From birth babies can respond to touch and sound, they can recognise their parent/carers voices.At a few months old they will be able to smile and engage with their parent/carer.By 4 months they will be making vocalisations and then and engage with their carer and by the age of 6 months they will be wanting more social interaction from those around them, although this can depend on the amount of time spent with other children.

By the age of 9 months babies can now distinguish between known and unknown faces. They may develop fear of unknown people and can be distressed about separation from Parent/Carer.By the age of 1 babies become more demanding and can display temper tantrums when told “No” this can be tied in with the fact that they do not understand the concept of sharingBetween 2-4 years the child will be separated from the parent/carer for short periods of times whilst attending Nursery/playgroup and although this can be a distressing time for the child and parent it is proven that this separation starts to aid the child in developing their Social awareness. Children at this age learn from each other and they learn many social skills at this age i.e.

turn taking, sharing toys, making friendships etc.Between the ages of 4 – 7 Years a child will be attending school, this helps to build their independence and Self Awareness. They will be making friendships and will learn the difference between right and wrong.Between the age of 7 – 11Years a child is more able to understand where they belong in the world, and within their family Circle.

It is at this time that children can become worried about what others think of them. As the child develops through the years their dependence on their parents to get their needs met are lessening as they become more independent.Between the age of 11 – 16 Years the child will be going through transitions in life both physically and mentally.

Their bodies are starting to develop and change and this can be a very confusing time for the young person. The changes in their bodies can influence their self esteem and confidence and pressures from friends can become more apparent.Changes in the body and hormones can affect many aspects of the young persons life whilst their body is developing this can lead to Mood swings, changes in presentation and the young person may become more confrontational. It is at this stage in life that most Young People start to recognise and having feelings towards others. It is normal at this stage for young people to want to spend more time with their friends rather than their family.

The young person will now be undertaking formal exams at school and thinking about where they want to go in life/what they want from life. This time in a young person’s life can be very stressful so it is important to ensure that they are getting enough rest, sleep, nourishment etc to enable their bodies and mind deal with the pressures that arise whilst studying for their exams.Between the ages of 16 – 19 the young person will have further developed skills and this can lead to development of who they are as a person and how they fit in society.