The Impact Of Early Adversity On Children's Development

The child lives in a rural country area which is predominately a lower socio-economic environment. The community that surrounds the child is mostly family, school, and the after-school program he attends. The school strives to provide the child with the best education they can, but I feel that the child could benefit from attending a school that can challenge him academically more. He is at a higher level than his classmates and gets bored easily with school work. Socially, the child’s interactions with children his own age happen at school and the after-school program. Being exposed to age related peers is good for his social development. It has been shown that, “When parents and children can access local community institutions (e.g. libraries, medical facilities) and social agencies (e.g. to receive income entitlements) children’s achievement can be enhanced beyond the level which schools alone can accomplish” (Fred Biddulph, 2003). Studies have shown that the environment and people in it is very important for healthy development.

“From pregnancy through early childhood, all of the environments in which children live and learn, and the quality of their relationships with adults and caregivers, have a significant impact on their cognitive, emotional, and social development” (The Impact of Early Adversity on Children’s Development (In Brief),