Importance of Developmental Assessments in Children and Adolescents
Respond to the colleagues by offering additional insights or alternative perspectives on their diagnosis or provide alternate next questions and why you selected those.
Hilda
WEEK 2 DISCUSSION
COLLAPSE
Initial Post
Importance of Developmental Assessments in Children and Adolescents
Developmental assessment is a crucial phase in pediatrics because it addresses various aspects concerning the physical and mental growth and development of a child. Developmental assessment is vital in evaluating any cognitive and intellectual delay in children. Another importance of development assessment is that it helps in diagnosing any disability in children (Sadock, Sadock, & Ruiz, 2015). The developmental evaluation goal is to conduct behavioral health assessments using standardized, developmentally appropriate, research-based instruments to identify children at risk for developing behavioral problems and link them to early intervention services as needed (addictions, 2020).
Two Assessment Instruments Used in Children/Adolescents and Not Adults
1. The Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC): This assessment instrument is used for children ages 4-18. The BASC contains a teacher and parent rating scale and the child’s self-report of personality, permitting a multi-reporter assessment across a variety of domains in home, school, and community. The evaluation provides validity, clinical, and adaptive scales (Sadock, Sadock, & Ruiz, 2015).
2. Devereux Early Childhood Assessment Program (DECA): This assessment instrument is designed to enhance within-child protective factors, while simultaneously decreasing behavioral concerns in young children. It is a strength-based system that identifies and strengthens children’s protective factors and promotes resilience in children ages two to five. The DECA includes an assessment tool that involves a standardized, norm-referenced behavior rating scale. The standard and clinical forms of the DECA focus on protective factors, as well as risks, and thereby provide early childhood professionals with empirically useful tools for assessing the strength of protective factors and the severity of behavioral concerns in preschoolers (addictions, 2020).
Two Treatment Options for Children and Adolescents That May Not Be Used in Treating Adults
One treatment option used in children/adolescents that is not commonly used in adults is the treatment of ADHD with clonidine. Even though clonidine was initially approved for the treatment of HTN, its calming effect has made it a drug of choice for the treatment of ADHD in children (Sinfield, 2020).
Another treatment standard for children and not for adults is – play therapy. Play therapy is used primarily for children because children are not able to process their own emotions or articulate their problems to their parents or therapists. Through play therapy, therapists help the child explore emotions and deal with unresolved trauma. Children can also learn new coping mechanisms and how to redirect inappropriate behaviors (Pietrangelo, 2019).
Parental Role in Assessment and Treatment
Parents are the guardians/POA for their children; therefore, they must be included in the assessment and treatment process of their children from the beginning to the end. Parents provide moral and emotional support to their children. They must actively engage with the therapist to schedule appointments and provide feedback on how the child behaves at home. Parents are the best advocates for their children because they want to see their children succeed.
References
Addictions, O. d. (2020). Screening and assessment. https://mha.ohio.gov/Schools-and-Communities/Educators/Early-Childhood-Mental-Health/Screening-and-Assessment
Pietrangelo, A. (2019). How play therapy treats and benefits children. Health Line – Parenthood. https://www.healthline.com/health/play-therapy
Sadock, B. J., Sadock, V. A., & Ruiz, P. (2015). Synopsis of psychiatry. Wolters Kluwer.
Sinfield, J. (2020). Clonidine as a medication choice for ADHD. Very Well Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/clonidine-for-adhd-symptoms-4125406
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