Needs of a School-Aged Child

Health Assessment of the Toddler, Preschool, and School-aged Child
Student's Name
College/University
Course
Professor's Name
Due Date
Pediatric patients have specific needs affected by various factors such as their physical characteristics, developmental stage, and age. When assessing such conditions for a child between five years and 12 years or those in the school-age bracket, it is vital to understand their physical characteristics, developmental phase, and the adjustable assessment methods to meet their age. This essay will discuss such school-age children's physical aspects and findings and elaborate on modifying assessment methods. Furthermore, the paper will identify an eight-year-old girl as the study case for children between five and 12 years and incorporate developmental theory basing the arguments on Erickson, Piaget, or Kohlberg to demonstrate how to assess her developmentally.
Physical Characteristics and Findings of School-aged Children
Children between five and 12 years, those aged for school, portray well-developed and excellent motor skills, an increasing sense of independence, and increased coordination (Squires et al., 2020). They display growing curiosity and increasingly become active, potentially increasing their risk of injuries and accidents. Substantially, children have already developed all the primary teeth at this age, and by the age of six, their secondary teeth start to protrude. Also, they have improved physical stamina, and their lungs increase in capacity; thus, they can breathe more efficiently. Squires et al. (2020) argue that it is equally essential to give simple, precise, and clear instructions to school-aged children, provide explanations, and offer a sense of control to them to modify assessment techniques towards them. Moreover, allowing children to participate in the assessment by asking them to answer questions or perform various tasks can improve their engagement and cooperation.
Child Development Stage at this Age
The child selected as a study case in this essay is an eight-year-old girl. Considering Erickson's psychological development theory, children at this age are in the stage known as Industry vs Inferiority (Jones & Waite-Stupiansky, 2022). Children at this stage can either display attitudes or behaviors of being industrious or feeling inferior. They are highly active in their chores or assignments, and if not appreciated, they can be demoralized. Children have a deep desire to accomplish tasks during this age and experience increased ...