The needs of the pediatric patient differ depending on age, as do the stages of development and the expected assessment findings for each stage. In a 500-750-word paper, examine the needs of a school-aged child between the ages of 5 and 12 years old and discuss the following:

1. Compare the physical assessments among school-aged children. Describe how you would modify assessment techniques to match the age and developmental stage of the child.
2. Choose a child between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. Identify the age of the child and describe the typical developmental stages of children that age.
3. Applying developmental theory based on Erickson, Piaget, or Kohlberg, explain how you would developmentally assess the child. Include how you would offer explanations during the assessment, strategies you would use to gain cooperation, and potential findings from the assessment.

Solution:

Child Developmental Assessment

The physical assessment of a child is the process of collecting essential data on their growth and development, including language, cognitive, physical, social emotion, and learning. Data collection among school-aged children mainly focuses on getting a record of growth in all the areas (Aylward, 2020). Concerning physical assessment, school-aged children mostly have smooth and strong motor skills with varied coordination, balance, physical abilities, and balance. They also have varied motor skills which affect the ability of the child to dress appropriately, write neatly, and perform certain chores e.g. doing dishes. The children also have varied weight, height, and build across the age range. During the assessment, nurses must be aware of the child’s genetic background, exercise, and nutrition as these significantly affect their growth (Youngstrom & Van Meter, 2016). At age 6, the children start to have a sense of body image and thus should get at least an hour of physical activity every day to prevent heart disease and obesity. The school-aged children, as they grow, they may start developing secondary characteristics. These include breast development and pubic and underarm hair growth for girls and growth of penis and testicles, and chest, underarm, and pubic (Aylward, 2020).

Different assessment techniques are used in different age groups. For instance, in assessing a child aged 5 and below, the assessment techniques I would consider using are observation and interviewing the parents/ primary caregivers about the child’s behavior. Children aged 6 and above are expected to have some level of comprehension in that they can explain how….Click link below to purchase full tutorial at $10