Accomplishments And Diversity At Different Age Levels - Research Paper Example

Accomplishments And Diversity At Different Age Levels In the hope of understanding the physical, social and emotional development of a child with ADHD, this researcher decided to interview a parent of child with special needs. At the time of writing, the child has received initial assessment from a psychologist in 2011. Initial working assessment is that the child has Global Developmental Delay with hyperactivity and inattention. No additional tests were conducted to confirm initial diagnosis because the mother refused. This is reiterated by the mother during the interview because she believed that the child could still “unlearn it” (see answer to Q4 in Appendix). In order to compare the development of A (name of child) to that of other kids his age, the researcher used various resources (Gesell Institute of Human Development, 2010; T. M McDevitt & Ormrod, 2007; Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, 2010). Based on the report of the mother, it looks like A is growing normally. For one, he was able to read and write very early, at four (4) years old, and he is able to perform well in school (see answer to Q5 in appendix). Moreover, A’s memory at a young age was really very sharp as he was able to recall songs from school without trouble. Assessing the Physical Development of the Child At six (6) years old, A is expected to perform more complex physical movements. Unfortunately, such physical performance cannot be immediately discerned from the interview, but a description of the child’s play shows that he prefers less active activities such as construction games (see Q7 of Appendix). A more careful reading of the transcript shows that mother believes that the child is pretty healthy for his age. Also, mother reported that child does not get sick beyond the usual cough and colds (see response to Q8 in appendix) and this is normal for 6-year olds. In the development indicators published by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (2010) shows that cough and colds are common illnesses due to the child’s exposure in school. It is not a debilitating disease that signals developmental delays, but rather, a normal occurrence in active children. Assessing the Cognitive Development of the Child Responses to various questions in the interview (see Q5 and Q7 of Appendix) showed that intellectually, A was not lagging. For example, mother said that “He learned to read and write at 4 years old…He learned to count, and sing songs from memory” (see Q5 of Appendix) which was actually advanced for a child his age (T. M McDevitt & Ormrod, 2007). Meanwhile, A’s ability to create elaborate designs during construction play is a sign of a very active intellectual life. His imagination and creativity are utilized real-time, allowing him to create something unusual for a child his age. Putting blocks, stones and cloth together to create structure requires fine motor skills (to put one block on top of the other, etc.), and an sophisticated capability to analyze (to determine how to use the stones and cloth so that they do not fall. All these illustrate that A is truly a brilliant child and that his inner life may be richer than what he is able to communicate. Assessing the Social and Emotional Development of the Child Of all the aspects of child development, the social and emotional development of A is the most problematic. At an early age, he knew how to use threats to get adults to give him what he wants. He is also pretty insensitive when kids his age knows how to conform to some rules (such as sitting down during dinners, or behaving oneself in formal affairs). Moreover, mother reports that child still throws tantrums when he is unable to get what he wants. In various parts of the interview, the researcher noted that the child’s development may be normal, but he might be really spoiled, hence leading to issues in his social and emotional development. It is possible that the child was not able to develop an inner “police” because he is used to getting his way all the time. Or it could also be a symptom of an oppositional disorder. Regardless of whether or not the child has a real developmental issue, it is important to have him thoroughly assessed as the initial diagnosis made by the psychologist in 2011 may be invalid. Moreover, the assessment results did not show what test was used on the child so the results are inconclusive. It is possible that the child acted differently when he was with the psychologist so the results may also be inaccurate. Helping Families Care for Children With Special Needs In the course of this interview, the researcher sensed various conflicts in the mother. Somehow, the mother was still in denial as to the behavioral issue of the child. But then again, like the mother said, how can a child who plays 3 hours straight have ADHD? There are a number of families who may have the same question. The researcher believes that most people are unaware of child development issues and that their understanding of developmental problems is limited. Because of this many cases remain undiagnosed until there is no way to reverse the problem. Several myths about developmental delays in children exist. For example, a child with ADHD may have come from a neglectful family. A family with an autistic child has “bad” blood. But such beliefs are typically not backed by research, but they are very much widespread. Many families are stigmatized because of such erroneous beliefs and it makes it even more difficult for parents to accept their children’s condition. Without this acceptance, parents make it even more difficult for their children to adapt as they force them into regular schools, and their expectations of school outcome are often unrealistic. Hence, it is important for parents whose children have special needs to create or be part of an organization that supports their (personal and children’s) needs. Such organizations share a wealth of information and experiences which empowers parents who have to take care of children with developmental and learning deficiencies. Works Cited Gesell Institute of Human Development. (2010). Your Six-Year-Old. Education.Com. Retrieved April 19, 2013, from http://www.education.com/reference/article/your-six-year-old/ T. M McDevitt, & Ormrod, J. E. (2007). Developmental Trends: Accomplishments and Diversity at Different Age Levels. Child Development and Education (pp. 24–25). Merill. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/developmental-accomplishments-age/ Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. (2010). Child Development Guide: 6-7 Years. Education.Com. Retrieved April 20, 2013, from http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Child_Guide_Six/ Appendix INTERVIEW SCHEDULE AND RESPONSES Interviewee name: --- confidential, as requested by interviewee ---- Sex: Female Age: 6 years 7 months Good morning! I am going to ask you questions now about your child so we can create his development profile. We want to know the cognitive,social, physical, and emotional milestones (explain by example) achieved by your child. I would also like to know your experiences in caring for your child with special needs. I will also be asking about your life in general, and about your experiences with services for your special needs child. We'll also talk about employment and child care regarding your special needs child, as well as how having a child with special needs affects your family, and how it affects you as a parent/caregiver. Q1: Please tell us something about you and your family. A: I am 30 years old. I work at home as a flash game artist. My husband works as a web developer. We have two kids, A, 6 years old and AS, 5 months old. As of initial assessment with my child, our therapist’s impression is that A has Global Developmental Delay with hyperactivity and inattention. Assessment was first done in 2011, I have not returned to have my son formally diagnosed. ***Name of children kept confidential Q2: Can you please tell us more about A? What prompted you to have him assessed? A: My son has always been hyperactive. He has always been difficult to deal with, but I thought it was only because he was spoiled by his grandparents. In 2011, I brought my child to a party. It was a festival in his old school. I noticed that he did not want to share his toys with other kids – when someone dared approach him, he threw a toy at them. It was wooden toy and he should’ve realized that someone could get seriously hurt by his actions, but he didn’t. He never bothered to look up, he just went on with his play as if he was in a different world. He played for 3 hours straight using the same toys! When it was time to go home, he threw a tantrum, and I could no longer control him. So I had my husband carry him to the car. He kept shouting on our way home. He wasn’t violent, but his words struck me the most – “If you don’t bring me back there I will throw a bomb in your room! You will get bloody all over you! I will kill you!” I was afraid of my own child. That night, I decided I had to bring him to a psychologist. I had to get him assessed for my sanity. Q3: How was your child assessed? Can you tell us the results of that assessment? A: We had to go back to the psychologist for various sessions. At first, they setup an interview with me, and then with my child. I also had to fill up a form which was mainly about our family structure and the circumstances of his birth. He played alone with the psychologist. Then there was another session when A played with other children. I cannot say exactly what happed in those sessions, but I got the following result afterward. I will put send you a copy of it as an attachment. I had a psychologist read the results for me, and she said, “A possibly has ADHD”. Q4: How did you feel about it? A: I was in denial for many months. How can my son have ADHD when he can play for hours without getting bored? I wanted to seek a second opinion, but I was afraid of getting a confirmation. I did not send my child to therapy. Instead, I sent him to a school which accepted special children. He studied along with “normal” kids because I felt that my son was still very young and could learn to become “normal”. I told myself, “He was not crazy, he is just hyperactive, he could still unlearn it”. Q5: Please tell us what happened after. A: Well, he learned to read and write at 4 years old. I was very proud. He was a brilliant student. He learned to count, and sing songs from memory. I thought he was “cured”. But one day, his teacher called me to the office and told me that they could no longer accept A in the next school year. As it turned out, my son has become disruptive in class – he threw tantrums, crying for hours. He pushed his classmates for no reason at all. He talks loudly and too much. Sometimes, the teacher said, A does not know that he is speaking so loud, and would often argue with classmates insisting that his voice is “not loud”. When I asked the teacher what triggered A’s tantrums, he said, “anything – when he does not get what he wants, when a classmate asks him to be quiet, when he does not want to do something, anything”. I took him out of that school and had him enter a school utilizing a specialized pedagogy. They assessed him for school readiness. Results show that A is very ready for grade 1, physically and intellectually, but he might need therapy to balance his emotions and hyperactivity. It looks like my son is a genius, but his personal-social skills are underdeveloped. Q6: And did you notice the same thing at home? A: Yes. It is a bit depressing for me and my husband because he cries a lot for no reason at all. Sometimes, he creates stories and lies. For example, he could be on one end of the room and I, on the other, and he will blame me if he falls down. He would say that I pushed him, that’s why he fell. Other times, he would whine (for hours!) because I “pinched” him, but I only touched his shoulder to get his attention. Q7: Can you tell us about his play? Can he focus? What sort of toys does he like best? My son loves to play with his blocks, stones and cloth. He makes the best houses made from these materials, his designs are really excellent. I mean, I can’t remember if I could make such elaborate designs when I was a kid. In terms of focus, yes, I’d say he can. He can play for hours on his own. Perhaps because of his new school, he has learned to play with other kids. And he is so much easier to manage. Q8: What other changes have you noticed with him? What can you say about his physical and social development? A: Well, in terms of play, I’d say he is more pleasant now. But, he is still very difficult to manage because there is no talking to him when he has his mind bent on something. He throws tantrums, especially when he is with his grandparents. When he is with me, he is easier to manage, but he sometimes he acts up to see if he can get his way. Physically, he is a healthy child. He gets sick sometimes, but only with the usual cough and colds. There was just one time (I think that was in January) when he was diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease so we had to quarantine him for 2 weeks. He had primary complex when he was 5, but he’s cured now. These are the only instances I can think of when he got really sick. I still have trouble bringing him to parties because he can’t behave. He still talks loudly (which is really embarrassing) and I can’t get him to sit still. In fact, I can’t get him to sit at all. He typically runs around the room, even when other kids are just sitting down. If I ask him to stop, he either cries, or shouts at me. My child has a very strong personality and he can affect other kids very easily. He is very friendly, too. I bring him with me during picnics when its okay to be noisy, but never in functions. Q9: Do you care for the child by yourself, or do you have a support system in place? Please tell us your situation at home. A: My aunt serves as our house help. She takes care of the baby when I am working. She is also assigned in bringing A to and from school. My husband leaves the house early in the morning, and comes home late at night, so we can only spend time with him during weekends when he has no work. My in-laws live in the same neighborhood so I have a support system somehow. My only problem is that they have very little knowledge about my son’s condition and we typically get into conflict in dealing with my son’s issues. I am not a member of any organizations of parents with children with special needs so I have no idea how other people deal with their own issues. Q10: What quality/qualities do you think are necessary for a mom of a special needs child. Which ones do you think it brings out in parents of special needs children? A: In my case, conscious parenting has helped me in dealing with my child’s issues. Before I do anything – shop for toys, buy groceries, eat out – I think about how it can help my child. I made changes in our lifestyle. At home, we have limited the use of media. We do not have video games. My kid’s toys are all made of natural materials. Such choices came about when my son moved to his new school. I attended various parenting workshops which are sponsored by the school to further understand my son’s case and to discover new ways of how I can help him. I tried to learn music and art therapy so I can help balance his hyperactive behavior with quiet and focusing activities. I’ve also changed our diet. We eat more vegetables, less processed foods. I also limit the intake of sugar and other food that can trigger hyperactivity. I redesigned my home so that it is less stimulating to the senses. My son’s room must always be in order because I noticed that he is able to focus better if everything is kept. It has been a difficult journey for me, but it was also an enriching experience. I decided to work from home to pay more attention to my child’s development, and I am happy, despite the challenges. It also helps that my husband is very supportive of my decisions, and like me, he also exerts effort to understand my son’s situation, despite his limited time. Q11: What advice would you give to other moms of special needs kids? A: To tell you the truth, I can’t say if I’m the right person to give an advice. I’ve had my highs and lows because of this deal with A. I’ve learned to accept his situation, but I still have a long way to go before I can finally learn how to deal with him. If there’s one thing that helped me overcome this situation, it is my love for my son. Sure he made me angry all too often, sure his behavior has led me to question my own capabilities, but he has also made me a better person. My son is a brilliant human being. I get a sense that his intelligence is so much more advance, hence, it is misunderstood by society. I think that in order to deal with a special child, you have to learn to become a part of their world, and that is not an easy task. But when you finally learn to be one with your child, then you develop new senses you never thought were there before. Read More