Stages of development are useful in monitoring and measuring the growth of a child. The process is critical in highlighting the needs required at each stage. The physical assessment constitutes a vital criterion of measuring growth rate and behavioral change among children in different age groups. Essentially, the behavior of a growing child is critical in determining suitable developmental procedures for improvement. This discussion aims at evaluating the best technique useful for children aged seven years.
The age group is associated with early learning hence spend most of the time with parents or teachers. As would be realized, physical assessments among school-aged children differ significantly depending on the developmental age in question (Arsalidou & Pascual-Leone, 2016). The criteria adopted for a twelve-year-old would require more observation than palpation guided by developmental needs. In this case, a seven-year-old child would require an integrated assessment approach that implements both observational and palpation techniques. The modified approach of conducting a physical assessment on a seven-year-old would help gather accurate and relevant data on growth or developmental phases.
Developmental stages of children aged seven are common and vital for measuring growth or behavioral change. Typically, a child of seven years has an informed sense of time, indicating awareness of activities done at that stage. For instance, these children know that periods of break-time and noon are scheduled for light snacks or fruits and lunchtime meals, respectively. Moreover, children in this age category are talkative in environments perceived as comfortable (Kuntoro, Peterson & Slaughter, 2017). The attribute explains why classes with students at this age tend to be noisier than upper classes. Most children aged seven, additionally, are sensitive to feelings hence cautious of their actions or utterances. Emotional growth is critical in understanding behavioral change indicating a developmental stage. Intellectually, children in this category have adequate knowledge and skills to hold a pencil and write their names (Flanagan & McDonough, 2018). However, these children encounter reading and writing challenges as they develop through the learning process.
Developmental theories are useful in understanding developmental stages among children of school-going age. I would adopt an integrated approach of developmental theories to gain cooperation during the developmental assessment of a child. Erik Erikson is attributed to modeling emotional development as a vital stage of growth. Children developing emotionally are sensitive about feelings of peer and react differently to negative emotions. For instance, an embarrassing phenomenon involving a child might result in a long sorrowful moment accompanied by tears (Arsalidou & Pascual-Leone, 2016). Jean Piaget highlights growth using the theory of cognitive development. Ideally, this framework establishes growth stages by measuring the decision-making efficiency among identified children. Students in this category, for instance, use sticks to calculate simple arithmetic problems that require accurate decision-making. The theory of moral development, advanced by Lawrence Kohlberg, is also relevant in measuring the developmental stages of children aged seven to twelve years. Children are expected to make the right decisions guided by parents or guardians (Singh, Squires, Yeh, Heo, & Bian, 2016). The process of making such decisions is guided by moral principles described in the developmental theory.
Child abuse is common among children of school-age years, as evidenced in modern societies. Children of this age category suffer from sexual and physical abuse by senior and close individuals. Victims of child abuse depict different behaviors which signal warning signs to medical practitioners. For instance, a child’s self-esteem deteriorates because they are frequently beaten brutally for simple and rectifiable mistakes. Such children’s physical and emotional assessment should indicate a radical change of conduct to a silent character of solitude. However, there are cultural variations that can misinform cases of child abuse. If an attribute is determined and influenced by cultural belief, an accurate assessment of abuse can be difficult to obtain. In essence, the reporting mechanism of child abuse cases should be objective in assuring victims of privacy and security for relevant data.
References
Arsalidou, M., & Pascual-Leone, J. (2016). Constructivist developmental theory is needed in developmental neuroscience. npj Science of Learning, 1(1), 16016.
Flanagan, D. P., & McDonough, E. M. (Eds.). (2018). Contemporary intellectual assessment: Theories, tests, and issues (2nd ed.). Guilford Publications.
Kuntoro, I. A., Peterson, C. C., & Slaughter, V. (2017). Culture, parenting, and children’s theory of mind development in Indonesia. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 48(9), 1389–1409.
Singh, A., Squires, J., Yeh, C. J., Heo, K. H., & Bian, H. (2016). Validity and reliability of the developmental assessment screening scale. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 5(1), 124–128.