Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence, Case Study Example

Observations

At church T.J. was observed singing in the children’s choir. He appeared well integrated with the other children in his group.  This young chorister has a strong alto; it is distinct in his group. The experience was an excitement for him.

At school T.J. engaged in playing basketball. This 4feet 5year old could not throw the ball as the taller boys, but he insisted in staying in the group and trying to throw the ball like the older boys. Most throws he missed and became very frustrated at not being able to perform excellently at the game. His throw was strong but inaccurate, missing the pole and net simultaneously.

At home,I observed that he likes playing dinner party with his siblings. He would lead them to fix the table to create a dining hall, while he pretends to cook fake food in his toy kitchen. He directs them to put dishes on the table and yells “family dinner! Let’s eat out.”

Interviews

My interviews were well received by the entire family. They asked many questions pertaining to psychological needs of T.J. Since he is only five his mother was incorporated into the exercise in validating his responses. My interaction remained formal throughout the visits. However, attempts of being culturally compatible with the family during were essential. This facilitated the data collection process.  After the interview was completed they were thanked for cooperating and giving me the opportunity to complete my assignment.

Experiments and Activities

1. Throwing the ball

Purpose: To test physical wellness and motor activity coordination.

Procedure: T.J. threw an average sized rubber ball to me. I deliberately missed it and let him feel that I couldn’t catch. I then threw the same ball to him.

Response: When I dropped the ball T.J. laughed as if he was enjoying my incompetence. I laughed too when I threw the ball to him and he held it and ran to me for validation. I gave him a hug. He seemed content and happy.

2. Sharing Items

Purpose: To assess T.J’s skills in relationship building.

Procedure: I took T.J and two of his brothers in the back yard on their property. One large McDonald’s meal was given to them and I sat them down to the picnic table with the meal, a gallon of coke, two cups, plates, spoons and some ice.

Response: T.J. was reluctant to eat but his brothers, grabbed the chicken nuggets. He watched them eat. After about 15 minutes he took a glass filled it with some ice and poured some soda into it. T.J then asked his brothers for some. They took time to answer so he grabbed a piece of chicken and began eating. He then asked me if I wanted a piece. The boys seemed to enjoy the meal.

3. Clearing Clutter

Purpose: Evaluating T.J’s organizing abilities

Procedure :T.J. was taken to a room where all the furniture was in place for decorative purposes. We sat during the interview enjoying the beauty of the interview. About half an hour we stepped outside the room, upon return the room was cluttered with shoes, clothes and handbags.

Response:  T.J. seemed alarmed at the disorder, after looking around for a few minutes he said “we need to clean up”and   began reaching for some of the items to the corner of the room.

Introduction

T.J is a five year old African American male child and the fifth of six children.  They are three boys and three girls. The oldest child is a girl who is 14 years old. Ages of the other siblings are 12 and 10 for the girls. The two remaining boys are 13 and 9 years old. T.J and hisfamily appeared well groomed and in great health his parents live in a three bedroom building in an urban community. The family is extended because T.J’s maternal grandmother lives   in the same household. As such, there are his father, mother and other five siblings living in this three bedroom buildings, a total of 9 persons building, three adults and six children.

T.J’s family attends a Pentecostal church in the area. At church T.J has many friends. Hisschool is located on the church property because it is a private charter administered by the church. The grades range from K -12 grades. T.J’s siblings attend the same school. This child’s family is considered a low income. His parents receive food stamps assistance. Mr. J works at a department store and Mrs. J is a part-time laundry attendant. Grandmother is retired and receives social security check monthly. From the family’s limited income they can afford two cars to facilitate transportation in taking the children to and from school as well as work during the week. The community where this family lives is not accessible to public transportation.

Analysis

Physical development

T.J is approximately, 3feet 4 inches tall and weighs 40 pounds. He appears very slender, but tall for his age. Between ages 0- 5 physical developments occur rapidly. This child is quite alert and articulate. Obviously, the physical brain development is responsible for this aspect of the behavioral changes. It was quite clear that no abnormality regarding the brain could be perceived. T.J’s head was proportionate to his body. No abnormalities were seen in the chest region, neither limb.

He explained how basketball was his favorite sport and many times on the school grounds he would join would join the olderboys including his siblings and competewith them. His psychomotor skills were well developed. On one occasion he was allowed to throw a ball to me. Even though it slipped out of my hand initially when my turn to throw came he held on to the ball tightly.

T.J’s face is oval as his siblings and the facial organs are in alignment with each other according to the normal physical specifications.  For example in Downs syndrome there is slanting of the eyes in proportion to the ears. T.J‘s physical appearance is normal and he is an attractive child with a distinct nose bridge, full eyes, white teeth and luscious smile. His mother reported that he eats well three meals a day.

However, he is very low on eating meat. When asked what his favorite foods were T.J said that broccoli was the best vegetable. While many children do not like vegetables and gravitate to fried chicken T.J drinks milk regularly, eats liberal amounts of cheese and limited portions of starches. He claims that getting fat was no this goal. In the mornings he would eat an egg his mother explained two slices of bread, waffles, hash brown or pancakes.

He also likes fruits and could eat them all day. His favorite fruit is straw berry. T.J also watches the portion of food he eats. Without instructing him about these eating habits he has just developed a sense of how to eat just the amount to satisfy the appetite. As such, his mother explained T.J has no overeating problems. I observed him eating lunch one day. Just like she said, his plate was deliberately packed. T.J eats until he was satisfied and left the rest of food on the plate including the strawberries, which he loves so much.

This athletic young man engages in exercises. He and his brothers attend take karate classes and he is performing excellently according to the instructors. They are grooming him foracompetition with students his age and level across the country. Besides, he likes games that would allow him to run and jump. They include such as basket and volleyball. Often he was seen sprinting across the hallway in the house or when allowed to play outside on the lawn running across from his parents.

T.J’s mother explained that he has a regular sleeping pattern. During the school term they retire earlier than when there is no school. By eight o’clock at nights he goes to sleep and gets up about six in the morning for school. Summer brings changes since T, J does not attend school. He is allowed to stay up until 10 o’clock during week day and 9 pm o Saturdays. In preparation for church on Sundays T.J goes to bed at the time he does during school term.

Language development

At five years -old T.J is expected to understand approximately 13,000 words. From interacting with this child he could be perceived as being talkative. There is no doubt that he knows the required amount of words for his age and more. He used these words in complete sentences. For example, he would say, ‘where is my truck and ball?’ ‘The food is nice because mummy cooked it.’ When this is over he word argue and reason with his words. This is practiced by repeating them over and over again asking the same questions to know if the listener realizes that he could use more words.

Because and why were often used during conversation. For example, in our conversation if I say ‘we are going to go outside a bit’ he would interject with why or because until; I give the answer he wants to hear. According toSchaffer &Kipp (2013). This is very essential to language development. A five year old ought to make complete sentences using at least 5 to 8 words(Schaffer &Kipp, 2013).

T.J when asked where he lives the correct address is given. He knows his school phone number as well as his mother and father’s. These are language significant land marks T.J. They indicate that T.J’s language development is normal. At school he reads and the classroom education at age would ensure that he is fluent in his first language. English is T.J’s first language. However his school also teaches Spanish. Even though he cannot make complete sentences in that language he tries to imitate the teachers accent and repeat the sound of Spanish words he hears at school

Other major language development tasks T.J was able to accomplish included; understanding the way books are read books are read, left to right and top to bottom. Three words they are taught to differentiate at this stage of development. They are same, more and less. A simple exercise we conducted together entailed matching colors on two different surfaces, a book cover and wall paper. He told me that they were the same colors. We assembled 12 pillars and 6 were removedand the twelve reappeared. T.J. could have recognized that one set of pillars was more and the other less

Analysts have proposed that besides the language skills T. J was demonstrating he was also expected to use correct plurals, singulars, pronouns and tenseness while speaking. My observation was that in some case he did mix the tenses up. He would say, ‘I went there today.’ Today is now and he could not differentiate between the went and today. My explanation was that perhaps since his learning Spanish this resolution was difficult to interpret. Besides experts expect a child his age to be fluent in his her first tongue recognize name and opposites. They are also expected to make substitutions when speaking to indicate synonyms (Schaffer &Kipp, 2013).

Social development

Theoretically, children T.J. age experience what experts call psychosocial development instead of merely social development. According to Erikson (1993) stages of development at age five T.J would have recognized glimpses of his purpose as he enters the initiative versus inferiority phase of his life. Also, family would matter most to him at this stage while he explores tools. It was interesting to see how T. J integrates with his siblings. However, the initiative versus inferiority always surfaces during their play time. T.J likes splaying with balls. When a throw is made and he misses, it would seem that this is the worst thing could happen to him. He would yell even try getting into a fight with his siblings and friends. However when he catches the ball thereis immediate jubilation. Despite his disappointments, he continues to play with his siblings until he is ready for a different game. T.J. loves to share his toys with his siblings also, he shares but he also lets his playmates know that the object they are playing with belongs to him saying “mine” countlessly   to enforce possession. When talking and interacting with other children T.J. sometimes embraces them in a friendly manner, at other times he would play the bully. He is fond of his little brother and would try to lift him up; they always play and laughto him ether.

T.J. seems to be a people person, at school his mother says he has as many friends as those he made at church. Often during his play I observe him using the telephone to carry on a factitious conversation. T.J. would be speaking to someone as if it were his girlfriend, saying “love you” and then bursting out in laughter. When I seem like the imaginary person responds he would then asks “will you marry me” then fall to his knees. During my interview, he never seems to be by himself. Anytime he finds himself alone he would grab one of his siblings close. In the event that he can’t find anyone, he burst into tears and throws a tantrum. When someone appears into his sight he hits them. After getting over his frustration he then hugs them asking where they were.

On one occasion, he was observed playing a birthday party with his siblings, he role played with them; the birthday guest. When he became the host serving them food, the remarkable feature that I noticed was he didn’t ask for any gifts. That aspect of his social development shows Erikson’s development stage of intuition versus inferiority. To me the birthday guest role is linked to intuitiveness sharing of the food is associated with inferiority. T.J. sometimes gets a little jealous when his mother pays too much attention to his little brother. When she has to change his diaper, T.J. will say “mommy I have to pee” trying to deter her attention from his brother. If she does not respond he tries to pull her away from his brother to get the needed attention. He even tries to play the role of “mommy” to his teddy bear, he puts a diaper on it, he dresses it and he even feeds it with one of his old bottles. T.J. is very attentive to what goes on around him and he always wants to be the center of attention, as do all children his age do.

References

Schaffer. D., &Kipp, K. (2013). Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence (9th edition). Centage