ABSTRACT
To assist the reader's understanding it may be useful at this point to introduce and explain some terminology associated with development. Development is a lifelong process of change that is the product of the interplay between genetic inheritance and the environment. Children inherit certain characteristics from their parents which they carry with them through life. The environment determines how they use these characteristics in interaction with other people and in various situations. Development is usually categorised into physical, intellectual, linguistic, emotional and social (and remembered through the unfortunate mnemonic of PILES!). Maturation is the genetically programmed sequence of change towards a mature state. Learning is a change in behaviour due to experience.