All Child Development

In the acting profession, there are jokes about never working with animals or children. Indeed, a special attitude and set of skills are needed to effectively interact with young people, especially if the ultimate goal is to nurture them into healthy, productive adults.​Understanding child development takes place on multiple axes: physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and linguistic. From birth to age 18, cultural, educational, and familial influences play a complex role in developing a child’s behavior, attitudes, and relationships with others. If necessary, a child development graduate may well find themselves in a position to provide a positive influence to at-risk youth.​People who study child development are typically already comfortable interacting with children and youths, have great reserves of compassion, and feel a true need to make a difference in society. Several career paths are open to graduates. They may, for example, choose to focus on infant mental health, intervention for delinquent youth, or family support services.