Cultural Diversity and Assessment - Research Paper Example

Cultural Diversity and Assessment Total Number of Words 811 The Case of Hypothetical Client The hypotheticalclient is a 5-year old boy with mood disorder. Being the youngest child in the family, the boy’s mother has been very lenient in terms of correcting his tantrums. Instead of explaining to the child about good manners and right conduct, the boy’s mother would most of the time ignore the child’s tantrum. For example, when his mother asked him to brush his teeth, the 5 year old boy had tantrum. Instead of explaining to the boy why he needs to brush his teeth, the boy’s mother told him to make sure to brush his teeth after lunch (Kaplan University, n.d.: 2). In another incident, the boy’s mother told him to take a bath. Since the boy refused to take a bath, his mother comforted him by saying that he is not really dirty and can skip the bath since it is bed time already (Kaplan University, n.d.: 1). In fact, giving in to the child’s tantrums and demands has been going on since the boy was an infant. At home, the boy’s parents strongly believe that every child has the right to do whatever he or she wants. For this reason, ignoring the young boy’s tantrums has been a common practice at home. Since the boy’s father has been very busy managing their family business, only the boy’s mother stays with him most of the time. As a result, the boy has been showing the same negative behavior wherever he goes. For instance, the 5 year old boy had shown tantrum when nobody jumped rope after he instructed other children in school to “jump rope” (Kaplan University, n.d.: 3). The family of this 5 year old boy is not a part of any religious group. Since the boy and his mother often times stay at home watching TV, the 5 year old boy has failed to develop a normal socializing and interaction skills. This somehow explains his manner of interaction with other children his age. For example, while playing in the sandbox, another child approached him and asked if they can play together. Instead of accepting the child’s invitation to play, the 5 year old boy ended up showing tantrum. When the child has tried playing with him in the sandbox, the 5 year old boy cried out loud as he was kicking the ground (Kaplan University, n.d.: 1). Quantification of Behavioral Problem Out of the 21 reported incidences, the boy did not show tantrum only in 4 different occasions. In most cases, the 5 year old boy would “kick and throw school supplies” (3 out of 21 or 14%), “cry and kick the ground/sand” (10 out of 21 or 48%), “pushed some papers off his desk and cried” (1 out of 21 or 5%), “yells and throws wood chips at other child” (1 out of 21 or 5%), “knocks over his paint and throws his crayons” (1 out of 21 or 5%), and “kicks in bed and throws toys at his closet” (1 out of 21 or 5%). (See Figure I – Number of Tantrum Incidence based on the Transcript below) Descriptive Functional Behavioral Assessment The acts of crying or yelling are few of the most common signs of temper tantrum (Harrington, 2004). Based on pure observation, there seem to be a pattern in the boy’s tantrum. For instance, the 5 year old boy would “kick and throw school supplies” each time he is not prepared for class or when his teacher did not give him much attention during class recitation. Whenever the boy failed to receive the attention of other children, each time other children would interrupt him in his play, and each time his parents would remind him to observe proper hygiene such as bathing, washing hands before eating or brushing teeth, the boy would simply cry and kick/stomp the ground or sand. Basically, it seems that the boy’s tantrum is a sign of his protest that he is not happy with the demands of people around him. Other description of his tantrum includes: (1) pushing some papers off his desk and cry when his teacher told him to wash his hands before lunch; (2) yelling and throwing some wood chips at other child when another boy wanted to climb the money bars where he was playing; (3) knocks over his paint and throws his crayon when his teacher told the entire class that it is time to keep the art supplies; and (4) kicks in bed and throws toys at his close when his mother told him it is time to wake up but he refused to do so. (See Table I – Description and Reasons behind the Tantrum below) Table I – Description and Reasons behind the Tantrum Description of Tantrum No. of Incidence Reason behind Tantrum Kicks and throw school supplies 3 1. He was told by the teacher to take out their homework; 2. He was told by the teacher to bring out their reading books; and 3. The teacher asked if anybody knows the answer to her question but he was not called to respond. Cry and kick or stomp the ground/sand 10 1. He was not acknowledged by other children playing a game; 2. Another child tried to play with him in the sandbox; 3. When his mother told him to take a bath and he refuses; 4. When the sand castle he built collapsed; 5. When his father told him to wash his hands before dinner; 6. When nobody jumped rope after instructing other children to jump rope; 7. When his mother told him to brush his teeth; 8. When his sister told him to get ready for dance class; 9. When his father told him to wash his hands for dinner; 10. When his sister told him to brush his teeth since she is brushing her teeth. Pushed some papers off his desk and cried 1 1. When his teacher told him to wash his hands before lunch. Yells and throws wood chips at other child 1 1. When another boy wanted to climb the monkey bars where he was playing. Knocks over his paint and throws her crayons 1 1. When his teacher told the entire class that it is time to keep the art supplies. Kicks in bed and throws toys at his closet 1 1. When his mother told him it is time to wake up but he refused to do so. Appropriate Target Behavior In general, children between 1 to 4 years of age are mostly egocentric (Harrington, 2004). To test how far they can control other people, children around this age group tend to show temper tantrum. Basically, sign of temper tantrum around this age is good because it shows that the child has gained a sense of ‘individuality’ and ‘autonomy’ (Carter, Briggs-Gowan, & Davis, 2004: 111). Normally, children between 1 to 2 years of age find it difficult to express their needs verbally. Their only way to express that they want something is through temper tantrum (Harrington, 2004). Unfortunately, at the age of 5, the young boy is showing frequent tantrum which is no longer advisable for his age. In fact, daily tantrums are not normal (Wakschlag, et al., 2012). The long-term unresolved temper tantrum is closely linked to ‘aggression’ and ‘impulsivity’ (Wakschlag et al., 2012). Therefore, it is necessary to improve the boy’s future adaptive functioning by teaching him to control his tantrum. Somehow, all this can be done by improving his overall social and emotional health (Carter, Briggs-Gowan, & Davis, 2004). Recommended Interventions The boy’s lack of exposure to other people seems to be one major cause of his tantrums. According to Carter, Briggs-Gowan and Davis (2004: 110), “behavior problems are associated with child- and family-level impairments”. Since the boy has been accustomed of living most of the time with his mother inside the comfort of their home, one of the best intervention is to discuss this problem with his parents. In line with this, it is necessary to encourage the boy’s parents to expose the boy to other children his age. Doing so can help the boy learn how to adjust within a given environment (Carter, Briggs-Gowan, & Davis, 2004). Thus, reducing the frequency of his tantrum each time other children would like to play with him. As explained by Carter, Briggs-Gowan and Davis (2004: 114), “problem behaviors may reflect a mismatch between a child’s developmental level, situational demands, and supports in the environment”. In relation to the hypothetical case, the mother of the 5 year old boy is sending out mixed signals when it comes to disciplining the boy. As such, there are times wherein the mother of the boy is very lenient when managing the boy’s tantrum. Likewise, there were also some incidence wherein the boy’s mother would be very strict when it comes to disciplining the boy. For example, there were several occasions wherein the boy’s mother was being lenient with the execution of her own rules. In one occasion, she instructed the boy to brush his teeth. When the boy started to show tantrum, his mother said to “just make sure he brushes his teeth after lunch” (Kaplan University, n.d.: 3). In another occasion, the boy’s mother told him that it is time to take a bath. When the boy started showing tantrum, the boy’s mother said that he is not really dirty and that he can skip taking a bath before going to bed (Kaplan University, n.d.: 1). The problem with the mother being lenient in the execution of her own rule is that the boy gets a wrong signal that he can sometimes get away with what he wanted just by showing signs of temper tantrum. Being lenient in the execution of house rules within the family circle somehow explains the high frequency of the boy’s tantrum in school area and with other children. For this reason, it is highly recommended that the parents of the boy should talk about the planning, execution, and strict implementation of their house rules. That way, the 5 year old boy will not receive a mixed signal from his parents. How Diverse Family System will affect Planning, Execution and Results of Intervention When solving behavioral problems such as temper tantrum, the kind of family system has a strong impact behind the success of planning, execution, and intervention. Other than deciding on household activities such as visiting their grandparents or having time to socialize with other children, parents are normally the ones who are in-charge of setting rules for the family (Carter, Briggs-Gowan, & Davis, 2004). When parents require the boy to practice personal hygiene such as washing hands before eating or taking a bath before sleeping, both the mother and the father should be firm that the child should strictly follow the home policies. Otherwise, the implementation of the house rules would be ineffective. References Carter, A., Briggs-Gowan, M., & Davis, N. (2004). Assessment of young children’s social-emotional development and psychopathology: recent advances and recommendations for practice. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(1): 109-134. Harrington, R. (2004). Temper Tantrums: Guidelines for Parents. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from http://www.nasponline.org/resources/behavior/tantrums_ho.aspx Kaplan University. (n.d.). Unit 7 Case Study Transcript. Wakschlag, L., Choi, S., Carter, A., Hullsiek, H., Burns, J., McCarthy, K., et al. (2012). Defining the developmental parameters of temper loss in early childhood: Implications for developmental psychopathology. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, 53(11): 1099-1108. Read More