NRS 434 Topic 2 Assignment Developmental Assessment and the School-Aged Child

NRS 434 Topic 2 Assignment Developmental Assessment and the School-Aged Child

NRS 434 Topic 2 Assignment

Parents, educators, and health care providers optimize child development based on the information they have about a particular child. Since child development is multidimensional, the assessment should be broad and examine both typical and special needs as much as possible. A thorough evaluation should provide adequate information for supporting the child in all the deserved ways. This paper describes physical assessments and their modifications based on the needs of an eight-year-old girl while applying Piaget’s theory of development.

Physical assessments to obtain data vary with age. The modes of evaluation are also dynamic since the needs of five-year-old and twelve-year-old children differ profoundly. Also, their cooperation in the assessment is different. Growth charts are a reference point when physically observing a child. A health care provider can compare the details in a growth chart with the child’s visible state and make verifiable inferences. The observation method is also reliable. Here, a health care provider interacts with the child and makes deductions based on the child’s conduct. Standardized tests can also be used, although for children somewhat advanced in age and without special needs.

Since the assessment approaches cannot be effective if used universally, modification is necessary to match the age and developmental stage. For instance, if a health care provider was assessing a child using a standardized test, the best way to engage a five-year-old is to read out the questions and write answers for them. In the case of observations, children can be placed in an environment where they can move around, play, and interact with peers as their behavior and visible health problems get recorded.  Engaging parents and interpreters can also be considered modification since it eases collecting information and ensures that data is not collected and interpreted based on perceptions.

Health and developmental problems are typical in children. According to Moore et al. (2015), children’s developmental issues stem from the environment, access to health resources, and genetics, among other factors. Deborah, an eight-year-old girl, was born normally at thirty-eight weeks. She was not breastfed exclusively since her mother was supposed to travel back to Qatar due to job demands. As a result, the girl was left under the care of a nun as early as four months. Due to some inattention, Deborah was hospitalized for severe malnutrition when she was one-year-old, an issue thought to have contributed a lot to her developmental delays.

The typical development stages at her age include the concrete operational stage (ages 7 to 11) under Piaget’s stage of development. She is also in the industry vs. inferiority stage of Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development. At the concrete operational stage, the social world expands, and children begin to take pride in their accomplishments as they interact with peers (Börnert-Ringleb & Wilbert, 2018). Important events at this stage include attending school, growth in confidence, and a high rate of physical growth and cognition.

Applying Theories

The most fitting theory in this scenario is Piaget’s stages of development. According to Piaget, children develop in four stages that follow each other: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational stages (Raeff, 2020). Deborah fits the concrete operational stage. To developmentally assess the child, the central focus should be their understanding of logic. Children are relatively good at using inductive reasoning in the concrete operational stage (Overton et al., 2015). They can understand reversibility and conservation. A suitable way of assessing whether Deborah has a developmental problem is cutting two candy bars of the same size into different pieces. One can be cut into two pieces and the other into four. The girl should know that both sizes are equal despite different pieces. I would offer explanations during the assessment through illustrations and active engagement. Active listening and engaging the child would help to gain cooperation. Potential findings include the child’s ability to apply inductive reasoning, awareness of external events, and expression of feelings.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the development assessment helps to obtain the necessary data about growth and development. It is a suitable reference of what needs to be done depending on the child’s physical, cognitive, and social-emotional needs. Deborah’s assessment can help identify mental and physical health problems and the interventions necessary depending on the severity of her problems. Active engagement is essential to ensure that the child cooperates to give as much information as possible.

References

Börnert-Ringleb, M., & Wilbert, J. (2018, May). The association of strategy use and concrete-operational thinking in primary school. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 3, p. 38). Frontiers. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2018.00038

Moore, T. G., McDonald, M., Carlon, L., & O’Rourke, K. (2015). Early childhood development and the social determinants of health inequities. Health promotion international, 30(suppl_2), ii102-ii115.

Overton, W. F., Molenaar, P., & Lerner, R. M. (2015). Handbook of child psychology and developmental science: Theory and method, Vol. 1. John Wiley & Sons, Inc..

Raeff, C. (2020). Exploring the complexities of human action. Oxford University Press.

For the middle-aged adult, exercise can reduce the risk of various health problems. Choose two at-risk health issues that regular physical exercise and activity can help prevent and manage. Discuss the prevalence of each of these health problems in society today. Describe measures that you would take as a nurse to assist clients with health promotion measures to incorporate exercise and physical activity into their lives. Include the kind of activities you would recommend, the amount of exercise, and the approach you would use to gain cooperation from the client. Support your response with evidence-based literature.

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Middle- aged adults experience a variety of health concerns, varying from terminal illness to minor problems. Though our health is very important to us, the reality should be addressed with the individual early on in the diagnosis. Two health issues that can be improved with regular activity are hypertension and high cholesterol. According to Falkner, “Proper nutrition and physical activity are essential and lead to positive effects on overall health and help to prevent disease”…“ For instance, if the patient does not have access or financial means to join a gym, the nurse could help them develop a home workout regimen or a walking plan. The nurse should also provide proper nutrition recommendations such as those described on the Unites States Food and Drug Administration (USDA) website” (2018).

Hypertension is a pesky illness that may stay borderline for years, but the body can only tolerate the higher pressures within the blood vessels before it starts to damage vital organs and cause further health issues. The CDC conducted a study which showed “During 2015–2016, the prevalence of hypertension was 29.0% and increased with age: age group 18–39, 7.5%; 40–59, 33.2%; and 60 and over, 63.1%” (CDC, 2017). The fact is, these rates will continue to climb unless action is taken to reverse these illnesses. Increasing physical activity and exercise will allow these individuals to improve heart health, as well as become more aware of other health improvements. Along with changing your lifestyle, you should also encourage the individuals to monitor blood pressure daily, provide better dietary choices low in fats and salts, and also giving the individual the ability to still feel like they have options.

High Cholesterol is another illness that can be modified if lifestyle and dietary changes are made. According to the CDC, “Nearly 94 million U.S. adults age 20 or older have total cholesterol levels higher than 200 mg/dL. Twenty-eight million adults in the United States have total cholesterol levels higher than 240 mg/dL” (CDC, 2017). The goal for optimal cholesterol is anything less than 200 mg/dL. According to Heart, “Eat a heart-healthy diet. Focus on plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Limit saturated fats and trans fats. Monounsaturated fat, found in olive and canola oils, is a healthier option. Avocados, nuts and oily fish are other sources of healthy fat” (2021). They also suggest “Exercise regularly. With your doctor’s OK, work up to at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise five times a week. Don’t smoke. If you smoke, find a way to quit” (Heart, 2021).

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017d). New CDC report: More than 100 million Americans

have diabetes or prediabetes. Retrieved from

My cholesterol guide. American Heart Association. 

topics/cholesterol/cholesterol-tools-and-resources. Accessed March 10, 2021.