Reference no: EM133196896 , Length: 2 pages.
Discussion Post: Trauma Impact on Development
Understanding a child's behavioral responses after a traumatic event or series of events can be at times elusive and even frustrating. However, a child's developmental stage can play an important role in how they will respond to trauma. For instance, A 4-year-old child's cognitive processing is different from that of a 35-year-old adult. Thus, you must be familiar with developmental stages, specifically those that incorporate cognitive and emotional understanding, when working with survivors of critical incidents.
Multiple aspects of the developmental tasks across the different stages of development can also at times be quite challenging to clearly define the issue(s) at hand. Assessment during the early stages of child development should include an evaluation of whether the child's actions are indicative of the child having experienced trauma or merely representative of being a child.
The adolescent stage can be described as a time where there is a loss of innocence and a preentry into adulthood. A large part of being an adolescent is beginning that process of stepping out into the world and learning about oneself as a unique and autonomous individual. This movement out into the world is contingent upon the knowledge that this young person will have a safe and secure home to return to at the end of the day. If a traumatic loss or event has occurred in the adolescent's life, there may be no safe base to which this individual can return.
Thus, a comprehensive assessment that includes an evaluation of the client's developmental stage is a priority when working with clients who are minors.
For this Discussion, Using one of the cases from this week's module (child cases: Nayati Locklear or Claudia; adolescent cases: Brady or Tiffani Bradley) and read Erikson's developmental theory (Robbins et al 2012).
Discuss how the experiences of the child or adolescent in the case might have impacted their development (brain, emotion, psychological, etc.). Then discuss the connection between his or her traumas experienced and the exhibiting behavior. Provide an assessment of whether the client is mastering the stage of development in Erikson's Theory based on their chronical age. Based on the readings, discuss the mental health symptoms exhibited by the client in the case you selected. What assessment tools would you use with the client based on the resources? Discuss which intervention(s) you might use with them based on the symptoms/diagnoses you identified.