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Question: Alicia is a 6-year-old girl in Grade 1 in a public Primary School near Pinetown. Her parents are originally from Mozambique, her mother fled from Mozambique due to the physical abuse from Alicia’s father and came to South Africa last year in search of a better life for her children. Alicia lives in an informal settlement with her mother and 2 younger brothers. Her mother hand weaves mats and sells them by the roadside, Alicia helps her after school and during weekends. She has not found work yet and use the little money she gets from selling mats to support her children. Alicia speaks Swahili and Portuguese at home and does not understand any of the South African languages. The school that Alicia attends uses IsiZulu as a language of instruction and she does not understand the teacher due to the language barrier. Alicia’s birth card indicate that she was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) a condition that results from alcohol exposure during the mother’s pregnancy. Her teacher tries her best to accommodate her by relying on demonstrations when instructing her to do tasks, it is however, still difficult for Alicia to comprehend and her teacher suspects that Alicia’s academic challenges are not only a result of the language barrier. She seems to lack concentration in class and appears to be in a world of her own. She also struggles to interact and engage with other learners in her class. Her teacher has noted that she is usually tired in the mornings and lacks energy, her energy levels seem to improve after break when she has eaten a meal provided by the school. Her teacher called her mother for a meeting to address Alicia’s academic challenges, her mother came to school intoxicated and communication between her and Alicia’s teacher was difficult. She did demonstrate that the teacher must hit Alicia if she gives her any trouble. Despite Alicia’s academic challenges her teacher has noted that she is very artistic and enjoys drawing, singing, and dancing. Using the biopsychosocial model formulate a table and identity the biological psychological and the social/ environmental factors that apply to Alicia's case. Start by identifying the reinforcing factors (why does it continue?)
Sure, I can assist you in formulating a table using the biopsychosocial model to identify factors affecting Alicia. The Biopsychosocial Model explains human development as a result of biological, psychological, and social processes interacting together. Biological factors refer to the physical and physiological attributes affecting human behaviors, such as genetics, health disorders - both physically and mentally, and age. Psychological factors involve mental processes, perceptions, emotions, and personality characteristics. Social factors include cultural, familial, educational, and socio-economic influences. Here is the table: |Reinforcing Factors |Biological|Psychological|Social/Environmental| |------------------- |--------- |------------ |------------------- | |Why does it continue? |Alicia's Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) conditions are likely to have long-lasting effects which can be a continuing challenge for her. This affects her cognitive development, physical growth, and can cause certain characteristic facial features.|Alicia's lack of concentration could be resulting from not only her biological situations but also from psychological factors related to her living conditions and adverse lifestyle. Her feeling “in her own world” could suggest symptoms of withdrawal or dissociation. |Alicia's inability to understand the language of instruction at school and her struggles to interact with peers continue due to the language and cultural barrier. Her impoverished living conditions and her mother's inability to work contribute to the continuation of their poor socio-economic status.| | Why it might get worse? |If her FAS is not managed properly, Alicia's condition might deteriorate as she grows older, and she might face additional physical and neurological problems.|If Alicia's current psychological state is not addressed, it may lead to the development of further mental health issues such as anxiety, depression or severe learning disorders.|If Alicia's social circumstances don't improve - particularly the domestic environment, schooling and her mother's unemployment situation - her social development and overall well-being stand to deteriorate significantly.| It's important to note that addressing these issues is a multidimensional process, requiring tailored interventions at the biological, psychological, and social levels. Providing language support, gaining long-term assistance for Alicia's FAS, and providing necessary interventions for her social situation, including supporting her mother in gaining employment and managing alcohol addiction, could play a crucial role in improving Alicia's life conditions.
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