neurology Journals (2003): 368. 25“Intellectual Disability: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology,” May 3, 2017, http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1180709-overview. 26“Microsoft Word - Research Report Second Final Draft FEBRUARY 2015 FORMATTED DISTRIBUTION.Docx - SAF_resources_childdisability0to4.Pdf,” accessed July 21, 2017, https://www.unicef.org/southafrica/SAF_resources_childdisability0to4.pdf. 27The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne., “Developmental Delay-An Information Guide for Parents.,” 7.


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Statistical Prevalence of Global Developmental Delays/Intellectual Disability Statistics taken by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the past show that disability affects 10% of every population worldwide. An estimated six hundred and fifty million people globally, of whom 200 million are children, experience some form of disability.28That means that globally, more than 200 million children under five years fail to reach their potential in cognitive and social development due to poverty, poor health, malnutrition, and deficit care. A significant number of that is children who suffer from global developmental delays/intellectual disability. Understanding the extent and magnitude of these problems especially within 1000 days of the child from the date of conception till the child attends 2 years of age is very important. If timely interventions are taken within this critical period, the problems are reversible and will gain maximum benefits. A healthy child especially within this age will have better cognition and learning capabilities, and consequently have impact on social, economic, physical and cognition. Therefore, healthy children within 1000 days will lay the foundation for nurturing bright school children, healthy and productive adulthood thus will promote Gross National Happiness of the country.29 Medical practitioners from the American Academy of Neurology state that global developmental delay/intellectual disability is common and affects 1% to 3% of children globally. Based on approximately 4 million annual births in the United States and Canada, between 40,000 and 120,000 children born each year in 28National Coordinating Agency for Population and Development, “Kenya National Survey for Persons with Disabilities: Preliminary Report” (National Coordinating Agency for Population and Development, March 2008), 1. 29Pem, Deki, “Factors Affecting Early Childhood Growth and Development: Golden 1000 Days.,” 1.

Cause

Prenatal Unknown Perinatal Postnatal


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these two countries will manifest global developmental delay/intellectual disability. Such children suffer from significant deficits that are evident in comparison with the skills attainment of chronological peers.30 In countries where adequate studies have been conducted, it has been observed that a significant number of children have problems related to intellectual development. In the USA it was observed that one in five children had a developmental, learning or emotional problem (Drummond, 2004). Rydz and colleagues (2006) reported this figure to be between 12% and 16%. In another related study, it was shown that 14% of all Netherlands children manifested developmental difficulty of some kind (Scholte, Van Berckelaer-Onnes, Van der Ploeg, &Vanden Bergh, 2008). Furthermore, a study conducted in Taiwan revealed a slight increase (by 7.7%) in a number of children with developmental delays from year 2003 to 2007(Lin, Yen, Wu, & Kang, 2009). Similarly,Hannus, Kauppila, and Launonen (2009) documented an increase (from 0.04% to 0.69%) in the prevalence of delayed language development in Finland.31 Coming home in Africa, though there is no much data as far as the prevalence of the developmental delays and intellectual disability in children is concerned, Ayele(2014) in his study reports that the existing data for some countries depict that a considerable number of children are affected by various forms of developmental delays and disabilities. For instance he reports that Mung’ala Odera and colleagues (2006) reported the prevalence rate of 9.3% of neurological disability among children of Kenya.32 According to the Kenya National Surveys for persons with disabilities report, 4.6% of Kenyans experience some form of disability.33 In the Republic of South Africa, the prevalence of developmental disability among children was estimated to be between 5.2% - 6.4%. 34 However, in many developing countries, responses to the situation of children with disabilities are largely limited to institutionalization, abandonment or neglect. These responses are rooted in negative or paternalistic assumptions of incapacity, dependency and difference that are perpetuated by ignorance. What is needed is a commitment to these children’s rights, there well-being and their futures holistically as a matter of equity and for the benefit of all.35The most important influence on a child’s early development is daily interaction and activities within the family environment and other social places such as school and the church. Children with a disability have the right to participate fully in their community and to have the same choices, opportunities and experiences as other children. 30M. Shevell, MD et al., “Practice Parameter: Evaluation of the Child with Global Developmental Delay Report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and The Practice Committee of the Child Neurology Society,” 367–68. 31Ayele, Moges, “Developmental Delays among Infants and Young Children in Addis Ababa: Screening, Risk Factors and Intervention,” 2. 32Ibid. 33National Coordinating Agency for Population and Development, “Kenya National Survey for Persons with Disabilities: Preliminary Report,” ix. 34Ayele, Moges, “Developmental Delays among Infants and Young Children in Addis Ababa: Screening, Risk Factors and Intervention,” 2. 35“UNICEF_SOWC_Exe_Sum_Eng_2013.Pdf,” 1, accessed July 21, 2017, https://www.unicef.org/myanmar/UNICEF_SOWC_Exe_Sum_Eng_2013.pdf.


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What are the needs of the child with global developmental delay? The child with global developmental delay has the same needs as any other child. All children benefit from a warm, secure and nurturing environment. They need to feel accepted with their individual patterns of strengths and weaknesses. They need: o To hear language which is appropriate to their understanding o Extra time to learn and practice new skills o To have tasks simplified o To know that their efforts are valued o A variety of ways to learn, such as touching, looking and listening.36 This is important for the development of self-esteem, which builds confidence for learning new skills. Children with global developmental delay learn in a similar way to all children but usually take longer to develop new skills. Many children with global developmental delay will need extra help in one or more areas of their development. Research shows that support during the early years of childhood improves outcomes for children with global developmental delay. According to UNICEF, given opportunities to flourish as others might, children with disabilities have the potential to lead fulfilling lives and contribute to the social, cultural and economic vitality of their communities.37That means then that when children suffering from global developmental delays are identified early enough and appropriate measures are taken for intervention purposes, they adapt very positively and can achieve much in their lives. This is because the early childhood years lay the foundation for all future development. Over the past century many psychologists have provided theories that are considered practical guides on the norm of how a child develops. These include theories of mid-twentieth-century psychologists Erik Erikson, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky and a twenty-first-century developmental psychologist, Howard Gardner. The first four stages of Erikson’s theory concern children from birth to twelve years where children build trust by forming loving, caring relationships. According to Piaget, children construct their knowledge of the world through activities. Piaget believed that dramatic play is essential to development. Vygotsky claimed that children learn through social and cultural expression. Gardner developed a theory of multiple intelligences used by the human brain. All these theories provide insight into children’s development. The study of these theories reveal that all these theorists agree that children learn best in a caring environment rich with opportunity for learning. In addition, caregivers help build the self-confidence and self-worth children need to safely explore the world. 36The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne., “Developmental Delay-An Information Guide for Parents.” 37“UNICEF_SOWC_Exe_Sum_Eng_2013.Pdf,” 1.


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Making the Pieces Fit for children with global developmental delays Just like for any other child, early care for children with global developmental delay has a long-lasting impact on how children develop. The number of brain connections children form and keep depends on the care they receive. Warm, nurturing, consistent, and responsive care causes positive changes in the brain. Likewise, children need environmental stimulation. A wide variety of visual, auditory, and sensory experiences will help promote brain connections. On the other hand, a lack of nurturing and interaction can limit a child’s potential. Parents, caregivers, teachers and Sunday school workers should create caring and responsive environments for children with global developmental delay. The principles of a safe and supportive environment apply to all aspects of the setting. A safe and supportive environment can be set up by paying attention to: • The quality of the relationships shared • The approach taken to programming and planning for individuals and groups • The decisions about the physical layout of space, aesthetics and structure of the day • Willingness to advocate for children Due consideration should be put in the physical surroundings of the children’s social environments such as housing, facilities for education, worship, health care and open space for recreation to eliminate any hazard. These environments should be rich in interesting activities that arouse their curiosity and offer moderate challenges hence providing a warm, responsive, and supportive environments that encourage exploration, stimulate curiosity, and provide play and learning materials that accelerate the children’s intellectual development.38 Another area that needs to be considered is social relationships which are the interactions between the child and the various individuals or groups in their surroundings. In every society, individuals develop relationships with other individuals to enable them to achieve their goals. This is not exceptional for children with global developmental delays. There should be positive responsive relationships with their parents, caregivers, peers, teachers, therapists and mentors in general. Sensitivity, responsiveness, and consistency in these relationships are associated with positive child outcomes. All learning opportunities that are provided for children outside the home need to recognize the key role played by family and develop partnerships with families that are open, honest and respectful toward the achievement of children with global developmental delays. These valued partnerships will ensure that everyone involved is working together to promote the learning interests of children.39The social relationships are collectively referred to as the social network. Good social networks are associated with greater levels of social cohesion, informal care and enforcing healthy learning and behaviours.40 Supporting a child’s best possible physical, cognitive, social and emotional development in early childhood lays a good foundation for their wellbeing and success in later life, including their mental health and wellbeing. This is because, children learn about the world through their relationships and experiences. Over time, they develop a self-concept, which is a sense of who they are and their place within the family and 38Schunk, D.H., P. R. Pintrich, and J. Meece, “Home Environment | Education.Com,” in Motivation in Education: Theory, Research, and Applications, 2008 edition, 2010, 283–284., https://www.education.com/reference/article/home-environment/. 39New Found Land Labrador, “Developing a Provincial Early Childhood Learning Strategy,” 2011, 10, http://www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/earlychildhood/literature_review.pdf. 40myVMC, “Parenting, the Social Environment and Its Effects on Child Development,” MyVMC, April 20, 2010, https://www.myvmc.com/lifestyles/parenting-the-social-environment-and-its-effects-on-child-development/.


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community. A safe and supportive environment will help them to develop a positive and secure self-concept, by fostering in them a sense of inclusion and belonging. Children also need the opportunity to develop key social and emotional skills in the early years, as these form the basis of their ongoing social and emotional development and will affect their mental health later in life. If children experience environments in which they do not feel safe, secure and included, they may develop patterns of behavior and negative coping strategies that increase the risk of mental health difficulties. Conclusion In order to become a nurturing, responsive parent, caregiver, teacher, or educator to the children, you must have insight into how children grow and develop. The brain affects all aspects of growth and development. The areas and principles of development are similar for all children. Development generally progresses in a similar way for all children. Although each theory looks at development from a different angle, each offers a wealth of insight into how children develop. The developmental theorists agree that children learn best in a caring environment rich with opportunity for learning. In addition, caregivers help build the self-confidence and self-worth children need to safely explore the world.A safe and supportive environment can be set up by paying attention to: • The quality of the relationships shared • The approach taken to programming and planning for individuals and groups • The decisions about the physical layout of space, aesthetics and structure of the day • Willingness to advocate for children with global developmental delays.


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THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT ON LEARNING OUTCOMES