Doubly Perception on Quintuple Factors Affecting Early Childhood Development of Children with Unique Needs in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

The current study was particularly designed to endeavor the effects of nutrition, Social and Cultural and societal practices, and Parent’s Behaviors and Parenting on early childhood development of children with unique needs. Nutrition, health and learning were assumed to be as independent factors providing energy and nutrients needed to be healthy. Multiple life span dimensions of early childhood development of children with unique needs were taken to be as dependent variables such as cognition, emotions, growth and immunity, eating habits, health, learning, and social behavior. A self-developed questionnaire was developed to collect data from the respondents. The parents of school age children aged 06-12 years from Faisalabad, Lahore and Gujranwala cities were chosen as the population of the study while sample was comprised of n=268 participants chosen through purposive sampling technique. Descriptive statistics was run to describe the features of data set by generating summaries about the data sample. Inferential statistics was also employed to test research hypotheses to draw conclusions about population. The results indicated a significant positive correlation (r= 0.36, significant at p 0.01) in the perception of parents and special education teachers. It was concluded that nutrition is one of the three major factors that impact child’s development by the perception of parents and special education teachers. Based on the conclusions, the study recommended that parents and special education teachers should reinforce the importance of good nutritional choices in early childhood.