Physical Assessment

Physical Assessment

     The physical assessments among school-aged children are supposed to be designed in a way that caters for the development of the child fully. The assessment techniques have to match the needs of the children as they grow up. It is important to understand what is expected of the children as per their age in correspondence to their ages. The stages of development for children change as they grow up. The milestones that a child is expected to cross differ every other day. This means that the people who care for children need to take charge of the things that happen in the daily lives of the children. Therefore, when assessing a child who just learned how to speak, the technique must be different from what will be used to assess an older child almost through with grade school. It means that when making physical assessments, the ages of the children will have to be determined and considered as well. 

     A child at the age of ten is likely to be going through a transition period. They are in their pre-teen ages and at the same time in their last childhood ages. The behaviour at this time borders being childlike and being a pre-teen. A girl at this age is likely to experience weight gain, changes in their physical appearance, development of hips and breasts. The physical changes are slow but visible. It is an age that can bring discomfort in some children because of the differences in the appearance of their physical changes. Typically, at the age of ten, the mobility of the children is improved. the children are able to coordinate, balance and manage their agility. When making physical assessments of a ten-year-old, it is expected that they can run without falling over, walk and carry something like a tray of food without dropping it. Generally, at this age, coordination is the major milestone. At this point, they have better control over what they do and as such, can achieve much more they would at a younger age. At the age of ten, a child is likely to be facing challenges getting in touch with the changes taking place in their bodies.  

     According to the theory developed by Erickson, at the age of ten, a child is developing their personality in terms of industry vs inferiority. At this point, a child needs to be encouraged to be the best they can be. Constant scolding and reprimanding is likely to make the children suffer an inferiority complex as they grow up. It is necessary for a child to be encouraged to develop their full potential. This means they should be allowed to develop well by being encouraged and corrected positively rather than being put down for their efforts (Morin, 2019). Therefore, it is important that when assessing a child at this age, one considers the background of the child and the experiences they have been through. At this stage, the ability of the child to grow into a confident individual is determined in their childhood. 

    I would possibly apply different strategies to ensure that I get the right assessment of the child at the age of ten. The most important thing to do is to find out whether they are maturing fast or are still in their childhood stages. Additionally, it would be prudent to know whether they have been encouraged well enough and their growth is making them stronger or weaker. A child at this age is expected to show signs of being in more control of their movement, coordination and understand what they want (Erikson, 2019). In developing their assessment, I would be sure to incorporate the factors that surround the development of children at that age comfortably. 

     Assessment according to Erickson’s development theory is based on the way children hit their growth milestones. The child at the age of ten years is at stage four of development. This is where they are at their industry vs. inferiority level of development. Therefore, assessment at this point would be focused on whether the child is confident in what they do or afraid of failing. I would take note of the child’s reaction to challenges keenly. I would also encourage the child to take on challenges and learn from their failures. In case they succeed, I would have them acknowledge their effort and identify what they felt that they would have done better. Potentially, I would find that the child is brilliant but afraid of failure. As a result, they performed below their expectations. They would, thus, take time to warm up to me for fear of being rebuked for failing. 

     To conclude, the assessment for children between the age of 5 and 12 years is diverse. It entails observing how children grow and develop. Each child is unique and hits their milestones differently. There are children who will grow taller than others of their age. Similarly, there are girls who will have their periods at the age of twelve while others as early age 10. These differences are normal and should be no reason for any child to feel as though they are missing their milestones. The most important factors to consider when developing assessment plans is to know what is expected of children at a certain age. They also get to explain why a child seems to be falling behind in their achievement of milestones. It goes to show that each child should be evaluated individually. The rate at which they achieve their milestones is important but different. Some are quick to hit some milestones like walking while they may be slow to speak while some speak much earlier and walk later. These are disparities that people who develop the assessment systems have to take into consideration. This way, the children in their care will be allowed to attain their full potential comfortably. 

References

Erikson, E. (2019). Erikson’s Stages of Development Chart. Retrieved from Psychology Charts: http://www.psychologycharts.com/erikson-stages-of-development-chart.html

Morin, A. (2019, March 4). 10-Year-Old Child Development Milestones. Retrieved from Very well family: https://www.verywellfamily.com/10-year-old-developmental-milestones-620710