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The role of social interaction and child development
Language, attention and memory do not simply develop in the brain. They are acquired
through interaction with others.
All learning takes place in a dynamic, social environment.
The
role of social interaction and child development
The learning between the adult and the child is two way - the child learns from
the adult and the adult also learns from the child.
It used to be thought that the adult controlled this interactional process. We
now know that, even with very young infants, that this is a much more two way process.
Infants are not passive in their interactions - they often initiate and maintain
the interactive games that they have with adults. These games are characterised by
mutual enjoyment.
Interacting
with a child with complex disabilities
For children with complex needs, there are a variety of reasons why such interactions
may be different:
There may be fewer initiating behaviours from the child.
The adult may have difficulty reading the child's signals.
The child's responses may be delayed or ambiguous.
The child may not be enjoying the game enough to continue.
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