Module-01-Child-and-Young-Person-Development111111

TEACHING ASSISTANT TRAINING – CPD Accredited Module 1: Child and Young Person Development Table of Contents 1.1 Importance of Understanding the child’s Development .4 1.1.1 Understanding the outputs: 1.2 Changes occurs in once life from 1- 19 years 1.2.1 The definition of 'holistic' 1.3 infants to toddlers: 0-3 years 1.3.1 Physical development of the baby .6 1.3.2 Communication 1.3.3 Social challenges, emotional challenges, moral and behavioral challenges 1.3.4 Development of intelligence 1.4 Age from – 12 years 1.4.1 Development of physical wellbeing 1.4.2 Changes that occur during the period 1.4.3 Development of IQ 1.5 Adolescence stage varying from 12 – 19 years 10 1.5.1 Development of physical wellbeing 10 1.5.2 Changes that occur during the period 10 1.5.3 Development of IQ 10 1.6 Explain the difference between sequence of development and rate of development .11 1.6.1 for further information? .12 1.6.2 Initiative challenge 13 1.6.3 Career development plans .13 1.7 How personal factors affect the development of an individual 14 1.7.1 PREVENT Challenge .14 1.7.2 What is the main target of PREVENT? 15 1.8 The British Values 16 1.8.1 Different faiths and beliefs 16 1.9 PREVENT Challenge .17 1.9.1 Physical and mental wellbeing of a child 17 1.9.2 Physical deformities in children 18 1.9.3 Children with learning and educational difficulties 18 1.9.4 Children with sensory deficiencies 19 1.10 How external factors influence the development of a child 19 1.10.1 Families 19 1.10.2 Social background 20 1.10.3 Economic status and life style 20 1.10.4 in care or at home 21 1.10.5 Child’s education .21 1.11 Strategies to develop the current standards 21 1.12 Various theories of learning development 22 1.12.1 Freud 22 1.12.2 Id 22 1.12.3 Ego 23 1.12.4 Superego 23 1.12.5 Skinner .23 1.13 Additional information 23 1.14 Piaget 24 1.15 Watson 24 1.16 Maslow’s hierarchy 25 1.17 Albert Bandura’s theory 26 1.18 Framework to support learning (humanism) 26 1.19 Different methods to monitor children’s development 26 1.20 Assessment frameworks 27 1.20.1 Standards and measurements 27 1.20.2 Analysis 28 1.21 Reasons for the variance 28 1.21.1 Emotional factors .29 1.21.2 Environmental factors 30 1.21.3 Cultural factors 30 1.21.4 Social factors 30 1.21.5 Learning difficulties 31 1.21.6 Communication .31 1.22 additional information 31 1.23 how disability affect the development of a child 32 1.24 Explain how different types of interventions can promote positive outcomes for children and young people where development is not following the expected pattern .35 1.25 Social services 35 1.25.1 Social worker service .35 1.25.2 Youth justice workers 36 1.26.3 Health services 36 1.26.4 Technological support 37 1.27 Analyzing communication barriers and finding solutions 37 1.27.1 Early language problems 38 1.27.2 Language problems at school 39 1.28 Importance of early recognition .39 1.29 Facilities established to improve communication skills 40 1.30 School support services 41 1.30.1 Support staff 41 1.30.2 SENCO 41 1.30.3 Local educational authority (LEA) 41 1.31 Health and medical services 42 1.31.1 Speech and language therapists (SLTs) 42 1.32 ways in which play and activities are used to support communication 43 1.32.1 Giving opportunities to children to express their skills 43 1.32.2 Incorporation with other individuals .43 1.33 Non-verbal communication (NVC) skills 44 1.33.1 Strategies for improving Non Verbal skills .44 1.33.2 Methods to develop communication 45 1.34 Additional information 46 1.35 Different types of transitions can affect children and young people’s development .46 1.36 Physically moving between events 48 1.36.1 Educational movements 48 1.36.2 Physiological changes 49 1.37 The importance of relationships .49 1.38 functions of a parent .50 1.39 Functions related 50 1.39.1 Loss of attachment 51 1.39.2 Mental health effects .51 1.39.3 Physical effects 51 1.40 The role of the teacher 52 1.40.1 Educating children as a function .52 1.41 Case Study 53 1.42 Additional notes 54 1.43 Did you know 54 Module 01: Child and Young Person Development 1.1 Importance of Understanding the child’s Development As someone who is expecting to work directly with children and young people, you will need to understand and have some knowledge of their development between births to 19 years of age This unit aims to provide learners with a starting point for this type of knowledge and understanding, including understanding the factors that influence development, and how to monitor their development as they grow, especially if it does not follow typical patterns 1.1.1 Understanding the outputs: Understand the expected pattern of development for children and young people from birth - 19 years Understand the factors that influence children and young people’s development and how these affect practice Understand how to monitor children and young people’s development and interventions that should take place if this is not following the expected pattern Understand the importance of early intervention to support the speech, language and communication needs of children and young people Understand the potential effects of transitions on children and young people’s development 1.2 Changes occurs in once life from 1- 19 years 1.2.1 The definition of 'holistic' 'Holistic' is an important word that is often used in a health and social care context It is also important in the education arena, and you will come across it relatively often Holistic means 'of the whole'; it refers to the fact that anything and everything is the sum of its parts; not just one part or another For example, the holistic view of a computer is that it is a multifunctional piece of electronic hardware, designed to be used in a variety of ways It is not just a keyboard, or a screen, or a motherboard Without one or other of these parts, the computer could not function The same goes for children and young people A child who is really good at woodwork employs a variety of skills that include physical – for example, both gross and fine motor skills, and cognitive skills, for example with designing a project, drawing it out, making decisions, and basing those decisions on information already learned They also use communication and social skills as they negotiate the use of shared equipment, help other pupils with ideas and practical tasks, and explain to others what they are trying to achieve Because of these overlaps, child development is regarded as a holistic event, where no part of development takes place in isolat3ion from the others Figure Holistic child development 1.3 infants to toddlers: 0-3 years 1.3.1 Physical development of the baby Although much of physical development in children comes the way that Nature intended year, their limbs grow quite quickly and their center of gravity changes so that they are able to learn to walk Most children start walking during their second year When they are able to control the movements their limbs make, they begin to use their hands for drawing attention, pointing, holding, providing them with opportunities to support their development means that they it healthily and at the rate that is suitable for the individual Babies develop very quickly indeed, and although physical control does not come as part of the package, they have built-in reflexes that enable them to survive These include things like latching onto the mother's breast, sucking, and grasping things in their hands By the time they are year old, most babies will be relatively mobile, crawling and rolling over by themselves Things, and may learn to feed and dress themselves They might also enjoy climbing (up steps and on the sofa) and playing with balls and other moving toys The third year tends to give them even more fine control over their hand movements, and this is when they are likely to learn to form recognizable shapes with pens and pencils, and enjoy looking at books Even turning the page can be exciting when you are two! They will also be able to walk better and run with confidence, and may use toys that they can sit on and move, such as toy tractors and tricycles 1.3.2 Communication It is known that babies who are neglected, and who not get much adult contact, tend to find it much harder later on to learn communication and social skills It is thought, therefore, that the stimulation of adults and older children communicating with them, even though the baby cannot understand what is being said, is just as important as everything else that is done with them Language is part of the everyday sounds that babies will listen to, even though they may not participate, and songs are also lovely elements of language that they are thought to enjoy At around year old, they will start to attempt to speak, but often their pronunciation is unclear and the words are typically used singly, by themselves, rather than in sentences In the following 12 months, they start bringing words together into short phrases and sentences, and as they use language more, their vocabulary will increase quite quickly Concepts such as plurals and negatives come in the next 12 months, and sentences become better formed, although grammatical errors in speech are also likely – especially as English is a fairly 'irregular' language, so verbs such as 'eat' become 'eaten', but a common mistake for a very young child is to say 'eated' instead of 'eaten' 1.3.3 Social challenges, emotional challenges, moral and behavioral challenges As babies start to discover their own identities, they decide if they like or dislike things, animals, people, vegetables, and so on They form strong attachments with a key person – usually their main career or parent – and this is then extended to other key people outside of their family This is one of the reasons they are given a key worker at nurseries, because the level of trust that can be built between the child and a single adult has a great deal of use in these contexts The child may look to the adult for help with learning how to things for themselves, and this kind of relationship can help manage the frustrated tantrums that come when they are unable to something alone 1.3.4 Development of intelligence How children develop cognitively can depend on the opportunities – and therefore their experiences – given them from an early age Some children learn very quickly, but learning is not a smooth curve, no matter what the child's innate intellectual capacity is Some children will learn in lots of ways, while others find some tasks more difficult They can also be quite inconsistent in ability, being very good at some things and yet unable to certain other tasks There are lots of theories expounded about how children learn and it is worth reading around the subject to see if you agree or disagree with the theories and to understand this unit better Learning starts the moment we are born, and babies take in everything as they look around themselves They may not understand it all yet, but their learning has already begun Babies like repetitive activities because they understand quickly what the outcome is supposed to be (and they therefore know when it is not as they expected) and their first three years are often spent learning the names of things like, for example, animals, and even more conceptual things, like colors and shapes and the sounds that different animals make 1.4 Age from – 12 years 1.4.1 Development of physical wellbeing During the early primary stages, children typically find that their movements can be better controlled in tandem This can grow their confidence, which in turn helps them develop more Confidence is crucial to child development, because it means that they are unafraid to try new things that will expand their world Running, hopping, jumping, and using bigger toys like Frisbees and balls are lots of fun for them Their fine motor skills – the little movements – become more controlled, and this means that they can have more fun with things like writing, drawing, and cutting out shapes After the age of about years, children tend to start developing particular interests and skills If they have a very strong interest in something, such as swimming or dancing, or other sports, they often get very good at the skills needed around that activity Their coordination develops in such a way that their motor movements can be very fine indeed, and it is because of this that musical instruments and hobbies like drawing become more interesting and more accessible to them Girls may start early signs of puberty from around the ages of 10-11, although boys tend to be a little later, following an additional growth spurt Language and communication Young children from the age of about 2-3 years old often pick up new words and phrases from everywhere they go, whether off the TV or said by people they meet They start to use these phrases fairly quickly, and between 2/3 and is when they will also begin asking a huge number of questions, including the overuse of the word 'why'! Using past and future tenses when they are talking about things are a really positive sign that their confidence with language is increasing Typical children from the age of upwards are usually fluent in speaking their primary language, and they develop further their reading and writing skills in that language Much of the work done as they get older is around refining their skills in this way The better a child's language skills – even if it is just in their own primary language – the better able they are to think and navigate ideas, learning and the world in general Without language, the world would be a very tough place 1.4.2 Changes that occur during the period Playing with other children, and socializing through imaginative play is one of the ways young children continue to develop their identities? Imaginative play, including role playing and inventive games, also helps them to develop the way they see the different roles in their lives such as mummy, daddy, teacher, doctor and so on They can also begin to learn about boundaries, why they are important, and why they are so completely necessary Adult approval is really important around all their learning behaviour at this time, and building on this need, this age group also tends to respond very well to being given a small amount of responsibility, such as looking after each other, or looking after class pets As they get a little older, into the later primary stages, friendships become more fixed perhaps you still know some of the people you went to primary school with - and children develop groups of friends Sometimes these are the same friends together in everything, and sometimes they have particular groups for specific activities Problem-solving is a new opportunity for them to use their brains in a different way from before, and they also carry out activities by themselves; both problem-solving and responsibility are related to a child's ability to be independent Adult praise is still important for encouragement purposes at this stage, and this is also the age where children become more aware of what other people think of them 1.4.3 Development of IQ As a period of development, the early primary years are huge; children become more skilled at using numbers and words, and because they are thoroughly absorbed in expanding their world they ask many questions about it They will have typically begun learning to read, and will still look for adult approval a lot By late primary age, children have often discovered things they like to do, the school subjects they prefer (and the ones they don't) and will typically be more or less fluent in writing and reading skills Their own thoughts and preferences will be better developed, and they will be able to transfer information from one source and use it for something else They will also be able to think in a more abstract, less concrete way, if guided helping the child, who is the real focus The early years are a time of fast development for these tiny humans, and their ability to learn will never be so open and accessible as it is at this age Children with communication problems have a much more limited world to access, and therefore opening it up and giving them better opportunities at an earlier stage by helping them access language better is a hugely positive thing that can be done for them 1.28 Facilities established to improve communication skills Term 'multi-agency teams' refers to the groups of professionals from different organizations or 'agencies' who work together to support children through various difficulties or challenges These organizations may be health or social services-based, or they may be related to other specialists There may be a variety of professionals present at a multi-agency meeting, because the combined sum of their skills and knowledge is considered to be the best way to support the child The contribution of support staff into these meetings is quite important, because often they know the children relatively well, especially compared to the professionals listed below who may only visit the school a few times each year The meetings are called in order to discuss and plan for the needs of individual pupils, and to set progress targets for them into the school year Review meetings are then called later in the year, on a regular basis, to ensure that the pupils are monitored and that all agencies are communicating with each other 40 1.29 School support services 1.29.1 Support staff Sometimes you may be asked to work alongside another classroom assistant or support worker, perhaps because a particular child may have a special learning programme that requires a bit of extra support You should always try to ensure that communication between you and other support staff enables you all to support the pupil well, and that you share relevant information with each other This can be done through regular meetings before or after a session with the pupil 1.29.2 SENCO It is part of the SENCO's role to coordinate the various professionals who work to support a particular child – and there may be lots of different people involved with different pupils, so this may be a big job The SENCO also makes sure that all the admin is up to date, and that appointments are booked when they should be The SENCO also liaises between agencies and individual professionals, and can call meetings for progress reviews 1.29.3 Local educational authority (LEA) 41 1.29.3.1 Sensory support Pupils who are hearing- or visually-impaired have specific communication difficulties that should be addressed by the school In order to help with this, the local authority supplies a teacher who is a specialist in sensory support and this person will visit the school regularly Sometimes they also supply pupils with resources to help them learn more easily, and they are likely to attend multi-agency meetings as part of their support and monitoring 1.29.3.2 Autism advisory teacher Autism is a condition that affects children's ability to communicate and interact socially An autism advisory teacher is a specialist who will be able to advise teachers and support staff on the best way to work with autistic individuals, and especially in the area of communication 1.29.3.3 Educational psychologist Pupils who continue to struggle with communication and language even after interventions are provided by SLTs may be referred to be assessed by an educational psychologist They usually suggest activities and additional steps that can be taken for individual pupils to improve their learning progress 1.30 Health and medical services 1.30.1 Speech and language therapists (SLTs) If there is a lot of need for SLTs in a school, they may be based in an office there, but otherwise, the school will have one or more SLTs who come to assess children for speech and language issues They will normally provide a diagnosis following assessment, and will then either offer interventions, including exercises for the child to in between appointments, or advise school and parents about the best way to support the child 42 1.31 ways in which play and activities are used to support communication Encouraging children to learn can be fun and playful; they don't have to sit at a desk reading textbooks to find things out Clearly, at a very young age, most children won't be able to read much yet, but they learn naturally through interacting with each other while playing 1.31.1 Giving opportunities to children to express their skills By showing an interest in the things that children say, giving them a forum to tell their ideas, and encouraging them to listen as much as they speak, school staff provide them with opportunities to learn how to communicate in both directions in a way that is not pressured or stressful When they play together, children use language, speech and communication skills to interact with each other and to get along together Playing in a non-competitive environment encourages their latent abilities, develops their skills, and gives them the opportunity to discover things about themselves and each other 1.31.2 Incorporation with other individuals Even as young adults, children still play; but as they become older, their activities become more focused on achievement By providing them with equipment and skills to enable activities to support their 'play', their creativity can be built up and their learning broadened Some children come with innate special talents or abilities to certain things, such as painting and drawing, sciences or other pursuits, but in providing the opportunity for them to properly experience these things, school has a very important role This is one of the reasons that schools are required to be inclusive, because it would be very unfair to prevent a child from learning further how to express themselves, just because the school thought they wouldn't get anything out of it The introduction of new ideas and concepts is vital to stimulate creativity and learning, and this cannot be done without communication skills However, the actions of learning and creating can also stimulate communication itself, so the whole process becomes something of 43 a loop process For example, asking a group of children to solve a problem or to design something together requires them to suggest ideas, talk each one through, come to an agreement, and make a decision All of these things are only reached through communication Figure 12 Strategies to improve children's use of NVC 1.32 Non-verbal communication (NVC) skills A huge amount of communication between humans is classed as 'non-verbal' There is much that is not said during a conversation, but each person who is involved can still pick up on that information, and by the time they are adults, most children will be fluent in non-verbal communication Some children may have more difficulty than others at learning NVC and understanding it Autistic children are often cited as an example of this, and if you work with a child who has autism, you may notice that they often don't notice or understand non-verbal signs 44 1.32.1 Strategies for improving Non Verbal skills There are some ways in which support staff can improve a child's receptivity to NVC, and at the same time these can also assist with the child's understanding in general These range from simple gestures like pointing at objects and sharing joint attention, to gesturing in a supportive way, such as the classic thumbs-up sign, or the finger up to the lips to indicate that silence is wanted Body language in general shows so much about our attention and interest, and modelling the most positive body language is a really effective way to teach children how to use it better, without them even realizing they are learning Facial expressions are a great way to show emotion, and can help people decode information that isn't always straightforward By using them and doing little exercises like drawing faces with different expressions and then describing what the 'person' is feeling, children can be supported to better understand other people's moods and feelings 1.32.2 Methods to develop communication Communication can be supported in fun and easy visual or auditory (hearing) ways that stimulate children and encourage their learning For example, playing games can get their attention, encourage communication, and stimulate social interactions, as well as timing and other skills that are needed in two- way communication Using pictures or signs and symbols can really help pupils who have difficulties verbalizing their needs, and this can be a really inclusive way forward because all the children will enjoy using them, and those with communication issues will then not feel singled out and different Some children have difficulty hearing all the elements of words correctly, and if this isn't picked up early it can affect their reading and writing skills Modelling the correct pronunciation of words and using rhymes and songs to aid memory can be a fun way to deal with what might otherwise be quite a dry area of learning There are lots of children-inspired ways to assist with better communication skills, whether that is using technology like interactive white boards, or more traditional tools that serve 45 children well, such as puppets and toys, and the internet is a very good source of even more ideas, which you can use to very good effect 1.33 Additional information 'Echolalia' is the term given to describe the way some children (usually between the ages of 1-3) repeat words they have heard They often repeat them many times, and it is a natural way to learn language They tend to grow out of it as they get a little older, and here it becomes quite interesting, because when a child continues to use it as they grow older, it may be a sign of autism, when other symptoms are taken into account 1.34 Different types of transitions can affect children and young people’s development There are lots of transitions that children and young people go through, from different stages of growing up, like puberty, to aspects of home life, such as moving house, or family changes How these affect them will depend on the individual child, the stage of development they are at, and lots of external and environmental factors It is good practice for support staff who are aware of a child's transition to enable conversations around what is happening, and to give children a chance to ask questions and find out more about themselves and their own situation However, some things, such as a bereavement, may come unexpectedly, and these things must be accommodated too 46 Figure 13 Different transitions Transitions tend to fall into four categories: Personal, psycho-social, and emotional changes Losing a parent, grandparent, or another member of the family or friendship circle can affect children, as well as entering or leaving care, and so on However, other types of transition, like moving house to a different town, can also affect a child emotionally Children's emotions are affected by the relationships they make, because these are very personal experiences in life Where they have had some unpleasant or traumatic experiences, or even just where their lives have been disrupted in some way, their emotional development may be affected Children who have had difficult relationships with adults, or who have suffered abuse in some form (remembering that abuse can include psychological harassment as well as physical and sexual abuse), may struggle to form trusting and healthy relationships with adults 47 Immaturity is sometimes a result of poor emotional development, and attention- seeking can also be another sign of it Children can be affected by things that don't seem very important to adults, so even a neighbor dying, or someone else playing with their favorite toy, can be upsetting to them 1.35 Physically moving between events As mentioned above, physically moving house or school is a major transition, but even taking up a new activity, such as horse-riding or dancing, is a transition that will bring changes into a child's life A small, but important physical transition that may be made daily is the moving from one activity to another Children often become totally absorbed in whatever they are doing, and challenging behavior can be displayed if they are moved from one activity to another It is healthier for them and their development to make this type of transition regularly, to get used to it, partly because it broadens their experiences, and also because later on in school and work, they will be expected to be able to move from one activity to another without issues Where a child is due to go through a big physical change, such as changing schools, gaining a new parent, or losing someone, it is helpful for the school to have advance notice so that they can adequately support the pupil 1.35.1 Educational movements Moving from primary school to secondary school can be a daunting time for children, and is a big transition in their lives, but also moving up a year or into a different class can be classed as a transition Some children worry about whether or not they will be able to keep up at 'big school' or even in the next year group These transitions can also take place at times when a child is going through another type of transition, and should be handled in a synchronized way For example, a child who is moving house to another town, going to a new school and it is a secondary school (where they were in primary school in the last school year) will have lots of things to worry about Initiating discussions about the change, the things that might happen, and answering questions the pupil may have are all good ways to support them 48 1.35.2 Physiological changes Changes in the body, such as puberty, the development of a long-term or even mid- term illness or other type of medical condition are thought of as physiological transitions These can also have an emotional impact Sometimes children may be embarrassed about their physiological changes, especially during puberty, and in addition, the changes may be very slow and difficult to see at the time They are more difficult to manage, because they tend to take place over a long time, and children and young people may not always be aware of the effects that the changes have Teenagers and their notorious tantrums are an example of this; they don't always realize that they are behaving in this challenging way more and more, but the people they live with will! 1.36 The importance of relationships Normally, with an evaluation, you would set up a framework through which you would be able to measure something relatively concrete, so that you can then make informed assumptions and draw a conclusion However, when it comes to measuring the effects of something abstract, such as positive relationships, it is reasonable to make an assumption from the start – in this case that positive relationships during transitional periods will have more positive and enabling effects on children, thus helping them cope better with transition – and then to seek to prove that assumption by looking at the different roles of important people in the lives of children, and effects that may be elicited through negative and positive versions of those relationships By being able to identify the effects on the child, you can make a reasonable evaluation of whether or not those are positive and helpful effects This type of analysis is very useful for you when supporting children 49 Figure 14 Good attachment 1.37 functions of a parent As the person with whom a baby makes their very first relationship, the mother's role in her child's life is probably the most important The attachment that forms between the mother and child is created for survival purposes from the outset, and the mother's ability to meet the needs of the child, in order for that baby to thrive and flourish, is vital to that attachment 1.38 Functions related Initially, 'survival needs' refers to physical qualities of life, such as food, shelter, warmth, and safety However, as the child grows, they also need physical contact, emotional contact, and closeness 50 When the child starts to explore his or her world, they need to have confidence that while they are bravely exploring and finding out about their environment, their caregiver is at hand to provide for them when they get tired, hungry, or afraid A good attachment to the primary caregiver tends to result in a confident, well- nourished and healthy child who is unafraid of trying new things, who reaches out to others willingly, and who demonstrates affection and new attachments to others 1.38.1 Loss of attachment If the mother is unable to meet her child's survival needs in some way, whether from the start of life, or during a transitionary period, the effects on that child may be loss of confidence, difficulty reaching out and communicating with people – in fact, difficulty making attachments – and they can sometimes withdraw inwardly, communicating outwardly less often and with lesser ability 1.38.2 Mental health effects Anxiety and stress when faced with new situations, new foods, and new people are connected to the lack of confidence, and can be regarded as an effect of a negative relationship A child with a poor attachment to their main caregiver may be less able to cope with transitions, and may therefore show signs of anxiety that may be quite overwhelming to them 1.38.3 Physical effects There can also be physical effects of a loss of attachment with the main caregiver, such as health needs that are related to malnourishment or poor diet, and similar These types of effect can also be seen in the physical development of a child, where they may not grow at the rate expected by the standard measurements, or they may become very thin or obese If a child begins to change physically during a transition, either gaining or losing a lot of weight, becoming ill or withdrawn, it may suggest that their primary attachment has been damaged in some way Sometimes parents have so much going on with their lives during a 51 transitionary period that they themselves become overwhelmed and unable to deliver the kind of support the child needs to get through it with them Why attachments can be disrupted Inability to meet a child's survival needs can be through the caregiver's own transitions, mental illness, drug misuse, dysfunctional relationships, and stress, but there are likely to be many other convoluted reasons why this can happen It isn't likely to be on purpose in most cases, but the lack of, or disruption to an attachment during a transition can be identified by people external to the family unit, such as professionals at school and social workers, and is a cause for concern 1.39 The role of the teacher Teachers and support staff are in a very strong position to reinforce good aspects of the attachment role, and can help to contain the types of anxiety and stress that a transitioning child may go through By reading the signals given them by children, and interpreting them correctly, a teacher can respond sensitively to the child's needs Simply instructing them to 'pull themselves together' suggests a lack of sensitivity, and will solve no issues at all Someone under stress of any kind is likely to desire the ability to pull themselves together, and if they could, they would! 1.39.1 Educating children as a function For example, an overwhelmed pupil who has difficulties at home may display challenging behavior in the form of class disruption, tantrums, and destruction However, punishing her for these things avoids dealing with the problem at its root, and a teacher or classroom assistant working to support the child through a difficult time might be more successful in talking with the pupil, drawing her out privately, and having a discussion that seeks to find out what the issues are, rather than trying to stop the behavior happening again Providing opportunities to talk about the transition, the way a child feels about things, and suggesting strategies that could make things easier for them are all good ways to support them, and this in itself, demonstrates the sort of thing that a positive relationship should bring about 52 Other ways in which a school can help a child make a transition is, for example, through taking them to visit a new school or a new classroom, demonstrating activities before the class does them, and even liaising with older pupils who have already been through the transition (such as moving up a class) so that relationships are built up prior to the transition event Relationships built up at school cannot fully take the place of a good attachment at home, but they can back up that attachment, and strengthen the child's resilience to change and transition 1.40 Case Study Caleb is a 14-year-old boy who likes to fit in with his friends When he instigated a food fight between 50 kids during lunchtime at school, he was taken to the Head Teacher, who asked him if there had been any changes at home that he should know about Caleb didn't respond, and just chewed gum in an insolent manner, so the head didn't know that the teenager's father had left his mother again The head was aware that Caleb's parents had had a difficult relationship over the years, including domestic abuse, and that Caleb had been hospitalized once by his father when he was a toddler He asked Caleb if there had been any violence in the home, but again, Caleb wouldn't respond In the absence of information to aid his understanding of the situation, the Head suspended Caleb for a week, warned him that any further disruption would lead to him being expelled, and called his mother to come and collect him from school Caleb's mother said she couldn't come until the end of the day because she was working, and that there was no point in ringing Caleb's father She didn't explain why While Caleb was sitting in the waiting room, awaiting further instructions, he heard some crying in the corridor and someone else saying something in a low but intense voice He stepped out into the corridor just in time to see a sixth former throw a Year pupil against the wall Caleb ran straight up to the pair and punched the sixth former who fell to the ground The 53 Year pupil ran off down the corridor to get away Caleb kicked him to make sure he stayed down Just then, the Head and his secretary rushed out of the office to see the final kick … and Caleb was immediately told that he would be expelled Caleb was very angry He tried to explain what happened, but was taken back into the office while the sixth former was taken to get his injuries looked at The Head refused to listen to Caleb's 'excuses' and told him to wait in the office until his mother came for him at 3:30 1.41 Additional notes  Although the Head was aware that Caleb's family had a history of problems, he was unable to get the relevant information from the pupil by himself Someone more suitable, such as an adult that Caleb was comfortable with, or a woman, may have been a better person to find out what the problems were  Caleb's refusal to talk about his problems may have indicated that there were issues that needed looking at before punishment was applied  The Head's refusal to listen to Caleb after he tried to explain about the incident in the corridor meant that Caleb was not given a voice on his own situation 1.42 Did you know Attachment theory is a psychological theory that was posited by John Bowlby It is based on the idea that infants need a place of safety – the 'secure base' – which is provided by the primary caregiver The secondary part of it is called the 'secure enough' attachment, where a child has enough freedom to explore, but has enough security to be supported and protected It is a complex theory that seeks to understand the effects of a damaged or dysfunctional attachment in comparison to those of a good or healthy type, and is a very useful model for understanding the complexities of challenging behavior 54