Responding To Important Child Development Issues
Field: Psychology
Responding to Important Child Development Issues
Assignment Context
From the perspective of a professional who has knowledge and expertise in child development, you have been invited to address an audience that includes parents as well as other professionals on a specific issue. Select one topic under early childhood, middle childhood, or adolescence as the focus of your paper and written presentation. Your textbook introduces various issues linked to biology and the environment, health, education, and cultural influences. Start exploring the material in the text that is relevant to your selected issue and then expand your research to include current secondary literature.
Your assignment is divided into two parts:
Part 1
Develop a 5–7-page paper on the selected topic supporting ideas with current research from the scholarly literature that fully explores the topic. The paper will provide the basis for you to explain the impact of the issue facing the child in the scenario you selected from the Scenarios media piece. The paper should have APA structure, formatting, and referencing.
Part 2
Prepare 2-page a presentation for the intended audience based on the research you conducted on the topic. Write out the presentation on two double-spaced pages. This does not need APA in-text referencing, but you can refer to important scholarly sources that support your ideas. Remember to consider the level of understanding the audience may have on the topic so that you avoid jargon or provide clarification. This presentation needs to have objective support, but, as a presentation, it can be in more informal first-person language.
Assignment Requirements
Your paper should meet the following requirements:
•Written communication: Use the accepted form and style of the psychological professions, employing grammar, punctuation, and mechanics expected of graduate-level composition and expression.
•References: Include a minimum of six academic, peer-reviewed resources. The course text can be used, but it is not considered one of the peer-reviewed articles.
•APA style and formatting: Format the references and in-text citations according to current APA style and formatting guidelines. Use the MEAL Plan document (given in the resources) to organize the content and include APA headings and subheadings.
•Length of paper: 5–7 typed, double-spaced pages.
•Length of presentation paper: Two typed, double-spaced pages. Note: Your submission for this assignment should be a total of 7–9 pages that includes both Part 1 and Part 2.
•Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.
Note: Your instructor may also use the APA Writing Feedback Rubric to provide additional feedback on your academic writing. The writing feedback rubric does not affect your assignment grade, but its feedback may factor into the grading criteria, if professional communication and writing is a course competency. Evaluate your own work using this rubric. Refer to the Learner Guide for instructions on viewing instructor feedback.
Resources
Website icon Responding to Important Child Development Issues Scoring Guide.
Website icon APA Style and Format.
Website icon MEAL Plan.
PDF icon APA Writing Feedback Rubric.
PDF icon Learner Guide to APA Writing Feedback Rubric.
Presentation icon Scenarios | Transcript
SCENARIOS
The cases you are about to view all depict scenarios from early childhood, middle childhood and adolescence. Pick one scenario as the focus of your paper/presentation in the unit 10 assignment.
EARLY CHILDHOOD TOPICS
http://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/psy7220/Scenarios/images/topic01.png
Low Level Lead-Exposure and Children’s Development
A local elementary school Parent-Teacher Association in a large urban low SES school district requested that you provide a presentation on the impact of lead exposure on child development. Specifically the group is interested in knowing more about how lead exposure impacts cognitive, social, and physical development in early childhood and beyond. Additionally the group is interested in any intervention or prevention suggestions that are empirically supported.
Autism and Theory of Mind
A group of teachers working in a special education program have seen an increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder within their school. They’ve invited you to talk about common features of autism spectrum disorder and how it impacts cognitive, social and physical development in early childhood and beyond. Additionally the group is interested in learning more about prevailing theories related to autism such as theory of mind and any intervention or prevention suggestions that are empirically supported.
Ethnic Differences in the Consequences of Physical Punishment
A group of professionals for Child protective services has requested a presentation on ethnic differences as they relate to physical punishment. Specifically, they are wanting to better understand the role culture plays on parenting styles and how this impacts children’s development in early childhood and beyond. Additionally the group is interested in any intervention or prevention suggestions to physical punishment that are empirically supported.
MIDDLE CHILDHOOD TOPICS
http://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/psy7220/Scenarios/images/topic02.png
Family Stressors and Childhood Obesity
A neighborhood center offers community programs for families who live in a lower SES diverse neighborhood. The center provides information on nutrition and healthy eating but obesity in the neighborhood children is major concern. The director has requested a presentation that goes beyond giving nutritional advice to increase awareness of the underlying stress the families are experiencing and how that is linked to overeating. Additionally the group is interested in any empirically supported intervention or prevention suggestions to help families manage related home-life stressors that contribute to potential childhood obesity.
Children with ADHD
The Parent-Teacher Association in an elementary school with a high percentage of African-American children has requested that the school provide a forum for the school community (parents and teachers) to discuss the increasing number of children who have been formally or informally labeled with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) within their school. They’ve invited you to talk about general characteristics of ADHD and how it impacts cognitive and social development in the elementary years and beyond. Additionally the group is interested in learning more about prevailing theories related to ADHD and any home or school based intervention or prevention suggestions that are empirically supported.
The Impact of Ethnic and Political Violence on Children
A child development clinic in an urban area with a significant population of immigrants who have fled their home countries due to internal clashes and increasing violence has had increasing concerns raised by those immigrant families with respect to their children’s anxieties. Their current neighborhood is in a relatively poor area with high crime rates. The staff has requested a presentation from you to provide information on the developmental impact on children of past and present community violence. Additionally the group is interested in any empirically supported intervention or prevention suggestions to help families manage trauma related stress in their children.
ADOLESCENT TOPICS
http://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/psy7220/Scenarios/images/topic03.png
Intergenerational Continuity in Adolescent Parenthood
An alternative high-school program for adolescent parents provides various small group focus sessions on various topics. The program coordinator has invited you to present to the group of teen mothers on the possible links between their own teen parenthood experience and the future parenting trajectory of their infants. They are interested in your sharing information on the factors that may have contributed to their adolescent parenthood experience and its impact on their own development. Additionally the group is interested in any empirically supported intervention or prevention suggestions to help these adolescent parents reduce the likelihood that their infants will follow in their path of teen parenthood.
Media Multitasking Disrupts Attention
The Parent-Teacher Association in a large affluent suburban district is interested in information about the effects of their teens’ use of multi-media while studying on their learning and achievement. They have asked that you address how multi-tasking, i.e. tuned into media while reading or completing written assignments, affects their cognitive functioning such as attention and thinking. Additionally the group is interested in any empirically supported intervention or prevention suggestions to help these parents address the issue with their developing adolescents.
Identity Development Among Ethnic Minority Adolescents
A newly opened charter school serves a population of immigrants (Somali or Hmong). The sponsor of the charter school is interested in how learning in that school environment might impact the identity development of the teens in the school. They have asked you to provide a presentation on identity formation in adolescence, specifically for those with emerging ethnic identities. Additionally the group is interested in any empirically supported intervention or prevention suggestions to help these teens resolve any identity conflicts based on ethnic identity.
REFERENCES
· Berke, L., & Meyers, A. (2016). Infants, Children, and Adolescents (8th ed.) Pearson.
CREDITS
Subject Matter Expert:
Cheri Gilman
Interactive Design:
Tara Schiller
Instructional Designer:
Tina Houareau
Project Manager:
Nakeela Hall
Image Credits:
