1. Issues in Human Services
(HMNS 10085)
Module 1: Introduction & Issues
Pertaining to Children

2. Learning Plan
• [eLearn]
• Learning outcomes
– To become sensitive to diverse groups within
our community
– To apply concepts of equity and inclusion
• Learning activities - week to week +
assignments
• About me

3. Definitions:
• Inequality:
– Refers to the unequal treatment between groups of
people that disadvantages one group over another.
– Eg. Income inequality - gaps in income between those
who earn high incomes compared to those who earn the
least.
– Eg. Unequal treatment of people based on some
characteristic such as gender, race, sexual orientation,
age or ability (eg. racial inequality).

4. Definitions:Oppression:
• Privileged or dominant • Oppressed group
– Have disadvantages to
group in society
– Access to resources
– Able to influence
decision-making
– Maintain situations that
keep them being in
dominant group
– Maintains their
advantages to a quality
of life
obtaining the same quality
of life.
– Much economic & political
activity occurs to maintain
the advantage & quality of
life of the dominant group
at expense of those who
have less power, influence
& work from a
disadvantaged position to
try to have a good quality
of life.

5. Definitions:
• Social Exclusion:
– Outcome of oppression
– Groups of people “have limited opportunities to
participate in the social, economic and cultural
activities of society
• Consider how each of these concepts fit in
with the issues being discussed.

6. Approach to Working With
Children in Human Services
• Structural, strengths-based approach
• 3 levels of social structure:
– Macro
– Meso
– Micro

7. Approach to Working With
Children in Human Services
• Human beings
• Not human becomings

8. Legislation:
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child.
• Principles:
– Non-discrimination
– Best interests of the child
– Right to life, survival and development of one’s full
potential
– Protection rights
– Participation rights

9. What is a child?
• Under the age of 18
• Not consistently demonstrated in laws in
Canada
• Different ideas of what childhood is:
>rights of children are not equitably applied

10. Structural Determinants of
Health
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•
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•
•
•
•
•
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Income, social status
Social support networks
Education, literacy
Employment (including working conditions)
Physical environment
Personal health practices, coping skills
Healthy child development
Genetics
Health services
Gender
Culture

11. Developmentally Appropriate
Practice:
• 2 dimensions:
– Supports that meet the individual needs of the
child
– Supports that meet the developmental needs of
the child - physical, emotional, social and
cognitive areas.
• Goal of development> independence,
thriving as individuals

12. Some issues specific to children:
• Child abuse and neglect
• Behaviour issues
• Children as exceptional learners
>How well does our society support the rights
of children being upheld? How well are
children’s needs met?

13. Attachment:
• Infants - attach emotionally and
psychologically to a primary caregiver
• Caregiver needs to be:
– Consistently responsive
– Consistently nurturing

14. Healthy Attachment:
• Securely attached child:
– Feels loved & lovable
– Able to trust others
• Emotional safety of this primary bond:
– Provides security infant/child needs to explore their
world
– Provides the basis for developing: self-confidence, selfreliance, resiliency necessary to cope with stress,
language, empathy, social skills, self-esteem &
intimacy
• Protective against the impacts of poverty, stress of
chaos (in politically unstable nations, for eg.)

15. Indicators of Healthy Attachment
•
•
•
•
Infant seeks closeness to caregiver
Infant seeks contact to caregiver
Interacts in a way to maintain contact
Social referencing

16. Child Neglect
• Failure to meet a child’s basic needs for
food, clothing, shelter, sleep, medical
attention, education & protection from
harm.
• Includes: lack of appropriate adult
supervision of younger children
• More serious form: chronic in nature

17. Physical Abuse:
• Use of deliberate physical force or action
that results in (or could result in) injury.
– Includes: punching, slapping, beating, shaking,
burning, throwing
– Beyond reasonable force.
– Spanking - controversial

18. Sexual Abuse:
• Use of a child for the sexual gratification of
an adult or older child.
• Involves coercion & manipulation - makes
it different than play between peers
• Includes: sexual touching, inviting a child
to touch an adult, encouring a child to
engage in sexual activity.

19. Emotional Abuse:
• Behaviours towards a child such as:
– Constant criticizing, teasing, belittling, insulting,
rejecting, ignoring, isolating
• Attacks a child’s sense of self-worth
• Also, includes:
– Placing unreasonable demands on child that exceed
their capacities
– Exposure to domestic violence > risk of emotional
harm.
– Failure to provide love, support & guidance

20. Legislation:
• Child & Family Services Act < 16 yrs.
• Children’s Aid Societies
• Family and Children’s Services/Child and
Family Services

21. Behaviour in Childhood:
• Think:
What were the expectations on you as a child as
to how you needed to behave?
Function of these expectations?
What was the message to you as a child?

22. Behaviour in Childhood:
• More recent literature challenges previous
ideas of children’s behaviour.
• Childhood “behaviours” are seen as a
means children have to:
– Learn
– Communicate
– Exert power

23. Approach to Managing
Behaviours:
• Try to understand the causes of the
behaviour:
– What happens before the behaviour?
– What structural determinants may not be being
met?

24. Children As Exceptional
Learners:
• Children who encounter difficulties acquiring the
knowledge & skills > risk of school failure
– Can negatively affect the life chances of children.
• Children who require special education services to
realize their potential > Children with
exceptionalities. Could be in one of (or more) the
following areas:
–
–
–
–
–
Sensory
Physical
Cognitive
Emotional
Communication

25. Integrated Vs. Non-Integrated
Programs:
• Children with exceptionalities have better learning
outcomes in a setting integrated with their sameaged peers? Research is mixed.
• Variety of options should be available.
• Labeling when in integrated settings:
– May be treated differently than same-aged peers
– Target for bullying
– Diminished self-esteem
• Can be a learning opportunity for general
education students!
• Social benefits may be better met for Special

26. Individualized Education Plan
(IEP)
• Plans that are developed for the special
learning needs of students in elementary &
secondary school
• Strengths and needs of students
• Particular strategies likely to lead to success

27. What the special strategies may
be:
• Modifications
• Accommodations
• Adaptations

28. Children With Learning
Disabilities:
• Definition: “…a number of disorders which may affect the
acquisition, organization, retention, understanding or use
of verbal or non-verbal information.”
• They come from impairments in the processes related to:
– Perceiving
– Thinking
– Remembering
– Learning
• Rate of diagnosis has increased

29. Causes of Learning Disabilities:
• Agents causing birth defects
• Premature birth
• heredity

30. Other problems for students with
Learning Disabilties:
• Social problems
• Emotional problems
• Motivational problems

31. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD):
•
•
About 3-5% of school-aged children.
2 components to definition:
1.
Inattention - fails to give close attention to detail, careless mistakes
in homework; difficulty keeping attention in tasks, easily distracted;
does not seem to be listening when spoken to; does not complete
homework, or follow through on things started; difficulty with
organizing to do tasks & activities; avoidant of activities that require
mental effort; loses items frequently.
2.
Hyperactivity/impulsivity - fidgets with hands, feet or squirms
in seat; leaves a setting when they are required to be there; runs around
as though driven by a motor; talks excessively; difficulty waiting for
their turn; interrupts or intrudes on others.
•
At least 6 of each type that interferes in 2
settings, for > 6 months.

32. Treatment of ADHD
• Psychostimulants - ritalin
• Controversial:
– Pro - Effective at controlling inhibition & “executive
functioning” problems. Tends to lead to better
academic performance
– Con - may be seen as a “fix”, when it should be
accompanied by other interventions that promote selfinitiative & self-responsibility
• 30% of children do not have a good response to it
• Potential for misuse.

33. ADHD & Special Education:
• ADHD often occurs with Learning Disabilities,
Mood or Behavioural Disorders Substance Use.
• Models of classroom strategies include:
– Structuring a classroom with reduced distraction,
consistent routine, simplifying & repeating instructions
& chunking tasks into smaller units.
– Self-management strategies that involve students
tracking their behaviours & receiving reinforcement for
this.

34. Autism Spectrum Disorders
(ASD)
• Definition: Individuals with impairment in
functioning to varying degrees in the
following areas:
–
–
–
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Communication skills
Social interactions
Repetitive & stereotypic behaviours
DSM-IV diagnosis > developmental disorder
• Rate of diagnosis has increased

35. ASD: What does it look like?
• Communication skills - some have no functional language, others have
delay in the onset of language only.
– Not reciprocal/truly conversational
• Social interaction - difficulty learning & reading social cues.
• Repetitive & stereotypic behaviour- eg. spinning, flapping hands,
rocking or obsessive fascinations with certain objects (eg. ceiling
fans).
• Particular cognition problems - difficulty coding or decoding
information > rely on literal meanings, know a lot of detail but not the
“big picture”
• Abnormal sensory perceptions - hypersensitive to stimuli (eg. sound);
underresponsive to some (eg. may seek movement)
• Theory of mind - impaired ability to take the perspective of another
• Behavioural regulation problems - may tantrum or become
“disregulated”.

36. ASD & Special Education
• Require a lot of special education supports
• Ontario, Ministry of Education - PPM 140
– Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) as an
instructional approach
– Form of behaviour modification that rewards
positive behaviours at frequent intervals
– Example of a step in education policy that is
child-focused & tries to reduce barriers for
students with ASD to learn the curriculum.

37. Students with Intellectual
Disabilities:
• Definition: An individual with significant
limitations in adaptive behaviour or the
conceptual, social and practical skills people have
learned to be able to function in daily life.
– Conceptual skills
– Practical skills
– Social skills
• Variety of conditions - hereditary, chromosomal,
events around birth.
– One well known example, Down’s Syndrome.

38. Assessment of Intellectual
Disability
• Assessed by intelligence and adaptive
skills.
• Intelligence - Wechsler Intelligence Scale
• Adaptive Behavioural Skills - measures
independence, daily living skills, &
maladaptive behaviour in social
interactions, trustworthiness, & self-abusive
behaviour.

39. Students with Intellectual
Disabilities & Special Education:
• May be taught functional academics
– Learning to read in order to function independently (eg.
read labels, newspapers, telephone book).
• Frequently in non-integrated settings in special
classes.
• Some instruction in real-life setting (eg. grocery
store).
• More focus today on self-determination.

40. Impact on Having a Child With
An Exceptionality on Families:
• Stressful:
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–
–
–
Having to adapt to unanticipated things
Adapting parenting practices
Extra things to contend with
School system has added to this > parents blamed for
their children’s issues
• Parents now coming to be seen as having a
positive influence > more involvement in planning
for their child’s educational needs, & in the daily
school life of the child (eg. regular communication
between school & home).

41. Reading:
•
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http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm United Nations Convention on
the Rights of the Child.
http://www.unicef.org/crc/index_30197.html-Unicef:
Addressingtheneedsofchildren
http://www.unicef.org/crc/index_understanding.html-Unicef:
Understandingthecrc
The rights of children to develop to their full potential.
http://knowledge.offordcentre.com/images/stories.offord/pamphlets/ASD_en.pdf
.
Autism Spectrum Disorders
http://knowledge.offordcentre.com/images/stories.offord/pamphlets//Attention%20B
. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
http://knowledge.offordcentre.com/children’s-needs The needs of children.