Urban Children in Poverty Cognitive Development Essay

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Sasha is 3 and Cayley is 1. Cayley is beginning to walk which is about normal for her age. Sasha is small for her age and could be considered underdeveloped. Cayley still uses a bottle and sleeps with the bottle for comfort and still puts everything in her mouth. Much of this is normal, though fewer things should be going in the mouth by about this time. She is able to say a few words which is good (often second children speak less than the first child anyway), and her interest in the blocks that the CPS worker brings is a good sign. Sasha is curious and interested in things, but she does not speak much and she does not listen well to basic commands. She also is abusive towards her sister and mother, which is a sign that she has not received the necessary amount of physical stimulation and touch that is needed at this age (Perry, Szalavitz, 2006)

Significant Illness

Neither child shows signs of significant illness. However, there are indications of nutrition issues. The children are also suffering from a lack of spiritual nourishment, as the mother has said she has no used for religion and is evidently an alcoholic. The children are more than likely not being taught to pray or to have a spiritual life. Thus, the significant illness that they have may not clearly be manifested in the physical form and may need to be assessed in the psychological or psychosocial form (Briggs, Rayle, 2005). The house is a mess and the stench of garbage is in the air. Sasha has a bad cold and may have gone untreated for some time, and her growth appears to have been stunted to some degree, but Cayley appears to be okay at the time.

Nutrition and Exercise Issues

Nutrition issues are identifiable by the lack of food in the house. There is clearly not much for the children to eat, let alone get their proper nutritional intake. That is why Sasha is small for her age and most likely why she has a bad cold: she is inadequately clothed and inadequately fed. Because the neighborhood in which they live is crime-ridden and there are no parks to play in, neither child is likely to be getting enough exercise outdoors or to be getting much fresh air. There is garbage in the house and it is untidy. They do not live in a healthy environment conducive to growth.

Psychological Development

Cognitive Development

Sasha’s cognitive development shows positive signs. She is curious and alert, which signals that her mind is active—yet she is shy and does not communicate with many words. Cayley has the use of a couple words and she is walking and likes to play with the blocks. The amygdale and hippocampus are sections of the brain that help children at this age develop properly (Durston, Casey, 2006). These parts of the brain help the child to learn. If they are not developed, a child may appear to behave inappropriately and demonstrate little awareness of others (Li, Sheng, 2003).

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Sasha tends to make her sister cry so may be deficient in development of her cognition. Cayley appears to be developing well and does not seem to have any irrational fears. Sasha is probably deficient somewhat in cognitive development because she has been exposed to this neglectful environment for longer than has Cayley.

Cultural Development

The children suffer from a lack of culture. Their mother has not demonstrated any connection to a church or group outside the home and has no interest in her own native culture. Nothing is being taught to the children in this respect.

Emotional Development

The children do not have a great deal of emotional issues at the present. Sasha has some behavioral issues, but this may stem from her cognitive lack of development. She demonstrates curiosity and is alert but there is no excessive crying or fear on her part. Cayley may suffer from slight emotional deprivation as she sleeps with her bottle and has probably not been breastfed by the mother so may be lacking in the needed warmth and touch experience that babies require (Perry, Szalavitz, 2006). The children have no toys and no furniture, both of which can be good for comforting and helping them to develop emotionally—so it is understandable that Sasha is probably undeveloped in this respect as well, while it also makes sense that Cayley does not want to be separated from her bottle, which is likely to be her only possession.

Self-Concept, Self-Esteem, and Self-Empowerment

Sasha’s self-concept does not appear to be very defined: she is curious and alert but also violent towards her sister and mother; she is lacking in positive reinforcement but also in recognition of others’ feelings. She is centered on herself when it comes to others and wants attention from them more than she is willing to give it to them. Her self-esteem may not be very high, and she is relying on a primitive kind of self-empowerment—i.e., empowerment through force and abuse, which is not healthy for her development. Cayley is still too young to display many signs of self-concept, self-esteem, or self-empowerment, but her dependency on her bottle signals that she has an attachment that she will need to overcome in time.

Significant Life Issues/Diversity Issues

The children do not appear to have any significant life issues aside from their current environment being impoverished, their health being at risk because of the neighborhood in which they live and the conditions of their home along with the unstable condition of their mother, who drinks and does not have a job. Their only diversity issue is that they have no real diversity in their lives. The live in this squalid condition and see nothing outside of it. Their grandmother comes to visit and help with the rent, but not often or for long, and when she does come she only berates the mother Aayla for getting pregnant, and this is not a helpful relationship for them to see or react to. They likely do not get to….....

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