Lifecycle Development

ASSIGNMENT INTRODUCTION
Read the assignment case study concerning Laura Fraser and then complete each task.

Case Study: Laura Fraser
Laura has been known to Children’s Social Services for several years. Laura is 11 years old. Stephanie, Laura’s mother, died when she was 2 years old. Laura lives with her father, Adrian, and her siblings Gary (age 13) and Suzanne (age 16). Suzanne identifies as a lesbian. This frequently causes arguments as Adrian is not happy about his daughter’s sexual orientation. He tells her she is too young to decide and that she will grow out of it. These arguments distress Laura who often feels left out as Adrian’s attention is frequently focused on Suzanne and Gary.
Gary has been diagnosed as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He is high functioning but is obsessive about his routines and often will not engage in conversations with his siblings. Laura gets on with her siblings, but Gary sometimes ignores her. Suzanne has lots of friends and does not always want to include her younger sister, Laura, who she feels should make more friends of her own age. Laura does not get on with Alice, Adrian’s new partner, who has lived with the family for several years. Alice is white but Adrian is of black African and Caribbean heritage. Stephanie was also white. Stephanie and Adrian used to take the children to the local Baptist church and Adrian continued this until Alice moved in.
Laura regularly refuses to go into school saying she is unwell and tired. She has been known to walk out of school during the day. She also often does not eat and is thin for her age. In general, she does not do her homework and has been performing poorly at school for several years. She struggles to focus for more than a few minutes at a time in class.
Alice has myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and experiences anxiety and depression which results in often being unable to work outside the home. Her mental health means Alice is sometimes withdrawn from the children and Adrian. The couple frequently argue when the children are in bed. These arguments are
often about money. Adrian is telecommunications engineer so regularly works  long hours and/or night shifts.

Select one of the following lifecycle development theories. Either Bowlby’s attachment theory, which Ainsworth’s built upon-they were collaborators, or Erickson’s stages of psychosocial development. Your chosen theory should be discussed and applied to Laura’s situation and development.
• John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth (Attachment Theory)
• Erik Erikson (Psychosocial development)

How does the theory explain what has happened to Laura and the family?
What are the flaws/drawbacks with your chosen theory?
Does the theory consider all aspects of Laura’s development?
Discuss how the theory may or may not help professionals at the Strategic meeting in coming to a decision on the future of Laura and her family.

Conclusion and Recommendations (10 marks)
You are expected to provide a conclusion and make at least one (but no more than four) recommendation(s) within your report for the Strategy meeting.
Your conclusions are the inferences you have drawn or points that you have made in your discussion.
The recommendations are the steps that you think should be taken based on your discussion. Your recommendations should be written in the ‘should’ or ‘should be’ style.

Points to consider
• The structure of the report is followed
• Inclusion of in text citation using the Harvard referencing system
• Attention to spelling, punctuation and grammar
• Comprehensive bibliography/ reference list including the course textbook
is provided