EDFD127 = Ecological Map. Juliette Kay McLean S00073734

Characteristics of my avatar! 3 years old Male Brown hair. Blue eyes. Glasses. Lives with mother = single parent, doesn’t know father = young mother (aged 24) Has Autism No siblings Buddhist. Goes to Respire Care = 3 days a week = mother looks after him the rest of the time Daniel Grandparents help support Daniel and help mother with finance

Statistics Vs Characteristics of Daniel. Statistics using Australian Data Child with Autism. Single mother. According to David W. Austin and Kerrie Shandley (2008), authors of “An Investigation of Porphyrinuria in Australian Children with Autism” journal, 1 in 160 children in Australia are affected by Autism. Autism is more common in males. Parenting Research Centre inform us that “one in five families in Australia with children under the age of 15 is headed by a single parent. But 87% of these families are headed by single mothers”.

Young mother. Children who practices Buddhism. According to Labour Market Statistics, January 2009, Single working parents data 9% of Australian society have children between 20 and 24 years old. Since 1960s Buddhism is one of the most fastest growing Religions in Australia.

Bronfenbrenner Ecological System Theory. Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005) developed the Ecological System Theory. The Ecological System Theory views the development of a child through “a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the surrounding environment”. (Berk, 2008) The Ecological System consist of five systems: MICROSYSTEM EXOSYSTEM MACROSYSTEM CHRONOSYSTEM MESOSYSTEM

The Microsystem. The microsystem is the closest system to the child. It consists of direct contact, activities and interaction in the child’s immediate surroundings. Relationships in this system will impact in two directions – towards the child and away from the child.

DANIEL Microsystem Tiger Buddhist Lives in an apartment in Bondi No siblings Respire Care Centre (3 days a week) DANIEL 3 year old Male Tiger (Pet = Dog) Autism spectrum disorder Daniel’s Mother (Single parent) Daniel’s Grandparents (Mother’s parents)

The Mesosystem. The mesosystem is the second level of Bronfenbrenner’s model. This level provides the connection between the structures of the child’s microsystem.

Mesosystem (Carer from Respire) Jason Ella (Carer from Respire) The suburb of Bondi MICROSYSTEM Respire Care Centre (3 days a week) Lives in an apartment in Bondi

The Exosystem. The exosystem consists of social environments that do not contain children but that can also affects children’s experiences in the microsystem and the mesosystem. This includes “parents’ workplace, services available in the community, etc.” (www.surestart.gov.uk/_doc/P0000286.rtf)

Exosystem Buddhist Religion Mother works in a clothing shop in Bondi Junction Beach MESOSYSTEM Daniel’s neighbourhood (Units, beach, small shops, Doctor’s surgery.) MICROSYSTEM Daniel’s Grandparents (Mother’s parents) Daniel’s favourite ice cream shop near the beach.

The Macrosystem. The macrosystem consist of: Cultural values. Laws Customs Resources Interactions at inner levels of the environment. This system also includes “political, religious and educational values, health practices, standards for behaviour and appearance and roles according to age, sex and ethnicity.” (White, F., Hayes, B. & Livesey, D. (2005)pp. 1 - 29)

Macrosystem Religious belief in reincarnation and karma Mix cultural backgrounds in Bondi Believes in Buddha Doctor Wang MESOSYSTEM Bondi Police Library MESOSYSTEM Bondi beach (Life savers) MICROSYSTEM DADHC The culture around the Bondi area is very relaxed and carefree. Cascade Care ( Rose) Nanny agencies available to help.

The Chronosystem. In the Ecological System Theory there are heaps of changes. According to Bronfenbrenner, “the environment is not a static force that affects children in a uniform way, instead it is forever changing.” Changes in this system can be: Important life events – birth of a sibling, the beginning of school, a move to a new neighbourhood, or parents’ divorce. Modify existing relationship between the child and their environments. Producing new conditions that affect development. The timing of environmental change affects its impact.

Reference List. Berk, L. (2008). Infants and children (rev. 6th ed.) United States of America: Pearson Education, Inc. White, F., Hayes, B. & Livesey, D. (2005). Developmental psychology: from infancy to adulthood (pp. 1 – 29). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia/Prentice Hall. Austin, D. & Shandley, K. (2008). An Investigation of Porphyrinuria In Australian Children with Autism. Retrieved March 16, 2009, from Swinburne Web site: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/lss/sabri/documents/AustinShandley2008.pdf Big Stock Photo. (2008). Picture of an adorable Toddler Boy with Glasses. Retrieve March 15, 2009, from Google Web site: http://images.google.com.au/images?gbv=2&hl=en&q=cartoon+boy+with+glasses&sa=N&start=72&ndsp=18 Oxford Diocesan. (2009). Picture of Children. Retrieved March 15, 2009, from Google Web site: http://images.google.com.au/images?hl=en&um=1&q=children&btnG=Search+Images Parenting Research Centre . (2008). The single Mothers Information Project. Retrieved March 16, 2009, from Parenting Research Centre Web site: http://www.parentingrc.org.au/staging/files/06062008100620SingleMothersBP.pdf Public Broadcasting Service. (2008). Basics of Buddhism. Retrieved March 16, 2009, from the PBS Web site: http://www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm