Human Needs and Development

To grow and thrive, all humans must feel safe and protected and have their basic needs for shelter, food, clothing, medical care, etc. provided for. In addition to having their basic or ‘security’ needs met, we also need to tend to our ‘growth’ needs – the need to explore their environment for the sheer pleasure of it and the need to feel a deep sense of connection and love with others.¹

All optimal foundations for growth and resiliency, including secure attachments, brain development, emotional intelligence and self-regulation occur within relationships, from the beginning of our lives through to the end. Human connections and the surrounding environment profoundly influence the quality and structure of every aspect of a child’s development throughout their lives.

“…the ecological model starts from the position that the growth and development of children can be understood only in relation to the nature of their interactions with the various environments which impinge on them and with which they are constantly interacting.’²

The theory of psychosocial development³ is a way of understanding how a person’s individual needs are intertwined with the needs and demands of the people around us. According to this thinking, we as human beings pass through several developmental stages throughout our lives, guided by the growth of our brains and bodies. The skills, strengths, and traits we develop at each stage, through our experiences and our thoughts, develop and build on each other and each help us to become confident and healthy people.

¹ Maslow/Kaufman
² Mongan and Hart 1989
³ Erik Erikson

Human Development

The framework for Hamish & Milo comes from a range of theoretical contexts which hold the quality of relationship at the core of support work and togetherness with peers as a social group. Hamish & Milo is based on attachment aware theory and the importance of early social and emotional development, as well as understanding the emotional stress that many children with SEMH needs experience and the impact on the developing child.