Socioeconomic status and environment are major factors in the lives of child development. It is fair to say that there are many other factors that shape child development and children lives as well. So how do we know which factors adhere to specific roles? Research, is an effective way of doing such. There is one positive example of the effects of research that I can think of pertaining to this weeks topic. A few years ago, there was a little boy whose mother came to me with concern that her child may have ADHD. She explained that the boy was hyper, very talkative, has hard time following directions, couldn't it still and several other concerns. Now, in the classroom, he a in deed talkative but he was not a concern behavior wise.
The mother of this child got to a point where she was considering asking for the boys pediatrician for medication to control the little boys behavior. The mother, although a sweet woman, had a lot going on in her life and household and I felt that a busy child was too much for her to deal with, so medication seems to be an easy fix to this problem. I, in the most professional way, suggested that she take her child to see a behavioral specialist to allow them to observe and determine rather or not her child is dealing with ADHD. A few months later, the mother came to me with a big smile and great news. She informed me that she did take her child to see a behavioral specialist, and after good research and observation it was determined that her son does not have ADHD, but is highly intelligent and gets easily bored, which is why he does not focus on one thing too long and insists on conversing with everyone as much as possible. The behavioral specialist gave her tips on how to keep the little boy busy, and ho to challenge his mind in a way that he would not be so bored. The mother felt bad that she was ready to diagnose her child and request education, but was so excited to know that her child is intelligent.
I was so glad to hear this news. I glad that the proper research had been executed in order to benefit this child and families life.
Martissa,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful example of how research benefits children and families. It is amazing to see how taking the time for observation, data collection, and analyses, can prevent life-changing decisions while also providing important information about the children and families we serve. Early childhood is, in my opinion, one of the most important fields for professionals to consider the research and studies that have been conducted. There has never been one set of instructions for how to parent, to teach, to care for a child, yet with research, headway can be made to ensure each child has the best opportunity. Thank you for sharing!
Emily