Communication Development in the Early Age and Negative Impacts on Essay

Communication Development in the Early Age and Negative Impacts on Personal Relationships - Essay Example Today in my studies, I read about 12-year-old James whose condition provided a case study for the author. James had a congenital motor disorder in the form of mild cerebral palsy. I learned from this case study that children with cerebral palsy not only had their movements uncoordinated but also suffered from learning and communication development disabilities. Due to their limited control of facial expression, gesture and speech, James words are slurred and often unrecognizable. Communicating with a person with the motor disorder is quite complicated as the typical response to questions is a confused gaze. If a trained person like me finds it difficult to manage the situation, then what about untrained people? The research of Michellin & O’Brien (2005), Levine & Nourse (1998) and Seo et.al. (2008) have shown that people who have motor disorders, in general, are less likely to find good opportunities in personal relationships and employment. They also require special types of education which are costly to bear. Children with cerebral palsy or other motor disorders interact with their communication partners differently from children who are undergoing typical development. Communication with a familiar partner occurs only to meet a particular purpose rather than for general conversation or chatting. It has also been observed that communication partners such as parents and siblings often take control of the conversation in an effort to prevent communications breakdown resulting from the difficulties in understanding the child’s signals.