PSY FPX 6015 Assessment 1 Early Development Case Intervention Analysis

PSY FPX 6015 Assessment 1 Early Development Case Intervention Analysis

Student Name

Capella University

PSY FPX 6015 Lifespan Development

Prof. Name:

Date

Abstract

This analysis focuses on the early development of an 18-month-old boy. Many parents may not realize how their actions and treatment of their child can significantly impact the child’s development and potentially lead to developmental issues. The emotional, social, and physical development of young children can profoundly affect their overall growth and their future as adults. The first five years of a child’s life are crucial for their social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development. Various environmental and social factors can influence developmental outcomes. A lack of attention, connection, and affection from parents or caregivers can negatively affect an infant’s development, as they are constantly observing their environment. This analysis will explore how these factors impact development and provide information on interventions that can support the infant’s future growth.

Early Development Case Study: Tommy

Tommy is an 18-month-old boy living in Colorado with his Mexican immigrant parents. They have no immediate family nearby, as all their extended family resides in Mexico. This isolation means Tommy is primarily exposed only to his parents, and he spends most of his time at home with his mother, Marie. Marie describes Tommy as generally a happy child but notes that he becomes easily frustrated, often throws temper tantrums, and can be aggressive at times.

Marie has grown increasingly concerned about Tommy’s temper tantrums and his tendency to throw toys. She is unsure what has caused these outbursts to worsen. Despite her attempts to engage with Tommy, her efforts do not seem to be sufficient. Her interaction with Tommy is limited, as she is frequently distracted due to her husband’s habit of leaving home after arguments. Marie finds Tommy’s temper tantrums overwhelming, especially as she struggles with stress, depression, and financial difficulties. She lacks support from her husband, who is often absent, and she is uncertain of his whereabouts.

Attachment theory, as proposed by Bowlby, revolutionizes our understanding of the mother-infant bond, the relationship, and the impact of disruption through deprivation and separation (Fitton, 2012). This theory helps explain Tommy’s behavioral patterns. There are specific interventions that can be employed to address and manage behaviors like his.

Present Challenges and Primary Issues

Bowlby’s attachment theory posits that children are biologically programmed to form attachments, which are crucial for their survival. When they lack attention, they seek alternative ways to obtain it. Bowlby believed that attachment is an integrative process, where infants internalize their caregiving experiences and use them for self-soothing and emotional regulation. If infants do not receive consistent safety or accessibility from a caregiver, they may develop insecure attachment patterns (Risi et al., 2021). During the first year of life, infants undergo significant physical, social, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive changes while forming relationships with their primary caregiver (Mohammadzade Naghashan et al., 2021).

Bandura’s social learning theory identifies parents as the most critical role models in their child’s development, serving as the primary agents of emotional socialization from birth through adolescence. Emotional development involves how negative emotions are expressed, and emotional regulation is crucial for developing and maintaining healthy relationships. Parent emotion socialization influences a child’s emotional competence, including the ability to express negative emotions constructively (McNeil & Zeman, 2021).

PSY FPX 6015 Assessment 1 Early Development Case Intervention Analysis

Tommy often expresses his need for attention by becoming angry and throwing objects. He engages in negative behaviors to attract his mother’s attention. However, when Marie does engage with him, Tommy appears unsure of her intentions and continues to express himself negatively, showing signs of agitation. He seems uncertain about the affection Marie offers, as she often appears emotionally distant. Tommy seems to crave attention but does not seem to find comfort in his mother’s presence. These behaviors align with an anxious/ambivalent attachment style. Infants with this attachment style tend to express anger, sadness, and fearfulness toward their caregivers (Braungart-Rieker, 2020). A strong relationship between an infant and caregiver is essential for healthy development. Early and ongoing developmental relationships contribute to an infant’s capacity to regulate emotions, behavior, and cognition (Osher et al., 2020).

The quality of early care and emotional interactions that infants receive directly influences brain development and the organization of early attachment relationships, which are known to establish resilience or risk for mental disorders (Newman et al., 2016). The emotional care and regulation provided by caregivers play a significant role in shaping the infant’s brain. Infants who receive poor care are more likely to develop developmental challenges.

Marie struggles with depression, which hampers her ability to care for Tommy effectively. The mental health of a parent can have significant implications for understanding attachment issues that their child may face (Risi et al., 2021). Nearly 50% of low-income women with infants experience depression, which can lead to difficulties in responding to their child and challenges in parenting. The absence of a co-parent in the household can cause distress that the infant may sense. Tommy is exposed to his mother’s negative emotions, thoughts, and behaviors associated with her depression. This exposure can result in negative parenting behaviors and an inability to provide adequate care (Goodman & Garber, 2017).

Individual and Cultural Differences

Tommy and his family live in low-income housing and do not have family nearby to provide support. Tommy exhibits signs of anxious-ambivalent attachment toward his parents. The frequent arguments between Jose and Marie, and Jose’s habit of leaving for extended periods, leave Marie alone and emotionally distressed. Tommy may perceive his family as neglectful, which could explain his temper tantrums, throwing, and hitting behaviors as attempts to gain attention. This attachment style is often associated with misattuned adults and inconsistent parenting, indicating an insecure attachment. According to Attachment Theory, the early emotional bonds formed between a child and their primary caregiver are critical in shaping various attachment styles. These emotional attachments form an internal working model that influences the child’s emotions and relationships throughout life.

Interventions

Tommy, unfortunately, relies primarily on his mother, as his father is often absent. Including Jose in any treatment plans can help the family heal as a unit. Jose’s absence is traumatic for Tommy and places additional strain on Marie, who must care for him alone. Attachment-based interventions aim to improve caregiver sensitivity, increasing the likelihood that children will develop secure attachments with their caregivers. These interventions help parents become more attuned to their child’s needs, reducing the risk of attachment insecurity.

The Attachment-Based Video-Feedback Intervention Strategy (AVI) targets parental sensitivity and attachment. AVI programs are designed for vulnerable parents and children between the ages of 0 and 5 (Tarabulsy et al., 2018). AVI uses personal video feedback of live parent-child interactions, allowing parents to observe their interactions and receive suggestions for deeper connection.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps individuals recognize connections between situations, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, offering alternative explanations for stressful events (Goodman & Garber, 2017). CBT can be used to identify distressed thoughts and understand the potential harm they may cause. Techniques such as cognitive restructuring, thought journaling, and mindfulness meditation can be employed to reveal the links between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Infant-Parent Psychotherapy (IPP) is a relationship-based treatment designed to improve the parent-infant relationship. IPP is used to intervene early in the infant’s life, adapting Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) to restore normal developmental functioning. This form of psychotherapy is particularly beneficial for mothers suffering from depression. IPP addresses life events contributing to relationship issues and fosters healthy parent-infant relationships.

Conclusion

Tommy’s case study highlights two key issues: his anxious-ambivalent attachment style with both his mother and father, and the impact of his father’s frequent absences due to parental conflict, leaving his depressed and emotionally detached mother as the primary caregiver. Infant-Parent Psychotherapy is the most appropriate intervention, as it aims to strengthen the relationship between Tommy and his parents, restoring his sense of safety and attachment while enhancing his cognitive, behavioral, and social functioning.

References

Braungart-Rieker, J. M., Planalp, E. M., Ekas, N. V., Lickenbrock, D. M., & Zentall, S. R. (2020). Toddler affect with mothers and fathers: the importance of infant attachment. Attachment & Human Development, 22(6), 668-686. https://doi.org/110.1080/14616734.2019.1681012

Fitton, V. (2012). Attachment Theory: History, Research, and Practice. Psychoanalytic Social Work, 19(1/2), 121-143. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228878.2012.666491

Goodman, S. H., & Garber, J. (2017). Evidence-Based Interventions for Depressed Mothers and Their Young Children. Child Development, 88(2), 368-377. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12732

McNeil, D., & Zeman, J. (2021). Adolescents’ Reluctance to Express Emotions: Relations to Parent Emotion Socialization. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 30(1), 107-120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01861-8

Miller, P. H., Aloise, Y. P. A., & Aloise-Young, P. A. (2018). Revisiting Young Children’s Understanding of the Psychological Causes of Behavior. Child Development, 89(5), 1441-1461. https://doi.org/10.1111.cdev.12891

Mohammadzade Naghashan, N., Mazaheri, M. A., Gustafsson, E., Sadeghi, F. V., & Zabihzadeh, A. (2021). Attachment and joint attention in infants: The role of expectation. Infancy, 26(2), 223-237.

https://doi.org/10.1111/infa.12392

PSY FPX 6015 Assessment 1 Early Development Case Intervention Analysis

Newman, L., Sivaratnam, C., & Komiti, A. (2016). Attachment and Early Brain Development – Neuroprotective Interventions in Infant–Caregiver Therapy. Translational Developmental Psychiatry, 4(1), 316-328. https://doi.org/10.3402/tdp.v4.31679

Osher, D., Cantor, P., Berg, J., Steyer, L., & Rose, T. (2020). Drivers of human development: How relationships and context shape learning and development. Applied Developmental Science, 24(1), 6-36. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2017.1398650

Risi, D. E., Neal, J. A., Reiner, S. M., Hess, S. A., & Bloom, Z. D. (2021). The Influence of Attachment on Emotion Regulation: Exploring an Experiential Avoidance Model. Journal of Counseling & Development, 99(1), 74-85. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12345

Tarabulsy, G. M., St-Laurent, D., Bernier, A., Larose, S., & Tessier, R. (2018). Attachment-based intervention for maltreating families: Using video-feedback to improve parent-infant interactions. Attachment & Human Development, 20(5), 525-545. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2018.1468776

Appendix

Tommy is an 18-month-old boy living in Colorado with his Mexican immigrant parents, Jose and Marie. The family faces significant financial challenges, leading to frequent arguments between Jose and Marie. These conflicts are exacerbated by Jose’s ongoing struggle to find employment. During these disputes, Jose often leaves for several days, which leaves Marie feeling depressed, upset, and emotionally detached. Due to their financial situation, Marie is unable to take Tommy out frequently, resulting in him spending most of his time at home with her. The family lacks nearby relatives for support.

Tommy is an energetic child who enjoys playing with his trucks. However, his verbal skills are limited; he only uses a few words such as “hi,” “bye,” and “no.” He exhibits delays in speech development, tends to shy away from unfamiliar people, and becomes distressed by loud noises, often screaming in response. When he feels neglected, Tommy expresses his frustration through temper tantrums, which include throwing his toys and hitting objects. This behavior appears to be his primary means of communication with his parents.

Marie desires to improve her communication with Tommy but feels uncertain about how to achieve this. She struggles to establish a bedtime routine for Tommy, especially when Jose is not home. Marie is confused about Tommy’s behavior and is unsure why he acts out. It is important to recognize that children are highly dependent on their parents, and the first two years of life are critical for brain development, as well as social, emotional, and cognitive growth (Winston & Chicot, 2016). Children are more attuned to their surroundings than we often realize; they observe everything closely. Social cognition is a fundamental aspect of development during the first five years of a child’s life (Miller et al., 2018).