For Milestone Two, you will submit a draft of your theoretical foundations and a draft of your program selection and sociocultural evaluation. For the draft of theoretical foundations, you will apply contemporary developmental psychology research and classic and contemporary theories to the selected developmental issue. For the draft of your program selection, you will research and select a program that targets the developmental issue selected in Milestone One.
5
Developmental Delays
My Name
PSY-632-X2305
Developmental Psychology
Dr. R
December 18, 2023
Developmental Delays
Description of the Developmental Issue
This program review will focus on developmental issues related to developmental delays. According to Lai et al. (2018), these delays show up as unusual milestones that do not happen within the expected time range. Any of these differences can affect a child's overall growth, hence affecting their physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being. Identifying and treating developmental delays are particularly important for making sure that each child grows at their own pace and that they reach their full potential in all areas of development.
Failure to meet age-appropriate developmental goals which can affect cognitive, social/emotional, speech/language and fine/gross motor skills is what makes developmental delays apparent. Unlike other delays, these ones show up in more than one area indicating a worldwide delay in growth rather than a single problem. Interestingly these delays are not the same as normal developmental trends which emphasize how unusual they are. Potentially changing a child's path from the start, risk factors like low birth weight, birth complications and being born early can make developmental issues more difficult. These risk factors working together show how important it is to have accurate early detection methods for all ethnic backgrounds. Fixing these delays means boosting a child's language, motor, and social development since problems in these areas can have long-lasting effects on their general growth (Lai et al., 2018).
The health and well-being of a child are greatly affected by developmental problems that affect many parts of their life. Lack of language skills can make it tough to speak clearly which can impact schoolwork and social relationships. Children with delayed motor skills may find it challenging to do physical activities that are proper for their age. This can keep them from exploring their surroundings and slow down their coordination growth. Thought problems might create challenges in learning which could lead to poor school performance. Sometimes it is hard to control their emotions and make friends when their social and emotional growth is behind schedule. The long-term effects are bad as intellectual deficits cause long-lasting problems for society and the economy. Lai et al. (2017) asserts that developmental delays are linked to higher risks of drug usage and criminal activities. This shows how important early intervention and complete support systems are to prevent these long-lasting effects. Taking a comprehensive approach to developmental delays is necessary to support a child's optimal growth in all areas of their life.
Population Affected by the Developmental Issue
There are many effects of developmental disabilities that affect different populations. Early diagnosis and intervention are particularly important for reducing the long-term effects that these delays might have. There is no single age range that works for everyone because everyone develops at a different rate. However, it is important to find out what risks there are. Low birth weight and problems during birth can cause developmental issues. This shows how important it is to carefully watch and help kids who are at elevated risk. It is important to note that developmental setbacks do not care about a person's income; they affect people from all levels of society and affect both boys and girls. Cultural variety is also important because developmental delays can look different in diverse cultures. It is important to know about these different things so that action plans can be made that meet the unique needs of each person based on their culture, gender, and class. To fully deal with developmental issues, it is important to make people aware of the problem and make early screening tools easy to get to. Interventions can be made to include everyone and meet the unique needs of each person by considering how different the people who are affected are.
Sociocultural Impact
The CDC says that about 240 million children around the world have problems with their development. This shows how common developmental issues are. The fact that the disease has spread so far makes it even more important to quickly set up effective early spotting systems that will let help arrive quickly. This problem shows how important it is to use a complete and global method to deal with developmental delays regardless of culture or location (Varadarajan et al., 2021). For many reasons, it is especially important to get a clear early identification. Initial treatment improves the chances of success and lessens the long-term effects of delays. The second thing is that understanding how common it is around the world helps healthcare policies and resource allocation make sure that children and their families who are affected have enough support systems to meet their many needs.
Many different organizations, societies and groups try to help people with developmental delays and learn more about the condition. It is done by well-known groups like the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These groups should really help spread helpful details, give out useful tools and work for rules that make it easier to find and help kids with developmental issues right away. For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics gives parents and doctors guidelines and tools to help them learn more about growth milestones and spot them. The "Learn the Signs. Act Early" program from the CDC gives people useful tools and information to help with early identification and treatment. To make the health of everyone in the world better, the World Health Organization backs policies and programs that help kids who are behind in their growth. These groups advance developmental psychology by giving people who are impacted and their families a safe place to be. This encourages study and pushes for healthcare policies that cover everyone. Together, they make sure that communities and groups are ready to deal with the many problems that come with developmental delays. This helps children and teens all over the world have the best possible developmental outcomes.
Conclusion
Developmental delays are a major problem that affects children and teens in many areas of their lives. To effectively evaluate programs and create interventions that support healthy development, it is important to understand the unique aspects, impact areas, affected groups and sociocultural effects.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Developmental Disabilities. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/developmentaldisabilities/index.html#:~:text=Developmental%20disabilities%20are%20a%20group,disabilities%20or%20other%20developmental%20delays.
Lai, D., Tseng, Y., & Guo, H. (2018). Characteristics of young children with developmental delays and their trends over 14 years in Taiwan: a population-based nationwide study. BMJ Open, 8, e020994. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020994
Varadarajan S, Govindarajan Venguidesvarane A, Ramaswamy KN, Rajamohan M, Krupa M, Winfred Christadoss SB (2021) Prevalence of excessive screen time and its association with developmental delay in children aged <5 years: A population-based cross-sectional study in India. PLoS ONE 16(7): e0254102. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254102
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PSY 632 Milestone Two Guidelines and Rubric
Draft of Theoretical Foundations and Draft of Program Selection For Milestone Two, you will submit a draft of theoretical foundations (Section II of your final project) and a draft of your program selection (Section III of your final project), including all critical elements as listed below.
For the draft of your theoretical foundations (Section II), you will apply contemporary developmental psychology research and classic and contemporary theories to the selected developmental issue. You will examine the selected developmental issue through the lens of each of the core themes of nature vs. nurture, continuity vs. discontinuity, and stability vs. change. This section of Milestone Two should be one to two pages in length.
For the draft of your program selection (Section III), you will research and select a program that targets the developmental issue selected in Milestone One. It will be critical that you research the program at a high level to determine if there is enough research and data available to provide a full evaluation as required for the final project. It is highly advised that you review the program evaluation criteria in the rubric for the final project prior to completing this milestone. The nature of the program as a promotional, preventative, or prescriptive program should be clear and well supported by the information, and the selection criteria for an individual to become part of the program should be described in detail. A detailed review of the methods utilized by the program to meet its intended goals is required. The program selection includes an examination of which developmental theory provided the foundation for the development of the program and its methods. This should include a review of how well the program remains aligned or consistent with the foundational developmental theory, as well as the ways in which it may vary in its assessments and methods. In your response, consider which theory may better align with the elements that are inconsistent with the primary or stated developmental theory. This section of Milestone Two should be three pages in length.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed in your milestone submission:
II. Research and Theoretical Foundations: Apply contemporary developmental psychology research and classic and contemporary theories to the selected developmental issue.
A. Analyze contemporary developmental psychology research in explaining the selected developmental issue. In other words, what does research have to say about the evolution of your selected developmental issue? Be sure to support your position with specific examples.
B. Apply the three core themes of developmental psychology to the selected developmental issue.
i. Where does the selected issue fall on the continuum of nature versus nurture? Be sure to substantiate your claims with specific scholarly research.
ii. Where does the selected issue fall on the continuum of continuity versus discontinuity? Be sure to substantiate your claims with specific scholarly research.
iii. Where does the selected issue fall on the continuum of stability versus change? Be sure to substantiate your claims with specific scholarly research.
III. Program Selection: Identify an existing program that targets the selected developmental issue for prevention or treatment.
A. Discuss the target of the program in terms of whether the program promotes healthy development, targets prevention of a developmental issue, or provides actual treatment for an issue. In other words, is the program promotional, preventative, or prescriptive?
B. Determine the extent to which the assessment and treatment methods employed by the program address the selected developmental issue across diverse populations.
2. What is the process for an individual with the selected developmental issue to be admitted to the selected program? What admissions policies or procedures might need to be considered in terms of cultural, ethnic, or socioeconomic standing?
2. What methods are utilized by the program to provide intervention, health promotion, or treatment for the developmental issue with regard to cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic sensitivity?
C. Analyze the selected program’s methods for the developmental theory and research that you feel were chosen to serve as its foundation.
3. Does the program clearly stick to the core concepts of the developmental theory in its approach to assessment? Be sure to substantiate your claims with specific examples and research.
3. Do the treatment or intervention methods vary from what the developmental theory would support or recommend? Be sure to explain your rationale.
3. How might the assessment, prevention, or treatment methods be aligned with a different developmental theory? Be sure to justify your position with research.
What to Submit
Students should provide a five- to six-page essay as a Microsoft Word document that thoroughly addresses the critical elements outlined above in APA format. No abstract is necessary, and title and reference pages will not be credited as part of the page count.