Development theories broadly fall into five generally recognised psychological perspectives on behaviour: psychodynamic, behaviourist, cognitive, humanist and ecosystemic. Development theorists, many of whom were born in the mid-1800s to the early 1900s, developed a range of theories upon which modern-day practitioners have then continued to build, each using elements of other theories to refine and develop their own practice. In fact, present day school support systems offer elements of all of the following theories, trying to find a balance between historical perspectives and the challenges of modern pressures.
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), widely hailed as the father of psychoanalysis, believed that behaviour is governed by subconscious feelings due to early life experiences. He gained much insight from analysing his own feelings and early life experiences. Modern day
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Erikson (1902-1994) and J. Bowlby (1909-1991), developed the initial idea maintained by Freud, that our earliest relationships affect all those that come later in life. Erikson emphasised the impact of history and culture on the development of the adolescent, later developing ego psychology. John Bowlby’s attachment theory states that our attachments and relationships help us to maintain our emotional wellbeing; the attachments that we make to people in the early stages of our development has an impact on how we view ourselves and how we develop relationships throughout our lives. Wave 3 nurture groups and SEAL groups, as recommended by the government Targeted Mental Health in Schools project (TaMHS, 2008), are firmly based on the premise that early relationships are crucial to all that follows. Personal experiences with adopted children, those of close colleagues, family members and students, can, in my opinion, bear out Bowlby’s underlying premise of attachment theory. These children are often insecure and anxious and need a lot of reassurance to feel