PSY FPX 6015 Assessment 2 Early Childhood Case Intervention Analysis of Emma

PSY FPX 6015 Assessment 2 Early Childhood Case Intervention Analysis of Emma

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Capella University

PSY FPX 6015 Lifespan Development

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Date

Early Childhood Case Intervention Analysis of Emma

Emma is a five-year-old girl who enjoys playing with baby dolls, watching cartoons, and pretending to cook. She was born to an average American mother, Mary, and a second-generation Mexican father, Carlos. Mary and Carlos are now divorced, as Mary left the family when Emma was two years old. After giving birth to Emma, Mary experienced postpartum depression and did not receive adequate care. Eventually, she reached a breaking point and felt unable to continue as a mother to Emma and her older brother, Clay, leaving home permanently. Emma has a 10-year-old brother named Clay, whom she adores and relies on heavily. Clay assists Emma with everything and often does not allow her to complete tasks independently, leading to Emma’s growing dependence on him.

Carlos works long hours at a local wood mill to support his family as a single father. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has added financial stress to their situation. Due to cultural beliefs and concerns for their health, Carlos has kept Clay and Emma at home for nearly two years to protect them from the virus, which has hindered their social skills and contributed to language delays. He also chose not to enroll Emma in preschool when she was three years old due to fears of illness. As Emma began learning to tie her shoes and perform other tasks, Carlos noticed that she was progressing much more slowly than Clay, leading him to question whether something was wrong. At around four years old, Emma was diagnosed with mild autism, but Carlos’s insurance did not cover all the early intervention programs she required. The lack of appropriate care, combined with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, has significantly impacted Emma’s social skills and her ability to follow directions.

PSY FPX 6015 Assessment 2 Early Childhood Case Intervention Analysis of Emma

Now in her third week of kindergarten, Emma is struggling to keep pace with her classmates. Due to her diagnosis of mild autism, she exhibits developmental delays and signs of cognitive impairment. Although Emma can speak, she often chooses not to, partly due to her limited English vocabulary. She is unable to count to ten, recite the alphabet, write her name, and can only follow one-step directions. Emma’s teacher has discussed her learning difficulties and behavioral issues with Carlos, noting that Emma’s refusal to participate in classroom activities disrupts the entire class. When the teacher attempts to correct Emma’s behavior, she becomes easily frustrated and may lash out at her teacher and other students.

Unfortunately, due to staffing shortages following the COVID pandemic, there is no special education teacher available to support Emma, and her behavioral challenges are overwhelming for her teacher, who is also managing other students. Emma’s teacher has suggested that she may not be ready for kindergarten and needs further evaluation and intervention. The teacher and principal recommend that Carlos apply for assistance to obtain a psychological assessment and intervention plan to help improve Emma’s behavioral and cognitive skills. This paper will utilize Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model of development and Vygotsky’s cognitive development theory to explore the influences that have shaped Emma’s learning abilities and to identify interventions that can assist her in the classroom.

Present Challenges and Primary Issues

Throughout life, various influences shape an individual. Urie Bronfenbrenner (1977) developed a theory that encompasses multiple dimensions affecting an individual, where the impact on one system can influence another. The systems include the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. In Emma’s case, we will focus on the microsystem and mesosystem, particularly in light of her mother’s absence and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The microsystem consists of the immediate interactions an individual experiences in their environment (Bronfenbrenner, 1977). According to Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory, Emma has primarily existed within her microsystem, spending most of her time at home with her brother and father, where she receives supportive and nurturing care. Emma had limited opportunities to form mesosystem connections until she began kindergarten three weeks ago. Although her time in kindergarten has expanded her mesosystem interactions, the transition has been challenging for Emma as she adjusts to her teachers and classmates. The absence of her mother has hindered her ability to establish positive relationships with other female figures, affecting her sense of security in the outside world (Bronfenbrenner, 1986a). The language barrier and cultural differences between Emma’s home life (microsystem) and her new kindergarten environment extend to her macrosystem, influencing her cognitive development challenges. Emma’s cognitive growth appears to be impacted by her social circumstances and cultural differences.

Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development emphasizes the role of social influences on cognitive growth, which is particularly relevant in Emma’s situation. Vygotsky posits that children have a zone of proximal development, where they can grasp concepts with assistance from others. Since Carlos did not enroll Emma in preschool and has limited time to support her learning, she has lacked the guidance needed to acquire school-based knowledge. Therefore, Emma’s teachers should focus on promoting collaborative participation and reducing choices to enhance her independent learning and speech development.

Vygotsky’s Theory and Emma’s Language Development

Vygotsky posits that language develops through social interactions and engagement with others, which Emma has significantly missed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and her lack of preschool attendance. Vygotsky outlines three stages of speech development: external speech, egocentric speech, and inner speech. Children typically use external speech until around the age of three, speaking to be heard and to elicit responses that help them make sense of their environment (Everson, 1993). Vygotsky describes egocentric speech as a child’s way of adapting to reality, often manifesting as self-talk, particularly during preschool years (Vygotsky, 1989). Emma’s teachers have observed that she talks to herself more than she interacts with her peers, which may be attributed to her language barrier or her developmental stage as described by Vygotsky. Engaging in play with her peers could enhance Emma’s ability to speak and acquire new vocabulary.

Families play a crucial role as the first and most influential educators in a child’s life (Niklas, Cohrssen, & Collette, 2016). Although Carlos is striving to support his family and learn English, he does not spend sufficient time engaging in play activities, reading, or problem-solving with Emma. This limits her exposure to new learning opportunities and hinders her literacy and numeracy development (Niklas, Cohrssen, & Collette, 2016). Children can learn to read and write letters and numbers independently in both home and formal educational settings (Niklas, Segerer, Schmiedeler, & Schneider, 2012). Unfortunately, children exposed to multiple languages often find it more challenging to develop these skills, which may explain Emma’s difficulties with reading, counting, and reciting the alphabet (Niklas et al., 2012). It is essential for Emma to have family members or tutors who can engage her in home activities that expose her to new learning experiences and cognitive development.

Intervention

The first intervention to support Emma in the classroom is to increase her playtime and reading activities with her father or brother at home. Reading together will enhance her English language development and may also assist her father in learning. As Emma begins to understand, describe, and engage in her home environment, she will expand her pathways to literacy and numeracy (Niklas, Cohrssen, & Tayler, 2016). It is recommended that Carlos utilize five key prompts to engage Emma during reading sessions. These prompts include having Emma fill in blanks at the end of sentences, asking questions about the book to encourage her to retell the story, posing open-ended questions, inquiring about what, why, where, and when, and linking images and vocabulary to Emma’s personal experiences (Cohrssen, Niklas, & Tayler, 2015). Additionally, Emma could enroll in a reading program through her school or local library. Reading at home or with a tutor can strengthen their relationship and foster literacy development.

The second intervention involves encouraging Carlos and Emma’s teachers to facilitate her play with peers, both at home and in the classroom. Interacting with other children will provide Emma with new dialogue and vocabulary, enhancing her understanding of English. Research has shown that early childhood programs significantly impact children’s education and can have lasting effects for generations (Nagle & Usry, 2016). Therefore, the local public health office offers parent-and-me play sessions for Hispanic families facing communication challenges, which would be an excellent opportunity for Emma to engage with other children and their parents.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Emma is a five-year-old girl diagnosed with mild autism after her father recognized that she was not meeting developmental milestones like her brother did at her age. Following her mother’s departure when Emma was two, her Mexican father, Carlos, has taken on the role of primary caregiver for both Emma and her brother. Due to language barriers and long working hours, Carlos has limited interaction with Emma, particularly in terms of reading and imaginative play. During Emma’s third week of kindergarten, her teacher informed Carlos that Emma was significantly behind and required early interventions. Carlos is encouraged to read books at home or visit the local library to enhance Emma’s literacy and understanding of English. It is crucial for Emma to engage with her classmates and teachers to learn new dialects and vocabulary. With the right resources and dedicated efforts from her father and teachers, improvements in Emma’s development can be expected as she progresses through kindergarten.

References

Broderick, P. C., & Blewitt, P. (2019). The Life Span (5th ed.). Pearson Education (US). https://capella.vitalsource.com/books/9780135206157

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1986a). Ecology of the family as a context for human development: Research perspectives. Developmental Psychology, 22(6), 723–742. https://doi-org.library.capella.edu/10.1037/0012-1649.22.6.723

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1986b). Recent advances in research on the ecology of human development. In R. K. Silbereisen, K. Eyferth, & G. Rudinger (Eds.), Development as action in context (pp. 287–309). Berlin, Germany: Springer. https://doi-org.library.capella.edu/10.1007/978-3-662-02475-1_15

Cohrssen, C., Niklas, F., & Tayler, C. (2015). “Is That What We Do? Using a Conversation Analytic Approach to Highlight the Contribution of Dialogic Reading Strategies to Educator-Child Interactions During Storybook Reading in Two Early Childhood Settings.” Journal of Early Childhood Literacy. Advanced online publication.

PSY FPX 6015 Assessment 2 Early Childhood Case Intervention Analysis of Emma

Nagle, G. A., & Usry, L. R. (2016). Using public health strategies to shape early childhood policy. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 86(2), 171–178.

Niklas, F., Cohrssen, C., & Tayler, C. (2016). Parents supporting learning: A non-intensive intervention supporting literacy and numeracy in the home learning environment. International Journal of Early Years Education, 24(2), 121-142. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2016.1155147

Niklas, F., Segerer, R., Schmiedeler, S., & Schneider, W. (2012). Is There a ‘Matthew Effect’ in the Competencies Development of Young Children with or without a Migration Background? Frühe Bildung, 1(1), 26–33. https://doi.org/10.1026/2191-9186/a000022

Vygotsky, L. S. (1989). Thought and language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Appendix

Emma is a five-year-old girl who has recently begun kindergarten following the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. She is the daughter of Carlos and Mary Rhodes, who are now divorced. Carlos’s first language is Spanish, and his limited proficiency in English creates a communication barrier with Mary. Emma was diagnosed with mild autism, which contributed to her mother abandoning her when she was two years old. Mary Rhodes experienced postpartum depression, which prevented her from providing adequate mental and physical care for Emma, resulting in Emma never forming a secure attachment with her mother.

Emma has a 10-year-old brother, Clay, with whom she shares a strong bond and feels comfortable. Clay understands Emma’s needs and assists her daily; however, he often does everything for her, which has hindered her ability to develop independence. The family faced significant financial difficulties when jobs were shut down due to the pandemic, adding stress to Carlos as he tried to provide for his children and secure autism services for Emma.

PSY FPX 6015 Assessment 2 Early Childhood Case Intervention Analysis of Emma

Emma struggles with social skills and has difficulty being around strangers and in large crowds. Due to her mild autism diagnosis, she exhibits developmental delays and cognitive challenges. Although Emma can speak, she often chooses not to. She is unable to count to ten, recite the alphabet, write her name, and can only follow one-step directions. Emma’s teacher has discussed her learning disabilities and behavioral issues with Carlos, noting that her refusal to participate in classroom activities disrupts the entire class. When the teacher attempts to correct Emma’s behavior, she becomes easily frustrated and may lash out at her teacher and classmates.

Unfortunately, following the COVID pandemic, there is no special education teacher available to support Emma, and her behavioral challenges are overwhelming for her teacher, who is also managing other students. Emma’s teacher has suggested that she may not be ready for kindergarten and requires further evaluation and intervention. Being bilingual, Emma struggles to communicate effectively in English, as her father primarily speaks Spanish. Despite her intelligence for her age and disability, her lack of social skills and interactions has impeded her ability to engage proactively in a classroom setting.