Applied Understanding of Human Development and Behaviour

This document discusses the application of human development theories in working with Kenny, a case study of an 11-year-old boy. It explores the importance of understanding human development and the impact of environmental and biological factors on Kenny's growth. The document also examines the neurological and physical changes in Kenny's development and the potential impact of prenatal elements. Additionally, it discusses the use of theory in working with Kenny and supporting him through significant life events.

APPLIED
UNDERSTANDING OF
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
AND BEHAVIOUR

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Activity 1.........................................................................................................................................3
Human development theories applied in working with Kenny...................................................3
Significant of understanding of human development and environmental as well as biological
factors impact on Kenny development........................................................................................4
Neurological and physical changes impact in work with Kenny.................................................5
Potential impact of pre natal elements on Kenny development...................................................6
Use of theory while working with Kenny and support through significant live events..............6
ACTIVITY 2....................................................................................................................................7
Theories related with coping with loss and grief.........................................................................7
Role of social workers in supporting individuals through significant life events........................8
Support available to adults experiencing significant life events. ................................................9
Different services that are available for adults experiencing significant life events. .................9
Importance of theories related with development in late adulthood..........................................10
Impact of different events on development through adulthood.................................................12
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Understanding of human behaviour and development is very essential for social workers
as it allow the to work efficiently and taking good care of children's. Understanding human
nature played significant role in developing and improving lives of people who have some
behavioural and mental health issues in their life's (Villalobos and et.al., 2015). Understanding
human development is also essential as people behaviour, it allow person to handle individual
with different mood. It makes social care employees able to boost up the morale of slow growth
child, as they cannot be able to grow normally. The present report is based on Kenny case study,
and his child hood growth. It explain different types of human development theories applied in
working with Kenny, importance of understanding human development in context of child and
also define the environmental & biological factors that impacted his development. If justifies,
neurological and physical changes impact on child and pre natal factors that also affects Kenny
growth in transition to adolescence. Furthermore, it clarifies the use of theory when working with
him and helping through significant life events.
Activity 1
Human development theories applied in working with Kenny
Kenny is 11 year old boy lived with his family in London, he is eight weeks premature
baby. Maturationist theory is applied in case of Kenny while working as social workers, this
theory is formulated after numerous observations of child. It stated that growth and development
changes in children behaviour or body is outcomes of ageing procedure more than injury,
learning, or other experience in life. According to this theory child development is biological
procedure that occurs automatically in sequential stages overtime. In case of Kenny, he is slow
when talking to someone and while walking which is quite normal, as they grow up overtime it
all the things get improved. All these things happen with him because he is premature baby who
need time to grow and develop understanding about everything (Giles, and Tunks, 2015). His
mother face difficulties to deal with her child, Kenny does not settle themselves in new
environment, his mother was worried about their behaviour, Greg is Kenny father he,
increasingly abuse him, shoving and shouting on him for low development growth. When he
start going school he grow normally and interact with others. This theory is actually relate to
Kenny development, as it stated that teenagers acquire knowledge automatically and naturally as
they grow physically.

Environmentalist theory is also applied working with Kenny because it is appropriate in
his case when he was 10 year old and adopt the surrounding things in his behaviour. Accordant
to this theory, environment is children surrounding and aspect change influences his learning.
Child learn, behave and develop by observing other reactions. It believe that teenager
environment shapes, behaviour as well as learning, in fact development are thoughts of as
reactions to surrounding environment (Paez, 2015). Kenny at the age of 10 mixed with older
boys and act just like them, he smoke, annoy neighbours and hit other children's. He actually
grow and gain new knowledge, behave by reacting to their surroundings which is not appropriate
for him. School readiness is the stage or age when Kenny and other children's respond effectively
to environment of class room or home. He abuse other, start smoking when he was 10 year old,
he learn all these bad habit when his mother live in new place with Ray. The environment around
new place is not suitable for the development of Kenny as they learn negative things.
Significant of understanding of human development and environmental as well as biological
factors impact on Kenny development
Human development is defined as procedure of enlarging opportunities and freedom of
people's, improving their well being. Understanding human development while working with
Kenny is very essential as it helps social worker to better understood the behaviour and nature of
child as they grow. When social employee know about psychological, cognitive and biological
procedure of child development it will support them to understand his growth effectively.
Understanding of HD helps to identify the changing behaviour of Kenny as well as other
children's, their needs and requirement in childhood. It quite beneficial for social worker, when
they learn how to deal with child and their changing behaviour as he grow in life. Once they
understand human development stages, they can take good care of Kenny and provide services to
him as according to their childhood requirements. Kenny behaviour is quite different from other
children's, he grow and develop slowly rather than the other same age child. Understand human
development is very important for social worker which make them able to feel more comfortable
during spending time with Kenny, talking, working and playing with him.
Proper nutrition play important role in development of child, mother diet during
pregnancy period is one of the biological factors that impact on Kenny growth. His mother is
dependent on drugs, she takes drugs before the birth of Kenny which affects health of her child.
His father is drugs dealer, so it is very easy for her mother to take drugs. His mother was not

taking proper nutrition while she was pregnant in results Kenny was grow slowly and weak baby
by birth, he cry a lot and unable to understand things quickly. She does not take any nutritious
diet and take amount of drugs that increase risk of certain birth defects of Kenny brain and spine
as well.
Community or society environment around home, family financial health etc. are the
environment factors that affects well being and natural growth of child. As related to Kenny
case, his mother force him to live in new house in good area with Ray, where they made a lot
new friends. Kenny mother cannot be able to give some time to him after the birth of Bethany
and Steven, as it drive him to spent more time out of house. The negative environment around
home and fellowship of older boys who smoke and hit other, make negative impact on his
childhood development, he also react as same at the age of 10.
Neurological and physical changes impact in work with Kenny
Physical changes impact work with Kenny in transition to age of 8 to 11, he is premature
baby, and grow slowly instead of other children's. After developing from the age of 4 to 11, there
are many changes occur in his life that affects positively. In early childhood, physical changes
are accompanied by rapid changes in Kenny language and cognitive development. When he was
2 year old, his father shouting on him and pushing because he was slow to talk or walk. He was
not been able to settle in any environment (Keverne, 2014). After going school, with the help of
his teacher support he start mixing with others in classroom, quickly learned to write and read.
With the support of his teacher he began to make great progress and able to grow normally. It
means that physical change according to the age impact on child development as he learned new
things over passing time and developed skills in life. With the help and support he became a
good footballer and play effectively rather than the others in school. Birth to eight year, he learn
how to talk to others in school or in family. Between the period of birth to eight year, child will
be able to learn how to use spoon.
Loss of sensation, pain, poor coordination and muscle weakness are the elements of
neurological changes that affects Kenny natural development and childhood growth. He is not
been able to learn and play with other children's effectively because he is too weak by birth as
born in eight weeks when his mother was dependent on drugs. Due to poor coordination and
muscles weakness they will not behave and react quickly need time to grow and developing
skills such as playing and reading. Brain development affect in early childhood, Kenny do not

have normal skills to learn and walk, he need support for each and every activity. When he
attend local playing group, he was able to develop his playing skills and language as well.
Potential impact of pre natal elements on Kenny development
Prenatal risk factors involve certain maternal infections, chronic maternal illness,
nutritional deficiencies and toxin exposures. It include pregnancy related complications, low
birth weight, prematurity as well as infection exposure at time of birth or during pregnancy.
Kenny is premature baby, he had low birth weight and his mother takes drugs when he was not
borne in world, these are the pre natal elements that impacts on the childhood development of
Kenny, as he grow slowly and face difficulties to talk and walk. He is difficult child, cried a lot
and difficult for his mother to settle him. The habit of his mother for taking drugs while
pregnancy time impact on the growth of Kenny that is why he is weak.
In context of Kenny case, there are many life events has been happened that potentially
impacted Kenny through adolescence and childhood (Jelsma and et.al., 2014). The First event
when his father shouting on him, and striking him on his face because he is is not been able to
understand the condition of Kenny. It is very difficult time for him as to grow, he spend a lot of
time while playing with toys.
The second incident happen, when he start going to school, in initial stage he found
difficult to settle, he is very slow to learn (Morikawa and et.al., 2015). But after mixing with
other children's and with the support of teachers he grow faster and settle effectively in new
environment of classroom. It impact positively on his childhood development. Teacher support
make them able to learn quickly, read notes and write as well.
When he was 10 year old, he mix up with some older boys, spend some time with them
around local park where he learn bad habits, it impact on his development and childhood growth
as opposite to positive side. When he refuse to get in car, one of the bad boys stole car, Kenny
trouble his neighbours just like the other boys does, it means that older boys company make
negative affects on his behaviour.
Use of theory while working with Kenny and support through significant live events
Maturationist theory and Environmentalist theory effectively used when working with
Kenny as they both are appropriate according to the situation of his childhood (Maturationist
theory, 2016). When child became older they are able to grow and learn new things, they can
grow physically as well as mentally as become older that is normal condition of child. In context

of Kenny, he also grow slowly but effectively, after going to school and attending playgroup he
was able to talk and adjust themselves in new environment (Stables, 2017). In addition to this,
environmentalist theory also relate to Kenny case and used while working with him. Younger
child learn by rote activities and understanding around environment. In case of Kenny he also
learn how to smoke when the start hanging with older boys that is not appropriate and suitable
for his growth.
Going for school is one of the significant life event of Kenny that support him to grow
effectively and developed new skills which is quite beneficial for him. Teaching staff support is
the best and precious time when Kenny was passing through adolescence. He was capable to
write and after some time he became a good footballer. He began to make continuous progress in
his life, showing themselves to be as good students just like the others. He became very popular
in school, spend time with his class mates, and play football effectively (Ibanez and et.al., 2015).
Kenny continuously attending Football team and playing with other group members. It is one the
best part of his life when he enjoyed playing and learning new skills with his friends and
schoolmates.
ACTIVITY 2
Theories related with coping with loss and grief.
Social community workers :
These individuals are actively engaged in offering education on community and social
health issues to the public, nutritional programmes, orphan care etc. They play a major role as a
counsellors to provide guidance and support to the members of community in respect of human
rights, need etc. These people also help in supporting adults going through significant life events
(Freund and Band-Winterstein, 2019).
Dual process model -
One of the major theory related with grief that can be applied by social workers is dual
process theory. It is a revised model of coping with bereavement. The model has identified that
there are two types of stressors they are restoration-oriented and loss. It is a dynamic and
regulatory coping model. As per this theory, adjustive coping is consist of challenge avoidance
of loss and restoration stressors. Adults faces the challenge of oscillating between the two
different types of stressors of loss. The model also argues that, the requirement for dosage of
grieving is a major part of adaptive coping. Social workers can easily understand the difference

between normal grief reactions and pathological reactions on different stages of grieving process
(Stroebe and Schut, 2016).
Recognizing and working with loss issues and grief has been considered as one of the
major skill of social work practice of social workers. They play an important role in helping
adults to cope up with the loss and grief so that, they can support adults that are going through
significant events. The theory is consistent with the practice of social work and it is committed to
the diversity of clients strength and experience which is constantly mindful of meaning systems
of social work clients. With the help of dual process theory, social workers make adults
understand that everyone have stressful life events while they are coping with bereavement. The
lives of adults continue and helps adults to continue their lives.
Role of social workers in supporting individuals through significant life events.
Social workers plays a major role in offering and developing support services and social
care for adults that are suffering from significant life events. The social work of community
workers focuses on supporting people who are suffering from significant events like mental
health issues, facing difficulties due to disability, effects of age and other circumstances. They
support people in different ways such as -
 Developing professional relationships and empowering adults in their families and
society.
 Working to support people to manage safety and risk.
 Works in collaboration with other professionals to attain best results for the people.
Social workers plays a major role in supporting adults who are facing life changing
situations and working with individuals whose rights may be neglected by society because of
significant life events. The participation of social workers is very essential to guide the patient
and their families in navigating various types of challenges as well as also assist people to
identify opportunities that may help them in complex process of end of life planning. Further,
they also help to manage emotional, mental, familial and monetary stressors, understand the
treatment of patients, overcome crisis situation and also connect to other support services in the
society (Zech, 2015).
Another major role that social workers plays is by providing counselling, emotional
support, and psychotherapy to the patients and the members of family who are experiencing
emotional and psychological challenges during a particular type of illness. Further, they use a

combination of clinical social work that help adults to manage and evaluate own emotions and
thoughts and also to overcome issues related with behaviour. There are two main forms of
interventions that are case management and counselling along with providing grief support and
life review etc.
Support available to adults experiencing significant life events.
Social workers plays an important role in providing support to individuals and their
family members while they are suffering from difficult times and also ensure that vulnerable
people and adults are safeguarded from harm. They help adults to improve their quality of lives.
Social and community workers maintain professional relationships with adults and acts as an
advocates and guides. This provide support to people who are suffering from significant life.
They are required to use own professional judgement to make complex decisions that might not
be well received by the people those they want to help (Wagaman and et.al, 2015).
Social worker plays variety of roles in different settings within the framework of
procedures and legislation for supporting adults within the community. Social workers may work
in hospitals, community, homes, on the premises of voluntary organisations and public sector
etc. They provide specialized services to adults who are experiencing significant life events.
Further, they provide help to older adults by sometimes supporting through professionals
working in social care and health care. They support the patients by performing interviews of the
older people for assessing their situation. Moreover, they undertake assessment and sometimes
work in collaboration with other people. They also offer information, organize packages of
support to support older adults to lead the lives fullest as possible. Moreover, social workers
recommend decisions regarding the best course of action for the individual or for whole family.
They also provide support by participating in multidisciplinary meetings and teams (Turner, ed.,
2017). Social workers play a major role in helping service users that moves to and from
residential care. Social workers assess the requirements of older adults and offer quality of care
provision. They are very committed to involved people that are experiencing significant life
events in every issue related with their care through collaboration and co-production.
Different services that are available for adults experiencing significant life events.
There are various types of services that will be provided by social and community
workers to the adults who are experiencing significant life events such as accident, disability etc.
As per the given scenario, social workers offer different services to adults. Social workers are

working in partnership with other organisations to support adults to cope up with major events of
their lives that affects them in physical, mental and emotional manner. It helps to improve the
health and well-being of adult people (Stanhope and et,.al, 2015).
Social workers provides various services for adults such as offering day care or home
care from providers in independent sector, involves in contractual arrangements. For example –
Adults with dementia who have lost the awareness of the risk of crossing the road. In this, social
workers plays a major role in protecting the adults against such type of risks. Social workers are
having responsibility to intervene when the action is required to protect adult people from
complex situations. As per the community care model, the role of health and social care workers
is limited to determining the requirement and making arrangement for the services that are
provided by others. One of the major service provided by social worker is health caring guides
(Baldwin, 2016). They promote personalised care planning and tailored care that documents
preferences of adults and their choice regarding various aspects of health and social care that are
experiencing significant life events. Further, they target various prevention strategies among
those at the risk of ageing with different long term conditions.
Other than this, social and community workers also provides support living services for
the older adults. Social worker encourage people to manage their duties and responsibilities and
support with their personal care.
Importance of theories related with development in late adulthood.
The stage of late adulthood is normally considered to be start from the age of 65. At this
time, it is important to find satisfaction in the life rather than becoming disillusioned and bitter
that is for resolving the conflict of despair vs. integrity. At this stage, physical or mental
deterioration is not compulsory. Many old age people are happily engaged in different types of
activities. There are various theories related with development in late adulthood.
The disengagement theory -
The theory was developed by William Earle Henry and Elaine Cumming year 1961. It is
the first social science theory related with ageing. It provides the social systemic discussion
regarding the process of ageing and the development of social lives of elderly people and the
theory is inspired by functionalist theory. There are various postulates related with the theory of
disengagement. People lose social ties with the people that are around them because they expect
their ultimate death and their ability to get involved with other people also deteriorate over the

period of time. The theory is important because it explains that individual starts disengage and
they are increasingly liberated from social norms and rules that guides the interaction (
Garbarino, 2017).
The activity theory -
The theory was developed by Havighurst and colleagues in year 1961. The activity theory
is also known as normal theory of ageing,. implicit theory of ageing and lay theory of ageing.
According to the theory successful ageing of the people happens when old age adults remain
active and also maintain social interactions with other people in the society. It is the opposite of
disengagement theory of ageing. The theory describes that there is a direct relationship between
life satisfaction and level of activity of the individual. The activity theory occurs when people
gets involved in performing full day activities and also maintain the good level of productivity to
the age in successful manner (Mustanski, Andrews and Puckett, 2016).
Physical changes -
 There are various physical changes that happens with ageing. The blood vessels will start
loosing their elasticity, heart have to work harder for circulating the blood in different
parts of the body. It may leads to hardening of arteries.
 Bones of the adult starts shrinking in terms of density and size. Some individuals become
short with ageing. Joints, muscles and tendons may start loosing flexibility and strength.
Further, some people may prone to fracture's due to bone loss.
Psychological changes -
 There is gentle decline in overall accuracy with the starting of 60's age but sustained
attention is better in healthy older adults. Decline in cognition results from various serial
cognitive processes such as size of working memory, speed of processing etc.
 Normal ageing also creates an impact on memory of people. The volume of brain starts
declining for rest of the life (Caringi and et.al, 2017).
Social changes -
 The social life of the people also changes with ageing. The social networks of individuals
become narrow. The social spheres also affects the cognitive functioning of people
during ageing. Positive emotions at the time of social interactions are considered as major
cause why social interactions may benefit the cognitive functioning. People who have
strong social networks during ageing are at less risk of mortality and morbidity.

Impact of different events on development through adulthood.
Most of the people don't remember first two or three years of their life but some of the
earliest experiences stick with the individuals for years and continue to affect into adulthood.
The parental behaviour is one of the major factor that affects people through adulthood. Early
life events affects all the people in a certain way. Due to difference in psychological make-up,
some of the individuals are more sensitive towards environmental factors and forces as compared
to other people (Tanner and Arnett, 2016).
Adult development comprehend the changes that has occurred in psychological and
biological domains of human life from the end of the stage of adolescence until the end of life of
the individual. These changes may be step by step or rapid and it may be negative or positive or
no change from previous stage of functioning (Cooper, Cocker and Briggs, 2018).
Although routine social exchanges are very important for well being of the people during
adulthood. Interactions with other people in everyday life cannot be always avoidable or
anticipated. The way in which individuals reacts ion emotional way towards daily life events has
major implications for everyday well-being in adulthood. Lonelier people benefited more events
that are positive in nature as compared with less lonely individuals but they are not more reactive
in negative way to negative events. Daily social events are more essential for daily affect. Social
exchanges that are positive in nature are beneficial for positive impact with the occurrence of
affirmative social events that are related with high positive mood (Brandstätter and Herrmann,
2016).
Although social events are essential for daily effect but not all types of social events are
sensed identically. Person may differ from one another to the extent they react in emotional way
to similar social events. The difference in the responsiveness to daily stressors and the exposure
have been linked to the characteristics related with environment, personality and biological
features. Further, social events are essential and unavoidable part of routine life. Further, the
academic achievement of people is related with the quality of home life. The early experience of
children's assist in predicting whether or not they end up generating social anxiety disorder as
adolescent. Therefore, it can be said that early life experience impact all the people in different
ways. But, that does not means that individuals cannot recover from bad experiences of their
childhood. A life long experience of handling the stress may offer a context to understand the
response of people to particular life events. On the other hand death of an adult child is a non-

normative experience for individuals that are older. Old age people experiences less number of
events as compared with younger adults (Davies and Challis, 2018).
Moreover, childhood trauma may also impact the ability of individual to control their
emotions, lower immune function, it may also leads to difficulties in sleep and increase risk of
physical illness during whole adulthood.
CONCLUSION
The above Report has outlined that, as per the Maturationist theory development of child
is a type of biological procedure that happens in automatic way at subsequent stages of the life.
Premature baby requires major time to develop and things get improved with time. As per the
theory teenagers acquire knowledge in automatic and natural way as they grow physical terms.
The Report has explained environmentalist theory according to this, the environment is the
surroundings in which development of children take place. The understanding of human
development is necessary as it helps social workers to understand behaviour of child in better
way. Further, the Report has explained that Dual process theory helps social workers to assist
adults in coping up with significant life events. As per this theory, adults faces the difficulty of
oscillating between two different types of stressors of loss. One of the major skill of social
workers is recognizing and dealing with grief and issues related with loss. Moreover, it has been
concluded that social workers play a major role in supporting people who are experiencing
significant events of the life. Social workers help old adults to improve their quality of life. They
also assist people to improve their health and well-being. The Report has described different
theories related with development in late childhood.

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