Discuss the development issues of school aged children A+

Development Issues of School Aged Children

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Introduction

Children have their own rate or growth and development. They exhibit a wide array of developmental issues at different stages. School age years come with both rewards and challenges for children. Indeed, the primary objective of schooling is to kick-start and develop their sense of achievement. This implies that school aged children develop a sense of self-concept based on their weaknesses and competences. It is how their prowess in acquiring new skills that influence this self-concept. This paper explores three issues that school aged children encounter during their growth and development. These include socio-economic disadvantages, socialization, and inherited predisposal to diseases.

Issue 1: Socialization Issues

Halliburton & Gable (2003) notes that there exists a positive relationship between positive socialization and social adjustment in school-aged children. This implies that children with positive relationships with their parents, teachers, and peers display positive social attributes. Contrarily, children with poor relationships would suffer from various social disorders. Two of the most common ones are as follows. First, generalized anxiety disorder refers to situations when eight-year olds display excessive concerns about numerous possibilities. These include the fear of future occurrences, past behavior, and their academic competences. Second, social phobia describes a condition where children display extreme amounts of shyness. Children with this disorder avoid public performance, classroom discussions, and interacting with strangers. There are three main causes of socialization issues. First, personal factors include cognitive disabilities, developmental disorders, depression, history of neglect and abuse, low self-esteem, as well as poor social and communication skills. Second, school related causes include the dislike of school culture, poor academic support, dislike of extracurricular activities, and encountering bullies. Last, family factors include parental neglect, sibling competition, and family relationship breakdowns (Halliburton & Gable, 2003).

Intervention

During this age, overall social acceptance is very important for personal growth and development. Health care givers should involve family, peers, and teachers when offering intervention. However, they should note that family is a partial provider as school aged children spend less time with their family vis-à-vis friends. Thus, they feel a strong urge to belong and keep up with their playmates. Peers not only help children adjust to school and social environments, but also support them during stressful situations. Teachers also help children learn how to make new friends, learn new ideas, and sharpen their social skills. Therefore, encouraging the development of healthy relationships among children can help teachers and parents combat socialization issues. Similarly, the use of school and private counselors help in recognizing, mitigating, and addressing such problems.

Issue 2: Socio-Economic Disadvantage

Stanton, Behrman, Jenson, & Kliegman (2011) suggests that there exists a significant relationship between children developmental issues and their socio-economic status. The society associates poor economic backgrounds with inconsistent and harsh parenting styles. School age children from single parent and/or poor backgrounds subject themselves to negative labels. For instance, their peers, teachers and neighbors would label them as societal misfits, bullies and troublemakers. Children with such labels always blame themselves for their family misfortunes. They will become jealous of their playmates’ material possessions like fancy toys, books, and bicycles among others. Such issues have negative effects on their self-esteem, social skills, response to aggressive situations, academic performance, and choice of friends. For instance, the author shows that children from abusive, poor, and inconsistent family backgrounds are likely to bully their playmates (Stanton, Behrman, Jenson, & Kliegman, 2011).

Intervention

Health caregivers should teach parents and teachers against underestimating the fact that positive childhood relationships depend on socio-economic backgrounds. School age children make fruitful relationships with peers from similar family backgrounds. Therefore, it is important that caregivers encourage their children to look beyond material possessions and social labelling. Through adequate intervention, healthcare professionals should also encourage parents from poor socio-economic backgrounds to develop positive family relationships. Indeed, the basic sense of positive social inclusion has positive impacts on childhood development. Similarly, they should encourage caregivers to take their children to schools where most learners come from the same socio-economic backgrounds. This would reduce its impacts on their sense of achievement, and socio-economic functioning.

Issue 3: Inherited Predisposal to Diseases

According to Kosztolanyi (2011), family history of developmental disorders affect childhood development. These may come in form of developmental disabilities, psychological disorders, and birth defects. For instance, children with Down syndrome would encounter other developmental issues such as hearing and cardiac defects. Almost all children with inherited defects have trouble forming healthy relationships in social environments. School aged children should have the ability of thinking clearly and logically. They not only understand new ideas, but also make sense of various happenings in their surroundings. Furthermore, the presence of diseases and conditions such as albinism, asthma, and epilepsy negatively affects their self-esteem and feeling of inclusion. Similarly, physically and psychologically impaired children have difficulties relating with others in classroom and playground environment. This is not only because of their fear of alienation, but also they feel different from their peers (Kosztolanyi, 2011).

Intervention

Both health care workers and caregivers should recognize the fact that family history of disorders have a huge influence on childhood development. From a healthcare giver’s perspective, not every school age child with inherited disorders has social and academic issues. However, developing a healthy relationship with them could have a positive impact on their development. Thus, health care professionals and parents should help such children concentrate on their creative abilities. These could include playing musical instruments, drawing, singing, and writing among others. Other possible intervention programs could also include homeschooling, counseling, and constant vacationing among others.

Reference List

Halliburton, A., & Gable, S. (2003, September). Families and Relationships: Development During the School Age Years of 6 Through 11. Retrieved from University of Missouri Extension Web site: http://extension.missouri.edu/p/GH6235

Kosztolanyi, G. (2011). Hypothesis: Epigenetic Effects will Require a Review of the Genetics of Child Development. Journal of Community Genetics, Vol 2 Iss 2, 91-96.

Stanton, B. F., Behrman, R. E., Jenson, H. B., & Kliegman, R. M. (2011). Nelson Texbook of Pediatrics: Middle Childhood. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier Publishers.