Personal factors are influenced by genetic or nature. Children can be affected by a number of factors even before they are born. Their mother may have used drugs, smoked or drunk alcohol during pregnancy. It harms the unborn baby, so the baby being born at a low weight or premature and needs specialised care, lack of oxygen or have trauma during the birth resulting in brain injury. Pure diet, anxiety and illness, such as rubella, can harm the unborn baby too.
A child could have personal factors that affect their development such as health condition, disability, sensory impairment and learning difficulties. A child may use a wheelchair and be physically impaired therefore not reaching all physical development stages, but may be reaching all other development stages. Children may have a sensory impairment like a hearing impairment or ASD. This may prevent them from reaching communication development stages, but using PECs and teaching the child sign language will minimise the development delay. When a child has learning disabilities, talking with parents and other professionals working with the child will support the child to have the best care to reach their own potential.
A child could have a genetic illness, as blood disorder, sickle cell disease, celiac disease or asthma.
So they can miss school for hospital appointments or because they are un well. This could result in their education and friendships with school friends being affected. They may also be too ill to want to be physically involved in activities so feel excluded.
Seeking medical and professional advice is very important, so speech and language therapy, physiotherapy and other professional treatments will help children progressing in the area of development they need.