Cerebral Palsy. Cognition and general knowledge
Assignment 1: Project (Research) - Diversity Child Study
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Submission date: |
Thursday 3rd April 2014 |
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Length: |
2,500 words |
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Weighting: |
50% |
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Outcomes |
1, 2, 3, 4 |
Description
An observational study is to be developed for a young child who has diverse abilities and/or comes from a culturally diverse background. A profile of the child is developed from analyses of these observations. The analyses should be made from an informed theoretical stance. The intent of the project presentation is to convey a clear profile of the child, demonstrate that you can integrate a range of information from observations, and critically interpret information from an informed theoretical stance that indicates that you have read widely.
NB: Parental consent must be obtained, and the consent form attached to the assignment.
Process
1. Select a child (3 to 8 years) from your class/centre or personal contacts who has diverse ability and/or background. This can be defined very broadly. The child may have a diagnosed disability, communication differences (e.g. second language); learning difficulties (e.g., attention span); behaviour concerns (e.g., aggressive or impulsive behaviours); emotional concerns (e.g., withdrawal, anxiety); social difficulties (e.g., does not interact well with other children); culturally diverse background; or noticeable gifts or talents.
Caution: Remember teachers do not diagnose. If the child does not have a specific diagnosis, explain why you believe their abilities or circumstances represent diversity. For example, you may hypothesize that specific behaviours suggest a potential condition as a basis for focusing on specific literature or support services. However, be sure you are tentative in making these hypotheses.
2. Ethics of child study: In your written assignment do not identify the child’s family name. The child will be identified only by a given first name, initials, or a pseudonym. Ethical issues relevant to this task relate to confidentiality about the identity of the child and his/her family in the report. Ensure that you meet all professional responsibilities in the way that observations are planned, implemented and reported. Permission should be obtained from a parent and host teacher for the child study (a sample consent form is provided in this document). A child’s willingness to participate must also be considered. Please white out readable family names on consent forms.
3. Gathering information: Up to two hours of total observational time across 2-3 different occasions should be spent gathering information. Also obtain information from the parent or teacher on the nature of the program provided for the child and information on any support services used. Information on family circumstances may or may not be available. Be sensitive to family concerns.
A variety of observational techniques should be used to gather information. These situations can encompass engagement with materials and activities, and interactions by the child with adults, peers and the environment. The information gathered may be analysed in a developmental or curriculum framework, and you should discuss the theory frames you used for analysis.
- There are some ideas presented in this document for taking a holistic view of a child that could supplement observations and analyses.
- In this document and on the CMD, there are also some useful frameworks for considering how a child interacts with materials, adults and peers.
- The analyses and interpretation of the information gathered through observations and interviews should be supported with reference to theoretical concepts presented in lectures and the textbook, and independent research of the literature.
Organisation of the child study
Introduction:
- Name of child (given names only, not family name)
- Date of birth and age
- Nature of diversity/ diversities
- Nature of programs the child attends
- Nature of attendance (e.g., number of days per week; length of sessions)
Section 1: Rationale and Background (about half a page)
Identify the reason for your interest in a focussed study of this child, including a short description of the child’s diversity and developmental history. Provide general background information about the family structure and circumstances, home language, nature of contact with the family and parental involvement; and the use of any support services by the family.
Section 2: Observational Assessment Summary
You are required to overview the child’s competence and any concerns about the child’s development ad learning. Identify examples to illustrate your description. This may include cross-references to observational records, and work samples etc. that are included in Appendices.
Two versions of suggested organisation for this section are below. Select ONE:
A. Developmental Domains with contextual discussion
1. Physical health and motor skills (e.g., physical health and fitness; gross and fine motor skills);
2. Social behaviour and emotional well-being (e.g., social interactions with peers and adults and quality of these relationships; level of engagement and competence in interacting with peers in play or conversation);
3. Language and emergent literacy skills (e.g., expressive and receptive language skills; quality of emergent literacy skills, such as book knowledge, and print awareness; and interest in such activities, including story telling);
4. Cognition and general knowledge (e.g., general memory capacities and general knowledge about the world; areas of interest; creativity and problem-solving skills; science or technology understandings; and early numeracy skills);
5. Approaches to learning (e.g., cooperative and independent participation in the class, including abilities to focus attention in group situations; self-regulate behaviour in group situations and willingness to persistent in completion of tasks);
6. Independence, engagement and self-care skills (e.g., skills for self-care and independence in toileting and dressing; abilities to organise and take responsibility for own belongings; responsible use of classroom materials; response to teachers’ directions and requests).
B. Curriculum Framework with contextual discussion
Use the outcomes from one of the early years curriculum guides (e.g., Early Years Learning Framework, Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline, Australian Curriculum, or curriculum from your own state or country) as an organiser, together with information on the child’s response to their environment.
The headings used in that particular curriculum document will be the headings of your summary. As the Australian Curriculum has only a few areas covered as yet, you may need to use a mix of this and Essential Learnings for Years 1-3.
Conclusion and two goals:
Conclude this section with one or two paragraphs summarising the competencies and the concerns for this child. From the issues identified, specify two key goals that could be addressed in planning to support this child’s learning.
- There should be an evident link between the goals identified and any concerns or priorities that were presented in the Assessment Summary (i.e., it should be clear to the reader why these goals were selected).
Reference List
The reference list should provide a list of the references used, in APA style.
- This is an alphabetical listing that is not numbered.
- It is a single list. Do not separate out Internet sites from book or journal references.
- It is not a bibliography (i.e., only list those references that you cite in your assignment).
- It will be in APA style (see QUT Library Cite-Write)
Appendices
- In Appendices (not a part of the word count), you should present the supporting assessment information i.e. observational data, as well as the signed consent form.
- It is expected that this would contain around 4 to 6 observations, each with its linked data analysis. The suggested minimum expectation is an interview (child, parent, or teacher), a brief form of overview such as an annotated checklist or learning events checklist, an anecdote or learning story or similar detailed observational documentation, and a set of samples such as event samples or work samples
Hi thank you for doing my Assignment for me please note I do an Master Of Teaching Graduate Diploma in Australia (Queensland). I will attach some additional information for this assignment. there are 6 areas of observation please pay attention to the instruction. please use people first language-> eg. a child with down syndrome ....not a down syndrome child. Please use Australian termnologie eg. not handicapped use disabled . by planning goals for the child use your goals not just ready given goals and goals for the child not for the school. there are books who could help :OBSERVING DEVELOPMENT OF THE YOUNG CHILD BY JANICE BEATY AND OBSERVING AND UNDERSTANDING CHILD DEVELOPMENT:A CHILD STUDY MANUAL BY DEB AHOLA AND ABB KOVACIK Assignment 1: Project (Research) - Diversity Child Study Length: 2,500 words Weighting: 50% Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4 Description An observational study is to be developed for a young child who has diverse abilities and/or comes from a culturally diverse background. A profile of the child is developed from analyses of these observations. The analyses should be made from an informed theoretical stance. The intent of the project presentation is to convey a clear profile of the child, demonstrate that you can integrate a range of information from observations, and critically interpret information from an informed theoretical stance that indicates that you have read widely. NB: Parental consent must be obtained, and the consent form attached to the assignment. Process 1. Select a child (3 to 8 years) from your class/centre or personal contacts who has diverse ability and/or background. This can be defined very broadly. The child may have a diagnosed disability, communication differences (e.g. second language); learning difficulties (e.g., attention span); behaviour concerns (e.g., aggressive or impulsive behaviours); emotional concerns (e.g., withdrawal, anxiety); social difficulties (e.g., does not interact well with other children); culturally diverse background; or noticeable gifts or talents. Caution: Remember teachers do not diagnose. If the child does not have a specific diagnosis, explain why you believe their abilities or circumstances represent diversity. For example, you may hypothesize that specific behaviours suggest a potential condition as a basis for focusing on specific literature or support services. However, be sure you are tentative in making these hypotheses. 2. Ethics of child study: In your written assignment do not identify the child’s family name. The child will be identified only by a given first name, initials, or a pseudonym. Ethical issues relevant to this task relate to confidentiality about the identity of the child and his/her family in the report. Ensure that you meet all professional responsibilities in the way that observations are planned, implemented and reported. Permission should be obtained from a parent and host teacher for the child study (a sample consent form is provided in this document). A child’s willingness to participate must also be considered. Please white out readable family names on consent forms. 3. Gathering information: Up to two hours of total observational time across 2-3 different occasions should be spent gathering information. Also obtain information from the parent or teacher on the nature of the program provided for the child and information on any support services used. Information on family circumstances may or may not be available. Be sensitive to family concerns. A variety of observational techniques should be used to gather information. These situations can encompass engagement with materials and activities, and interactions by the child with adults, peers and the environment. The information gathered may be analysed in a developmental or curriculum framework, and you should discuss the theory frames you used for analysis. There are some ideas presented in this document for taking a holistic view of a child that could supplement observations and analyses. In this document and on the CMD, there are also some useful frameworks for considering how a child interacts with materials, adults and peers. The analyses and interpretation of the information gathered through observations and interviews should be supported with reference to theoretical concepts presented in lectures and the textbook, and independent research of the literature. Organisation of the child study Introduction: Name of child (given names only, not family name) Date of birth and age Nature of diversity/ diversities Nature of programs the child attends Nature of attendance (e.g., number of days per week; length of sessions) Section 1: Rationale and Background (about half a page) Identify the reason for your interest in a focussed study of this child, including a short description of the child’s diversity and developmental history. Provide general background information about the family structure and circumstances, home language, nature of contact with the family and parental involvement; and the use of any support services by the family. Section 2: Observational Assessment Summary You are required to overview the child’s competence and any concerns about the child’s development ad learning. Identify examples to illustrate your description. This may include cross-references to observational records, and work samples etc. that are included in Appendices. Two versions of suggested organisation for this section are below. Select ONE: A. Developmental Domains with contextual discussion 1. Physical health and motor skills (e.g., physical health and fitness; gross and fine motor skills); 2. Social behaviour and emotional well-being (e.g., social interactions with peers and adults and quality of these relationships; level of engagement and competence in interacting with peers in play or conversation); 3. Language and emergent literacy skills (e.g., expressive and receptive language skills; quality of emergent literacy skills, such as book knowledge, and print awareness; and interest in such activities, including story telling); 4. Cognition and general knowledge (e.g., general memory capacities and general knowledge about the world; areas of interest; creativity and problem-solving skills; science or technology understandings; and early numeracy skills); 5. Approaches to learning (e.g., cooperative and independent participation in the class, including abilities to focus attention in group situations; self-regulate behaviour in group situations and willingness to persistent in completion of tasks); 6. Independence, engagement and self-care skills (e.g., skills for self-care and independence in toileting and dressing; abilities to organise and take responsibility for own belongings; responsible use of classroom materials; response to teachers’ directions and requests). Please do not use B! B. Curriculum Framework with contextual discussion Use the outcomes from one of the early years curriculum guides (e.g., Early Years Learning Framework, Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline, Australian Curriculum, or curriculum from your own state or country) as an organiser, together with information on the child’s response to their environment. The headings used in that particular curriculum document will be the headings of your summary. As the Australian Curriculum has only a few areas covered as yet, you may need to use a mix of this and Essential Learnings for Years 1-3. Conclusion and two goals: Conclude this section with one or two paragraphs summarising the competencies and the concerns for this child. From the issues identified, specify two key goals that could be addressed in planning to support this child’s learning. There should be an evident link between the goals identified and any concerns or priorities that were presented in the Assessment Summary (i.e., it should be clear to the reader why these goals were selected). Reference List The reference list should provide a list of the references used, in APA style. This is an alphabetical listing that is not numbered. It is a single list. Do not separate out Internet sites from book or journal references. It is not a bibliography (i.e., only list those references that you cite in your assignment). It will be in APA style (see QUT Library Cite-Write) Appendices In Appendices (not a part of the word count), you should present the supporting assessment information i.e. observational data, as well as the signed consent form. It is expected that this would contain around 4 to 6 observations, each with its linked data analysis. The suggested minimum expectation is an interview (child, parent, or teacher), a brief form of overview such as an annotated checklist or learning events checklist, an anecdote or learning story or similar detailed observational documentation, and a set of samples such as event samples or work samples Sample consent form for parents Dear ……………………………… As a part of my study for this semester in the Graduate Diploma of Education (Early Years), I am required to observe a child in various activities and at various times in order to develop a profile of the child’s learning style, interests and abilities. The purposes of this task is to develop my skills in observation and analysis of children’s development and learning, and to demonstrate that I understand principles and practices for effective program planning for individual children. Confidentiality of this information will be maintained. I would like to observe ……………………… for my child development observational project. Thank you for your support. Yours sincerely, Yes—I approve of my child’s participation. Parent(s) signature:
Cerebral Palsy
Name:
Institution:
Observation.
Cerebral Palsy
Date of Observation:24.3.2014 Child's First Name: Tom
Date of Birth:11/3/2009 Age(Years and Month):5.0
Introduction
The Cerebral Palsy condition of the brain is basically an umbrella neurological situation in which case the patient suffers from poor coordination of movement, visual, hearing intellectual impairment, learning and speech. As such, while the condition is mainly related to the motor skills of the child, there are other different ways that the condition can affect the child’s ability in their environment. The impairment at different levels relates to the central aspects of the brain and the muscles control (Kennedy, 2001). Damage to the brain may occur during pregnancy or during the time of birth, other than that, the damage has also been found to occur in the first 3 to 5 years of the child’s life. There is no cure for the condition and much of the efforts that include therapy, treatment equipment and surgery are geared towards making sure that the child is able to live with the condition in a much more bearable manner (Better Health Channel, 2014).
The condition is also not hereditary or contagious meaning that parents have a chance of having a normal child and the affected child once mature can father or mother a normal child. Children that have developed this condition are likely to have issues when trying to relate with other children of their age, meaning that they fall behind in most of the activities. Due to the fact that the condition is caused by brain damage, the effects can vary greatly and the severity as well. In reference to the same, there are three common types of the condition (Scope, 2014). One of the main types is the Ataxic, which relates to the disturbed sense of depth perception and balance. The Athetoid type relates to the condition that leads to the child having uncontrolled involuntary movement. While the Spastic types relates to the joints of the child being very stiff thereby inhibiting movement and increasing the difficulty level of doing the same.
In Australia, every fifteen hours there is a baby that is born with the condition, making it the most common physical disability in the children. While at the world level there are more than 17 million people that are living with the condition, in Australia it is estimated that more than 34,000 are affected.
For teachers and parents, there are a couple of signs that can give away if the child is suffering from the condition. The most common signs include physical deformities, impaired movement, learning difficulties, epilepsy, hearing difficulties, difficulty relating with the other children, visual impairment, inconsistency and sometimes drooling. Depending on the cause and the severity of the damage or the impairment to the brain, these signs will show prominently or mildly (Martin, 2006).
Observation
Tom is five years old and is born of both Mike and Tanya (pseudonyms). He was born on the 11th of March in the year 2009. During the pregnancy, his parents did not at any one time experience any traumatic events and during the birth of the child. Tom is seen to struggle with speech and hearing and most of the time he complains of having difficulty seeing the board and the text on the reading books. Of late, he has also been seen to have difficulty relating with the other children, where he seems to be left behind. In most of the academic and physical exercises, it is noted that he is falling behind all the pupils even though he seems determined than most of the children in the class at any of the exercises. One of the key aspects about Tom is that he attends all his academic classes as well as music and footballs which are his favorite extra-curriculum activities (Eĭdinova, Pravdina-Vinarskaia & Woods, 1963). Every week, Tom attends all his classes from Monday to Friday and then attends music classes that amount to four hours and five hours of football every week.
Section 1
Rationale and Background
The main reason for the study that is focused on Tom other than the rest of the class is that, he seems to have problems coordinating his movement and most of the time he is left behind by the rest of the classmates on various activities inside and outside class. Of importance and noteworthy is that Tom is very obedient and works hard towards achieving what the other children are doing as well as responding to the instructions given by the teacher or other children. In his endeavor to complete the tasks at hand, there is a subtle element of struggle for self control (Care, 2014).
According to his parents, Tom was born a normal child and has been doing fine on his own until three years ago when they noticed that he is having problems controlling his movements. They also noted that he was having some difficulty coordinating his activities, especially where the activities required some ordered events and critical thinking. One of the characteristics that stand out in Tom when with the other children is that there much less facial expressions, except the constant smile and a frown when he is angry. This is not quite common with children his age as they have a myriad of expressions on their faces depending on the kind of feeling that they are experiencing (Australian Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Development Medicine, 2014). While the level of energy in Tom is mild and the pace of his movements moderate, the rest of the children are quite energetic and take faster paces through their regular activities. The fact that Tom is quite slurry in his speech is also worrying. Most of the time in class where other children are instructed to read out loud, he tends to lag a little behind the rests of the children and the same comes out when he is asked to answer a question in class. Communicating with the other children also shows some subtle signs of lag, with most of the children seeming concerned (Hinchcliffe, 2007).
Although he is generally happy most of the time, when he fails to accomplish an activity, he seems withdrawn but this does not take long and he is back to his happy self. He has a few friends and most of them understand his condition and always try to help him especially during play time, given that he tends to fall down severally or take much slower paces. Whenever tension arises in the group, there is a sign of deep withdrawal from Tom and seems to try to keep to himself (Levitt, 2010).
Tom has a more profound relationship with the teacher as most of the time when he is in need; he turns to them (Miller, 2007). More often than not during meals and when attending the rest room, the teacher offers a hand, as Tom had difficulty controlling his movement in these occasions. Other than reading story books, Tom also has a lot of interest in music. Whenever the child is exposed to new content in any of the activities, he seems to have great difficulty understanding and assimilating the new knowledge. However, it is noteworthy that he has always maintained high interest in the learning tasks of any kind despite the fact that he has difficulty (Harri, Cleanhands, Meg & Cecilebizet, 2014). For Tom, most of the activities that have most appeal are those that revolve around reading and music.
Both parents work in the financial sector and have close relations with their other extended family members. This is evident from the fact that they always celebrate most of the national and family events together. Tanya’s parents who live one hour drive away from their home come to visit quite often. Mike’s parents on the other hand live more than two and half hour's drive from their place and thus do not visit quite often other than when there are social events that require the family members from both ends to visit. Other than that, they also find time to visit once in a while. Both Mike’s parents are British and moved to Australia when Mike was three months old. They came to Australia for business, and since then they decided to settle. On the other hand, both Tanya’s parents are born and raised in Australia. All of the Tom’s families use the Australian English as the formal language of communication and thus Tom has not had any form of exposure to the indigenous languages in Australia (Stanton, 2012). From the extended families to the nuclear family, Tom has had great contact with the family members. There is a lot of support coming from all the family members and most importantly his parents. The family has been looking for the best organizations that could provide the best support for their boy. According to the parents, they have accepted the condition that Tom is suffering from and ready to help him with all that they can to make his life as comfortable as possible.
Section 2: Observational Assessment Summary
Developmental Domains with contextual discussion
Observation 1
Child: Tom Date of samples:23/3/2014
Context: School environment
Focus Behaviour: Physical Health and Motor Skills
Time Antecedent (before)Focus behaviorConsequence (after)10:30-10:55Pupils are taking their tea and snacksTom tries to lift his cup from the table and spills on pupil A. Pupil shouts at Tom and calls the teacher.
Tom starts crying.The teacher rushes to the table and assists pupil A to wipe off the tea. Teacher assists Tom to drink up the rest of the tea and snacks.11:01-11:08Pupils are running to the play ground for their play timeTom tries to rush with the rest of the children and trips on his left foot, falling on the floor. Pupil B tries to help him up and manages. Pupil B and C hold Toms hand and leave the hall for the playing ground11:30-11:50Pupils are organizing their football teams.
Tom tries to get involved with one of the teams and pupil D, E and A turn him down. Tom looks upset and slowly leaves the playing ground to sit on one of the side benches.Pupil B approaches and sits besides him. The teacher walks to where Tom and pupil B are...