how children are affected by ill health

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Child Health- Task 3

Jodie Bloomer

P5. Describe the aspects of children’s development, learning and behaviour that may be affected by ill health and the potential effects on the family

M3. Justify proposals for ways of minimising the effects of ill health on children and their families

How children’s development may be affected by ill health:

  • They may be physically too weak to join in with certain activities; their illness may restrict them from doing so. “Epilepsy, for example, can mean a child is not allowed to play on or use some equipment.” (Tassoni, P. et Al. 2002. p.350). However it is necessary to provide activities that the child can do so that they are not left out. An example of this is to do smaller scale versions of an activity that the other children are doing, for instance, messy play on a tray on the table so that a child in a wheelchair can sit at it, rather than on the floor.
  • Their social skills could be affected- “An ill child may be less interested in interacting with others.” (Green, S. 2006. p.447). One of the ways of minimising this effect is by interacting with the child and ensuring that they interact with other children throughout the day. This will boost their confidence and encourage them to engage with others more freely.
  • They may regress- for example a child of 8 years who is ill may start to wet the bed again as a result of uncertainty and fear about their illness. It is necessary to comfort children and to talk to them, as they “need a great deal of emotional support during periods of illness.” (Green, S. 2006. p.448). Penny Tassoni also states that it is important to recognise regression “and provide reassurance, routine and extra attention.” (Tassoni, P. 2006. p.355).
  • Their diet may be affected due to a lack of nutrients while they are ill. One way of minimising this is to offer the child small and frequent snacks to encourage them to eat and to gain some of the nutrients they are missing.
  • They may suffer hair loss, or other side effects as a result of their treatment. This can be distressing for the child but “wigs or baseball caps can be worn to reduce the embarrassment” and this is a way of minimising this effect of the child’s illness. (Tassoni, P. et Al. 2002. p.351).
  • Their growth may be affected as a result of not eating properly, or long periods in bed. Although it may not be possible to alter this, early years workers could encourage the child to move around, in play situations for example, so that their joints can move again and this allows them to gain more strength.

How children’s learning may be affected by ill health:

  • They may fall behind at school due to missing lessons, or large amounts of time – “the longer the child is ill or in hospital, the greater the effect on her development.”  (Tassoni, P. et Al. 2002. p.350). Therefore in order to minimise this parents can arrange for teachers to send work home for their child, or work for them to do in hospital. Penny Tassoni states this as she says, “it is important that children be given the opportunity to have work from school, if appropriate, in order to minimise any disruption to their education.” (Tassoni, P. 2006. p.356). Also in some hospitals there is a teacher who helps children in the ward with schoolwork to eliminate them from getting behind at school. Home schooling is another idea as “a home tutor is sometimes provided if the child is going to have a prolonged absence from school.” (Tassoni, P. 2006. p.356).
  • They may lack motivation to work or join in, this may especially be the case if they have missed a lot of school and are not used to the environment. A way of minimising this is by introducing activities on a smaller scale and linking activities to the child’s interests. For example if a child likes dinosaurs then you could do an activity that incorporates this to keep their attention and to motivate them to continue the activity. Penny Tassoni states it is important for early years workers to “provide activities that are achievable and help raise the child’s self-esteem.” (Tassoni, P. 2006. p.355).
  • They may lack concentration. This means that activities should be shorter and varied in order to minimise this and Penny Tassoni states, “because they have a shorter attention span, activities need to be changed frequently.” (Tassoni. P. et Al. 2002. p.351).
  • They may be too tired to learn or join in as a result of their illness. This links to the previous point about concentration as if the child is tired then they will not be able to concentrate for long periods of time. Therefore it is necessary to do smaller activities with the child that holds their attention before they get too tired. Penny Tassoni states that play is important to an ill child as “in between periods of sleep and rest they can quickly become bored and frustrated...and require activities that are short and simple, and need little concentration.” Therefore play is essential as it provides short periods of enjoyment for the child. (Tassoni, P. 2006. p.355 & 356).
  • They may be disruptive to the class and affect other child’s learning. One way of minimising this is by giving the child time out as this allows “the child to calm down if distressed, and enabling others to continue what they were doing.” (Green, S. 2006. p.53).
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How children’s behaviour may be affected by ill health:

  • They may become withdrawn- “Children may become withdrawn and isolated through their illness.” (Green, S. 2006. p.447). One way of minimising this is by setting up a buddy scheme so that the child has a buddy/friend to talk to and play with. It is also a good idea to incorporate friendship games and tasks into the day’s routine and encourage them child to do these, which will build up their confidence and self-esteem. Penny Tassoni states “children who are chronically sick need to be given a sense ...

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