William Dawson - Individualized Education Program - Research Paper Example

?Baley Ganger ____ November Developmental Case Study William Dawson was referred due to delays on learning and skills development. When it comes to prenatal conditions, there is nothing amiss as seen in the mother’s history. There were no reports of any possible effects of teratogens such as radiation or drugs. The duration of the mother’s labor which is 18 hours is within average. The pregnancy and delivery were normal. There were no accounts of the mother having malnutrition other hints of complications during prenatal period. On the other hand, certain factors such as the mother’s occupation may have contributed to the condition of the child. Since Mrs. Dawson is a nurse, being faced with certain emergency situations may have caused high levels of stress hormones that could have affected the fetus’ development. It could also be possible that her grave yard shift hours contributed to her premature delivery. Regarding postpartum situations, there were several irregularities. The length of pregnancy was 33 weeks as compared to the average 40 weeks. Due to unstable condition at birth, William was born prematurely with an APGAR score of 6 whereas the average is 7. He was in incubated, intubated, and had supplemental oxygen for 3 weeks. These were necessary since he had difficulty with sucking, swallowing, and breathing. This is most likely because premature babies usually have underdeveloped lungs. Premature infants have a very high incidence of irregular breathing patterns. As backed up by studies, it has been found that 90% of infants born at less than 1,000 grams suffer apnea of prematurity (Hack, Wison-Costello, & Friedman, “ Outcomes of Extremely Low Birthweight”). This indicates that the child had difficulty breathing and needed constant assistance and monitoring. The respiratory difficulties he had as a newborn relates to his present asthma condition. His developmental milestones at 5 months to 4 years on motor and speech areas were faced with some difficulties and delays. One probable reason is that he was born earlier than expected and prematurity has been linked to several developmental disabilities. According to statistics, 50% of all disabilities were accounted by premature deliveries in the United States (National Academies Press 77). This could be the reason why there are evidences of delays in his development. He had trouble walking for a sustainable amount of time. He would stand; take a step, and then drop. William could not learn how to ride a bike well since it was hard for him to keep his balance. It was also challenging for him to catch objects even if he could follow them with his eyes. As compared to the average level of acquiring motor skills, there are deferments in William’s milestones. Lisps are also evident in his speech. A number of literature suggest a link between motor delays and speech-language disorders. However, the clear cause is still not proven. Gaines and Missiuna (“Early Identification”, CanChild.com) reported that current researches have verified that many children with speech/language disorders have coordination difficulties. In William’s case, his lisp may be connected with his motor delays. Furthermore, Bowen (“When /s/ and /z/ are Hard to Say”, SpeechTherapy.com) reported that there is a co-occurrence between lisping and developmental phonological disorders. This means that phonetic and phonemic speech sound aberrations usually in the same person. Since the heart of education is speech and language, William needs appropriate aids in studying and discovering knowledge in his environment. He also had underweight problems for about a year. His trouble concerning sucking and breathing are probable factors for his lack of nutrition. William was purely bottle fed during his first 2 years. This could have created an impact in his immune system since he did not receive maternal antibodies that fight infection present in breast milk. In addition, Howard, Williams, & Lepper wrote, “Alterations in either physical or physiological processes that affect eating or digestion place an infant child at risk for the developmental delays” (216). Indeed, nutrition and feeding processes are complicated and their effects on the developing infant are pervasive and could be long lasting. For instance, the child’s intelligence could be affected since there are not enough vitamins and minerals to support optimal brain growth. Regarding his emotional aspect, temper tantrums were also evident especially when he was tired. Most outbursts and temper problems are associated with language ability (Fetsch and Jacobson, 43). Since William has speech difficulties, his fits of annoyance may be caused by his frustration when it comes to expressing himself. Until now, he still exhibits separation anxiety from his parents. If left with no intervention, prolonged angst due to separation from parents may lead to educational and social problems. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the long-term effects could be anxiety and panic disorders (“Children Who Won’t Go to School”). Concerning his medical history, he had a fracture in his left radius when he fell from the bunk bed last year. This may have been also caused by his motor development status. As needed, he has been taking albuterol for more than 6 months because of his asthma condition. In the long run, William’s asthma may create an impact in his lifestyle choices. Since he has trouble breathing, he may not be able to have adequate exercise and this could lead to obesity. This condition may also cost him a number of absences from school as well as work. At present, he also has frequent colds, heart murmur, speech defects such as stuttering, allergy to strawberries, and is using ear tubes. All of his speech, vision, and hearing exams were last conducted in April 2010. Regarding his heart murmurs, since they are most likely innocent, there no adverse long term effects unless it is caused by serious diseases like congestive heart failure. The recurrent colds that he is having is actually one of the symptoms of asthma for children. Usually, these colds take time to recover. His allergic reactions to strawberry may worsen his asthma since food allergy has been linked to respiratory effects (Marks, “Effects of Food Allergies in Children” , Livestrong.com). It can cause the child to develop sneezing, sinus pressure, chest pain, and wheezing. It will be helpful for William Dawson to receive several interventions services such as assistive technology, educational programs like IEP (Individualized Education Program), and/or an Individualized Family Service Plan. Therapies like occupational, physical, speech and play are also beneficial. His family may also have support from counseling services. Early intervention is quite of assistance in lessening the impact of William’s difficulties. The parents should also seek support as early as possible for their child to have some advancement in the other areas of his development since a delay in a certain aspect can affect other areas of growth. Intervention is also important in enhancing the child’s self-esteem in the long run. Without efficient involvement of needed services, his self-image may be affected causing socio-emotional disadvantages. For example, if William’s stuttering and lisping will go unimproved, he will get embarrassed to speak in front of his classmates or other relatives Moreover, sufficient assessments are needed to establish concerns regarding his learning and skills delays. Works Cited American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry . 2011. 3 Nov. 2011 . Bowen, Caroline . “Lisping: When /s/ and /z/ are Hard to Say”. Speech-Language-Therapy.com. 23 March 2010. 2 Nov. 2011 < http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/lisping.htm>. Fetsch, RJ. And Jacobson, Ben. “Children’s Anger and Tantrums”. MedicineNet.com. 18 Feb 2010. 3 Nov. 2011 < http://www.medicinenet.com/temper_tantrums/page4.htm> Marks, Diane. “Effects of Food Allergies In Children”. Livestrong.com . 30 Jan 2011. 3 Nov.2011 Gaines, Robin and Missiuna, Cheryl. “Early Identification: Are Toddlers with Speech/Language Impairments at Increased Risk For Developmental Coordination Disorder?” CanChild.com . 2006. 3 Nov. 2011 “The Role of Environmental Hazards in Premature Birth.” National Academies Press, 2003. Print. Read More