Assessment of School-Aged Child: Developmental and Physical Needs

This report focuses on the physical and developmental assessment of school-aged children (5-12 years old). It begins by comparing physical assessment methods for this age group and describing modifications to assessment techniques based on age and developmental stage. The report then selects a 9-year-old child for a case study, detailing typical developmental stages and applying developmental theories, specifically Kohlberg's moral development theory, to assess the child. The paper explains how to offer explanations during the assessment, strategies for gaining cooperation, and potential findings. The assessment considers vital signs, cognitive abilities, and physical and mental aspects. The study also emphasizes the importance of communication and building rapport with the child to ensure their participation and support throughout the assessment process. Finally, the report concludes by summarizing the developmental needs of the child and the interventions provided to determine the effectiveness of the assessment.

Running head: PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN
PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN
Developmental stages of children and the prognosis of these helps the family members,
healthcare physicians and other stakeholders of the society to understand the need of each child
and their altered requirements (Schmidt et al., 2015). While conducting on physical assessment,
healthcare professionals generally conduct nutritional assessment, immunization, current
medication and health history and physiological history (Urke et al., 2018). However, these
factors completely depend on the age or developmental stage of the child and depending on that
the flow of assessment is decided (Woodhead, 2016). While assessing infants, pediatric nurses
assess their respiration rate, heart rate, blood pressure and temperature respectively, with
developing age and cognitive abilities, their speech, communication, ability to walk to move and
their cognitive and motor skills are assessed (Marley, Rizzo & Swisher, 2016). Therefore, for the
physical assessment of school aged children (5 to 12 years), these aspects will be modified and
depending on that with vital signs of the child, his/her cognitive abilities, physical and mental
assessment will be carried out.
Thesis statement: this paper will conduct physical assessment of Alexander Smith (9) to
understand his developmental stages and associated needs and then will utilize strategies to
address them.
Alexander smith (9) has been selected for the physical assessment and the primary aim of
this assessment is to understand his needs depending on the developmental stage. As per his age,
he is under the school-based developmental stage and by this age, he is determined to develop
fine motor skills, sexual characteristics, communication with peers and ability to become socially
aware, and these are the abilities which are obtained through the previous pre-school
developmental stage (Schmidt et al., 2015). Besides these, there are abilities such as enhanced
speech, enhanced understanding of speed, time and distance, which has been acquired by the

2PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN
child and he is further determined to obtain abilities of replying to complex conditions and he
would be able to take part in the conversations and would argue about the topics depending on
their own concepts (Woodhead, 2016).
The theory of Kohlberg is known as the moral developmental theory which extends the
Jean Piaget’s moral reasoning, which mentions that morality or humanity is the characteristic
which is developed in children from the beginning of their childhood and hence, these aspects
should also be assessed while conducting physical assessment of children (Lind, 2017). There
are three levels of this theory such as pre-conventional morality, conventional morality and post-
conventional morality, which assesses their ability to perceive obedience and punishment, their
idea about society and social rules, and their own principles to comply with society and
neighborhood (Marley, Rizzo & Swisher, 2016). Hence, while conducting this assessment, all
these aspects will be assessed by providing them hypothetical situations and would seek their
response so that their stand on above-mentioned concepts could be assessed. Further, while
assessment they will be provided with proper explanation and focus will be based on the
developing communication so that a rapport could be developed and their complete support and
association in the process could be achieved (Pawlowski et al., 2016).
Hence, to conclude, it can be said that developmental stage helps to assess the cognitive
and critical thinking of children and the assessment depends on their reflexes and replies to the
physical assessment or cognitive assessment conducted. Similar assessment was carried out in
this paper to understand the developmental needs and concerns of Alexander (9) and
interventions were provided to determine the effectiveness of the assessment.

3PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN
References
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