Observational Child Study

Observational Child Study

observational study draws inferences about the possible effect of a treatment on subjects, where the assignment of subjects into a treated group versus a control group is outside the control of the investigator. This is in contrast with controlled experiments, such as randomized controlled trials, where each subject is randomly assigned to a treated group or a control group before the start of the treatment.

Emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) is a broad category which is used commonly in educational settings, to group a range of more specific perceived difficulties of children and adolescents. Both general definitions as well as concrete diagnosis of EBD may be controversial as the observed behavior may depend on many factors. Students who have emotional and behavioral disturbances exhibit significant behavioral excesses or deficits. These terms refer to patterns of behavior that depart significantly from the expectations of others. In recent years, "behavioral disorders" has gained favor over "emotional disturbance" as a more accurate label leading to more objective decision-making and fewer negative connotations.

A.   The list of behaviors of the child are according to my observations:

Characteristics

The causes of emotional disturbance have not been adequately determined. Although various factors such as heredity, brain disorder, diet, stress, and family functioning have been suggested as possible causes, research has not shown any of these factors to be the direct cause of behavior problems.

 Some of the characteristics and behaviors seen in children who have emotional disturbances include:

      Hyperactivity (short attention span, impulsiveness); 

      Aggression/self-injurious behavior (acting out, fighting); 

      Withdrawal (failure to initiate interaction with others; retreat from exchanges of social interaction, excessive fear or anxiety); 

      Immaturity (inappropriate crying, temper tantrums, poor coping skills); and 

      Learning difficulties (academically performing below grade level). Difficulty to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.

      Difficulty to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and   teachers.

      Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.

      A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.

      A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.

 

      Internalizing disorders

A child who internalizes their emotions is said to be suffering from Depression, and experience loss of interest in activities including school work.

Children who internalize can also suffer from Anxiety, Separation Anxiety, Fears and Phobias (especially in school), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Panic Disorder.

      Externalizing disorders

Words and phrases that are commonly used with children who externalize are extroverted, under-controlled, and acting out.

Externalizing Disorders includes Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Conduct Disorder.These children act out their emotions instead of holding them in. Fighting, bullying, cursing, and other forms of violence are often seen in children who externalize.

      may exhibit distorted thinking, excessive anxiety, bizarre motor acts, and abnormal mood swings and are sometimes identified as children who have a severe psychosis or schizophrenia.

How  I  Observe & Record Child Behavior?

Often a child's behavior is more important than how they score on a test. While grades and test scores are necessary, behavior is a large indicator of how a child will get along outside of school and with other people. When deciding to implement a plan to change the behavior or to keep track of how a plan is working, it becomes necessary to observe and record the behavior.

The following are the things I considered in my observations:

 Define the behavior. This needs to be done in specific and observable terms. If the behavior is too broad, it will cause the information that is recorded to be inaccurate because those writing down the information will not be sure what counts.

      Decide how to record it. The best way to do this will be dependent on what the behavior is and what you need to know about it. If frequency is what is important, then a chart that has a mark for each time a behavior occurs will be sufficient. To add more information, the time of day those are occurring can also be included. For more complicated behaviors, a chart that indicates what was going on before and after the behavior can assist in working toward a plan to change it.

      Keep what is recorded as simple as possible. Make charts or sheets with directions that are easy to understand. It is especially important to have what the behavior is on these sheets because that will remind the person recording information what they are observing. This will assist in keeping the data accurate.

      Observe the child in natural situations. This is necessary to get a true measurement of the behavior. If situations are manufactured, a child may act differently because they are in a new situation or know they are being observed.

My observation’s location is in the school, and my observation done in three consecutive days that dated last January 4, 5 and 6, 2012

How will I document my observation report.

Child observation reports are created for a variety of reasons. Child observation reports must contain specific information about the child in a clear and concise manner to be useful to those who are reviewing the report.

The following are the things I considered in my observations:

      Record the actions of the child during the observation time. Avoid observing the child during quiet time or nap times.

      Collect background information on the child from the child's caregivers. This information is important to understanding the behaviors that will be observed in the child.

      Document the physical characteristics of the child. For example, if the child has a physical disability this should be noted in the report along with how the child overcomes the disability in order to participate with his surroundings. Other areas to document include cognitive, emotional, social, spiritual and moral characteristics of the child. Not every area can be observed in every child, but it is important to document as many of them as possible when doing an observation.

      Compile the report. The report should start with a brief introduction that introduces the child to the person reading the report and why the observation was made.

     The report should end with a conclusion. The conclusion will be based on the reason why the observation was conducted in the first place.

Rate

Date : January 4, 2012 ( first day)

Around 11:00 am to 12:05 pm

Dracy, (name of the student)

Answers and colored his activity in his workbook ( science) pp. 102- 105     

Date :  January 5, 2012 (second day)

Around 8:00 o’ clock in the morning, Darcy’s teacher asks him to lead the prayer in the minimal voice and without maximum supervision.

Date: January 6, 2012 (third day)

After break around 9:45 am, Darcy put back the tray to its proper place, with his coach assistance, he washed his lunchbox together with his coach in f minutes.

Duration

Darcy answers his activity in almost 30 mins. and 

Darcy takes his snacks for only 15 mins.

Latency

Darcy get back to work after 15 minutes of playing after he ate.

Topography (shape of the behavior)

Darcy colored his activity book in a nice way of coloring.

Darcy can make small creatures like small dinosaurs through clay.

Darcy did the matching type very well.

Force

Darcy punch his classmate’s back so his sped teacher told him to face the wall in 10 minutes.

Darcy cries and shout when his dinosaur book is missing and that incident last in 20 minutes.

Locus (place)

Darcy punch his classmate in their classroom and Darcy make face the wall in their classroom.

 The tools  I used for observation

I used anecdotal record because:

Anecdotal records are brief narrative accounts describing an incident of the child behavior.Anecdotes describe what happened in a factual objective manner telling how it happened when and where it happened and what was said and done. And anecdotal records are written after the incident has occurred.

          I used time sampling in my sample behavior because:

The observer waits for and then record a specific preselected behavior. Study the frequency of the behavior, what triggers the behavior.

ProFile of the  child

Name:  Darcy S. Uy

Age:   8

Gender:    female

Birthday:  November 20, 2004

Grade level:   Grade 2

School:    New Era University

Regular Teacher :   Rachelle Gojo Cruz

Sped Teacher:   Mary Jane Montemayor

Categorized as:   Child with Emotional Behavioral Disorder

Name of the father:   Alvin Tan

Occupation:  Businessman

Name of the mother:   Dahlia Uy

Occupation:   Manager