Mrs A Rahman

2.1 Explain how children and young people’s development is influenced by a range of personal factors.

Tassoni, P (2010) stated that “There are a range of factors that will affect children and young people’s development. This is an interesting area and one that increasingly is being informed by genetics.”(P60)
The genetics of children mould and determine the child’s and young person’s development, and also their physical appearance, but our environment is also a key factor in how we turn out. Genetics may determine that the child will become a fantastic musician, but our environment and our upbringing whether we are exposed to musical instruments will also be a key factor in whether we reach our potential.
In other circumstances our genes are not so hidden and affect our development from birth, such as birth defects or even illness lay dormant in our bodies such as asthma and will be triggered off later in life by an accident or even stress.
Children born with disabilities such as spinal bifida or even children born with sensory impairments such as blindness or being deaf, or children with learning difficulties such as dyslexia will all develop at different rates; the standard sequence of development will not apply to them. The different personal factors such as the disabilities and impairments will be factors to consider when assessing their development and they will all require different specialist care and support in order for them to reach their potential. Careful observations and allocating the right care, working closely with their parents and schools can help achieve the level of care each child will need to help them progress in their development.