Developmental Concepts and Processes in a Family Case Study

Essay Instructions:

Developmental Concepts and Processes in a Family Case Study This Family Case Study will be a multi-part Assessment in which each part of the Assessment will be related to each family member. You will closely examine environmental and genetic influences on an infant in the family; examine childrearing styles and their impact on attachment for a 3-year-old; explore adolescent development of an adolescent from a previous marriage; and, finally, aspects of adulthood and individuation as it relates to the parents of the family. The following case study depicts the circumstances surrounding the Gonzalez family: Jane, 35, and Roberto, 31, are married and have three children. Their first child, Julie, is 3 years old and is in preschool. Alex, Jane’s son from a previous relationship, is 14 years old and is a freshman in high school. Their third child, Sam, is an infant. Ruby, Jane’s mother, has come to stay with the family to provide support to Jane and Roberto during the transition around Sam’s birth. Jane works in the city as a medical transcriptionist but is in the midst of her 12 weeks of family leave that was effective immediately upon Sam’s birth. She has a 45-minute commute to her work each day. Roberto just began a job at a local recycling facility 2 weeks ago. Sam was born 6 weeks premature by Cesarean delivery. His Apgar score at 1 minute was 5; after receiving oxygen, his Apgar score at 5 minutes was 8. Apart from the first few minutes after birth, Sam has not required oxygen or respiratory assistance. Because of his prematurity, Sam stayed in the hospital for 72 hours before he was discharged. Jane drank occasionally throughout the pregnancy but reported drinking most heavily during the last trimester of her pregnancy, which was about the time Roberto got laid off from his job. There is suspicion, although not confirmed, that Sam has fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), a group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. Sam is a fussy eater, requiring short and frequent feedings. He has been home for 4 weeks and wakes up hungry every 2 hours. He does not sleep through the night. Three-year-old Julie is in the midst of her first year of preschool in a Head Start program. This is her first experience with formal education. At home, Julie’s parents tend to have very high standards for her and expect strict obedience. Julie has been acting out at home occasionally since her brother Sam has been born. Julie’s teachers have reported that she has been struggling to get along with her peers and to focus on her work at school. At home, Roberto is a very strict disciplinarian. Julie, at times, appears fearful of her father and does not find comfort in his presence. Alex is in the midst of his freshman year of high school. Physically, Alex went through puberty early compared to his peers. He has a girlfriend at school whom he is involved with sexually, and he is well liked among his peers. Alex excels at several sports, and plays on both the baseball and the basketball teams at high school. Alex is not motivated to do well in school, however, and does not believe homework is important. Roberto and Jane have been married for 8 years and live in a rural area. They do not have a strong network of friends and family who live nearby but Jane’s mother has moved in with them temporarily to support them as they adjust to their new baby. Roberto and Jane’s mother get along very well. Jane is debating whether she should reduce her family leave and go back to work earlier than she planned so they can begin making money again to contribute to the household bills Complete the following parts to generate a single paper: Part I: Infant Development (2–3 pages) Based on the Family Case study, write 2–3 pages for your Part I portion of your paper, and include the following: Explain the environmental factors presented in the case study, as well as others that may be present but not specifically identified in the case study, that might affect Sam’s development. With the environmental factors you explained, further explain what you think the best-case scenario and the worst-case scenario might be for Sam’s short-term developmental outcomes in childhood, and explain why. Be specific, provide examples, and justify your response with citations from the Resources in your Learning Activities or from your search from the literature and/or the Walden Library. Part II: Child-Rearing Styles and Implications for Attachment (1–2 pages) Analyze the development of Jane and Roberto’s 3-year-old Julie, and write 1–2 pages for your Part II portion of your paper. Include the following: Identify three (3) factors in Julie’s family that currently have implications for her development. Analyze Roberto’s parenting style and the implications of that parenting style on Julie’s attachment style. Describe ways that Julie’s teachers can specifically support her in school given her current family dynamics at home. Be specific, provide examples, and justify your response with citations from the Resources in your Learning Activities or from your search from the literature and/or the Walden Library. Part III: Adolescence (2–3 pages) Analyze the development of Alex, the 14-year-old high school freshman in this family. Write 2–3 pages addressing the following topics: Analyze three (3) ways in which Alex’s physical changes impact his social relationships including both romantic and peer relationships. Pay special attention to the impact of timing of Alex’s puberty on development. Explain three (3) factors that explain Alex’s current level of academic motivation. More generally, explain the implications of academic motivation for academic success, as well as other aspects of development. Be specific, provide examples, and justify your response with citations from the Resources in your Learning Activities or from your search from the literature and/or the Walden Library. Part IV: Middle Adulthood (2–3 pages) Based on what you have been presented, regarding this family case study, select Jane or Roberto for this part (Part IV) of your paper. Once you select the adult for this part, select one aspect of adulthood (e.g., identity development, vocational development, marital relationships, or parenting) as it relates to who you selected. Write 2–3 pages for your Part IV of your paper and complete the following: Describe an aspect of adulthood you selected within the developmental framework of middle adulthood. How does physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development each play into this aspect of adulthood? Explain individuation in terms of that aspect. Include an explanation of three (3) challenges that might influence individuation in this area for the adult you selected. Be specific, provide examples, and justify your response with citations from the Resources in your Learning Activities or from your search from the literature and/or the Walden Library.

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Developmental Concepts and Processes in a Family Case Study Student’s Name Institution of Affiliation Course Date Developmental Concepts and Processes in a Family Case Study The paper aims to identify the developmental concepts and processes within the context of the Gonzalez family to cover the life span from infancy to middle adulthood. Therefore, analyzing the influence of the environment and genes on the youngest family member, the effect of child-rearing paradigms on a preschooler's attachment, the issues that a teenager from a previous relationship may experience in adolescence, and the developmental tasks of adulthood for the parents of this family, the present paper will attempt to reveal the dynamics of this specific family case. The Gonzalez family consists of Jane, 35, and Roberto, 31, who are married with three children: Julie, three years old; Alex, 14 years old, a son from Jane's previous relationship; and Sam, an infant. Jane's mother, Ruby, stays with the family during Sam's early months to help with Sam's development. The case study looks at the developmental issues and the achievements of each family member. The paper is structured into four parts: Infant development, child-rearing, adolescence and middle adulthood is dealt with, focusing on Jane and her vocational development and individuation. Part I: Infant Development Environmental Factors Affecting Sam's Development The following are some of the environmental factors that influence Sam's development. Firstly, Sam, was born six weeks premature, and this is a critical factor that makes him vulnerable to developmental issues. Evaluating the effects of premature birth, it is crucial to indicate that it might lead to severe developmental problems that impact cognition, physical, and emotional progress (Pinto et al., 2019). Another important element which is under question is, the potential Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) caused by alcohol which Jane took during the later part of her pregnancy. FASDs result in various disorders that are life-long, such as disabilities in learning, behavior disorders, and structural abnormalities (Popova et al., 2023). Jane's alcohol consumption, especially during the third trimester, contributes to the risks that Sam has to go through. Family relations also influence Sam's development. Jane's job stress is due to her work placement and situation, and Roberto's recent job change may impact the household's emotional climate. While Ruby, who is Jane's mother, can help manage the home and cater to Sam, her presence might also complicate the management of the home and the care that Sam receives during his formative months. The issue, however, is that all these factors may be a great deal of challenge to Sam's growth and may affect his health in one way or another. Best-Case and Worst-Case Scenarios for Sam's Development Even though Sam is a preterm baby and might have FASDs, if he is taken care of properly and attends the early intervention programs, he can have the best developmental progress. If the care given to Sam was consistent and responsive, he could develop cognitively well and achieve developmental milestones similar to those of other children in his age bracket. Any form of delay, cognitive or physical that he might be having would need some form of therapy to minimize early troubles. Additionally, a stress-free family with Jane and Roberto, could give him an affectionate home environment, and could be helpful in his overall health and social and emotional development. On the other hand, the adverse outcome is the negligence of adequate healthcare and early childhood development, which results in developmental disabilities in premature babies (Chinoy et al., 2019). In that case, the child is prone to have severe learning disabilities as well as severe deficits in social development. He may have a motor developmental delay in mental disorders, and attachment issues if caregivers are not able to attend to all his needs as a result of stress or inadequate resources. In this case, the family situation can aggravate the developmental issues if the family environment remains stressful or Jane and Roberto cannot provide proper care. Part II: Child-Rearing Styles and Implications for Attachment Factors Influencing Julie's Development The family environment is among the major influences that affect Julie's development process. First, there are signs of rivalry as Julie has a young brother, Sam. Some of the behaviors that Julie may demonstrate at home, like acting out, may be attributed to changes that the new family environment has caused. Second, her father, Roberto, has an authoritative parenting style as he only cares for her obedience, and strict discipline determines her emotional well-being. This could make Julie feel some level of anxiety or fear, especially whenever she is with her father, whose personality seems authoritarian. Lastly, the preschool experience of her is another factor. Julie is in the first grade through the Head Start program, and socially and academically, she is experiencing some learning problems. All these combine to form a complex development matrix that could impact Julie most in terms of affective and socio-developmental development. Analysis of Roberto’s Parenting Style and Its Imp...

Updated on November 14, 2024

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