Peds Exam: Observation

What is term for playing with the child in child-directed activities or child-preferred activities before placing demands or expectations on the child?

pairing

What is observation in which “the therapist observes the child functioning in the regular [natural] environment … doing whatever is normally done in that environment” ?

Naturalistic observation

During your observation, particularly observe the child’s activities and participation, including their:

Behavior, Mobility

Interaction w/ adults & other children

Preferred positions and movement patterns

Communication (expressive/receptive, verbal/non-verbal)

Indications of cognition

Manipulation of objects

Indicators of endurance

During your observations and interactions throughout the examination, take into consideration the impact of the following:

Physical environment –the child’s house/school layout, playground layout/surfaces, distance between destinations (classroom, specials, cafeteria, playground), crowding (on playground equipment, in hallways)

Social support and relationships – family support, peer/classmate support

Attitudinal environment – parents’ concerns, teachers or community members’ concerns and perceptions, family values and preferences for participation

Institutional environment (services, systems and policies) – legislation (Americans with Disability Act [ADA], Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act [IDEA]), policies; availability of inclusive educational/recreational/community programs

what are some tools to assess environmental factors?

Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors (CHIEF)

The Child and Adolescent Scale of Environment (CASE)

what are some tools to assess personal/contextual factors?

Child Occupational Self Assessment

Early Coping Inventory

Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA)