A communication that I had about childhood intervention was very enlightening for me. In the discussion a colleague of mine talked about the need for early childhood intervention and how it would help increased parental support, and overall healthful lifestyles for children. These are considered necessary components in the life of a child. When children are thriving, involved intellectually and exist in highly effective homes, they can develop and eventually become beneficial to their community.
The Center for the Developing Child states that the investment into the early life of a child is essential (Center for Developing Child, 2015). Children who receive sufficient early intervention, and have an involved parental assistance will succeed at a far superior rate than children who do not. Data shows that three out of every forty children are victims of maltreatment (Finkelhor et al, 2005). Research furthermore shows that forty-nine out of every five hundred children are sufferers of parental substance abuse (SAMHSA, 2002). Surveys also show that thirteen out of every 100 children live with a mother who suffers from postpartum depression (O-Hara & Swain, 1996).
This data provides a clear need for intervention in the families of children in order that children can develop successfully. They could then create strong children themselves, which in turn, could change the underlying forces of the entire country. This connection not only aids the child, there are also profitable consequences that are valuable to our nation. This early intervention supports students and their families in the long term.
Programs that succeed within the family produce a return to our culture that far surpasses the initial cost of the programs (Center for Developing Child, 2015). This information indicates that the need for early intervention is desirable over doing nothing. The need for early health care, early education opportunities, family intervention, and early childhood responsiveness makes sense.
References
Center for the Developing Child. (2015) Early childhood program effectiveness. In Brief series.
Retrieved http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/briefs/inbrief_series/
inbrief_the_science_of_ecd/
Finkelhor, D., Turner, H., Ormrod, R., & Hamby, S. 2005. “The victimization of children and youth: A comprehensive, national survey. Child Maltreatment. pp 5-21
O-Hara. M.W. & Swain, A. risk and rate of postpartum depression-a meta-analysis.
International Review of Psychiatry, 1996, Vol. 8, No. 1 : Pages 37-54
SAMHSA. (2002). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Report to congress on the prevention and treatment of co-occurring substance abuse disorders and mental disorders. Retrieved from http://www.sanhsa.gov/news/cl_congress2002.html.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Critical Approaches to Contemporary Issues in Child Development
The early childhood period from newborn to 5 years is a very critical time in the life of a child. It is a time where the brain is changing quickly (Hanson et al., (2012). During this process of constant changing, many things can affect it. Stress can affect a child’s brain in a myriad of ways. Stress is an important part of the lives of everyone including babies and children. It enables all of us to deal with dangerous and terrifying events or established condition that has been researched extensively.
The two issues that I will discuss are how children develop stress and how this stress affects the child and their future. As children are presented with stressors in their lives they learn from them. Learning from them allows the child to handle life’s troubles or how to function with them. At times babies and small children are affected by external stressors (Shonkoff, & Garner, 2012). The stressors that affect them may stem from violent family conflicts, separation from family, drug exposure, or abuse. The effects of these stressors can have short term effects, but others have lasting effects.
The Center for the Developing Child at Harvard identifies three types of stress responses in children. They include the positive, tolerable, and toxic stress responses (Center for the Developing Child at Harvard, 2015). situations. As children develop physically¸ cognitively, and emotionally, stressors can assist in their practice of dealing with life’s problems (Van der Kolk, McFarlane, & Weisaeth, 2012). Stress can also cause problems that can affect a child for a lifetime. The concept of childhood stress is not a new theory. These three stress responses include positive stress, which is a short lived experience that can lead to a learning experience. The tolerable stress responses are also short lived like the death of a family member or a family disruption. This stressor can become long term if it is not handled appropriately. The final response is the toxic stress response.
These responses are long term and more intense. It can result from the long term separation from a parent (Shonkoff et al.2012). Some toxic stressors may be on-going and may occur in the life of a child for many years. The effects of them may be permanent and cause long term damage to the brain (Schetter, & Tanner, 2012). The lifelong effects of stress on children can disrupt the basic development of the brain, cardiovascular, and immune systems. These disruptions can have a lasting consequence on the child and the future adult. Studies have shown and data indicates that many of the adult diseases were brought on by stress in early childhood (Shonkoff, & Garner, 2012). Early childhood studies such as these provide a wealth of information on toxic stress. It can also provide some helpful tools to assist teachers, parents, and other interested professionals to help reduce stressors in the lives of these impressionable children.
References
Center on the Developing Child Child at Harvard, (2015), Toxic stress. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/key_concepts/toxic_stress_response/
Hanson, J. L., Chung, M. K., Avants, B. B., Rudolph, K. D., Shirtcliff, E. A., Gee, J. C., ... & Pollak, S. D. (2012). Structural variations in prefrontal cortex mediate the relationship between early childhood stress and spatial working memory. The Journal of Neuroscience, 32(23), 7917-7925.
Schetter, C. D., & Tanner, L. (2012). Anxiety, depression and stress in pregnancy: implications for mothers, children, research, and practice. Current opinion in psychiatry, 25(2), 141- 148.
Shonkoff, J. P., & Garner, A. S. (2012). Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health; Committee on Early Childhood, Adoption, and Dependent Care; Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. The lifelong effects of early childhood adversity and toxic stress. Pediatrics, 129(1), e232-e246.
Shonkoff, J. P., Garner, A. S., Siegel, B. S., Dobbins, M. I., Earls, M. F., McGuinn, L., ... & Wood, D. L. (2012). The lifelong effects of early childhood adversity and toxic stress. Pediatrics, 129(1), e232-e246. Van der
Kolk, B. A., McFarlane, A. C., & Weisaeth, L. (Eds.). (2012). Traumatic stress: The effects of overwhelming experience on mind, body, and society. Guilford Press.
The two issues that I will discuss are how children develop stress and how this stress affects the child and their future. As children are presented with stressors in their lives they learn from them. Learning from them allows the child to handle life’s troubles or how to function with them. At times babies and small children are affected by external stressors (Shonkoff, & Garner, 2012). The stressors that affect them may stem from violent family conflicts, separation from family, drug exposure, or abuse. The effects of these stressors can have short term effects, but others have lasting effects.
The Center for the Developing Child at Harvard identifies three types of stress responses in children. They include the positive, tolerable, and toxic stress responses (Center for the Developing Child at Harvard, 2015). situations. As children develop physically¸ cognitively, and emotionally, stressors can assist in their practice of dealing with life’s problems (Van der Kolk, McFarlane, & Weisaeth, 2012). Stress can also cause problems that can affect a child for a lifetime. The concept of childhood stress is not a new theory. These three stress responses include positive stress, which is a short lived experience that can lead to a learning experience. The tolerable stress responses are also short lived like the death of a family member or a family disruption. This stressor can become long term if it is not handled appropriately. The final response is the toxic stress response.
These responses are long term and more intense. It can result from the long term separation from a parent (Shonkoff et al.2012). Some toxic stressors may be on-going and may occur in the life of a child for many years. The effects of them may be permanent and cause long term damage to the brain (Schetter, & Tanner, 2012). The lifelong effects of stress on children can disrupt the basic development of the brain, cardiovascular, and immune systems. These disruptions can have a lasting consequence on the child and the future adult. Studies have shown and data indicates that many of the adult diseases were brought on by stress in early childhood (Shonkoff, & Garner, 2012). Early childhood studies such as these provide a wealth of information on toxic stress. It can also provide some helpful tools to assist teachers, parents, and other interested professionals to help reduce stressors in the lives of these impressionable children.
References
Center on the Developing Child Child at Harvard, (2015), Toxic stress. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/key_concepts/toxic_stress_response/
Hanson, J. L., Chung, M. K., Avants, B. B., Rudolph, K. D., Shirtcliff, E. A., Gee, J. C., ... & Pollak, S. D. (2012). Structural variations in prefrontal cortex mediate the relationship between early childhood stress and spatial working memory. The Journal of Neuroscience, 32(23), 7917-7925.
Schetter, C. D., & Tanner, L. (2012). Anxiety, depression and stress in pregnancy: implications for mothers, children, research, and practice. Current opinion in psychiatry, 25(2), 141- 148.
Shonkoff, J. P., & Garner, A. S. (2012). Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health; Committee on Early Childhood, Adoption, and Dependent Care; Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. The lifelong effects of early childhood adversity and toxic stress. Pediatrics, 129(1), e232-e246.
Shonkoff, J. P., Garner, A. S., Siegel, B. S., Dobbins, M. I., Earls, M. F., McGuinn, L., ... & Wood, D. L. (2012). The lifelong effects of early childhood adversity and toxic stress. Pediatrics, 129(1), e232-e246. Van der
Kolk, B. A., McFarlane, A. C., & Weisaeth, L. (Eds.). (2012). Traumatic stress: The effects of overwhelming experience on mind, body, and society. Guilford Press.
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