Running head: DEVELOPMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE SCHOOL-AGED CHILD
Developmental Assessment of The School-Aged Child
Grand Canyon University
434VN
Professor Julie Dean
, 2
DEVELOPMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE SCHOOL-AGED CHILD
Developmental Assessment of The School-Aged Child
The needs of the pediatric patient vary depending on their age, as well as each stage of
development and the expected assessment findings for each stage. An assessment of a school-
aged child from ages 5-12 and their needs will be examined and discussed in the next few
paragraphs. It is very important to have a thorough pediatric assessment of the school-aged child
that is suited for the age of the child as well as what developmental stage they should be in.
School-aged children are ambitious learners, mentally active and understand cause and effect in
situations. During this stage, these children are building self-esteem and they are yearning to fit
in with their peers. It is essential to openly talk about substance and abuse and sexual education
in this stage of life, as children are given more lifestyle choices and they may not always have
the best judgment (Hagan et al., 2017).
Ages 5-12 is a broad range to learn and know the assessment skills necessary that pertain
to each developmental age. The nurse must recognize the growth and developmental stages for
each child’s age group. It is imperative to gain trust, cooperation and encourage engagement of
the child when initiating an assessment with the child (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention [CDC], 2019b). Constructing an affinity with the parents or caregivers will also help
to establish trust with the child. Once this is developed, it is important to incorporate the child in
the interview and assessment process. This gives the nurse the opportunity to assess the child’s
language skills, ability to interpret, think, understand and also look into their social skills. The
nurse may also want to think about providing more privacy with the older school-aged child
when talking with the nurse. Younger school-age children often need to play and have
distractions, as older children can be more interested in talking about school, sports, friends,
extra-curricular activities, etc. (Hagan et al., 2017).
Developmental Assessment of The School-Aged Child
Grand Canyon University
434VN
Professor Julie Dean
, 2
DEVELOPMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE SCHOOL-AGED CHILD
Developmental Assessment of The School-Aged Child
The needs of the pediatric patient vary depending on their age, as well as each stage of
development and the expected assessment findings for each stage. An assessment of a school-
aged child from ages 5-12 and their needs will be examined and discussed in the next few
paragraphs. It is very important to have a thorough pediatric assessment of the school-aged child
that is suited for the age of the child as well as what developmental stage they should be in.
School-aged children are ambitious learners, mentally active and understand cause and effect in
situations. During this stage, these children are building self-esteem and they are yearning to fit
in with their peers. It is essential to openly talk about substance and abuse and sexual education
in this stage of life, as children are given more lifestyle choices and they may not always have
the best judgment (Hagan et al., 2017).
Ages 5-12 is a broad range to learn and know the assessment skills necessary that pertain
to each developmental age. The nurse must recognize the growth and developmental stages for
each child’s age group. It is imperative to gain trust, cooperation and encourage engagement of
the child when initiating an assessment with the child (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention [CDC], 2019b). Constructing an affinity with the parents or caregivers will also help
to establish trust with the child. Once this is developed, it is important to incorporate the child in
the interview and assessment process. This gives the nurse the opportunity to assess the child’s
language skills, ability to interpret, think, understand and also look into their social skills. The
nurse may also want to think about providing more privacy with the older school-aged child
when talking with the nurse. Younger school-age children often need to play and have
distractions, as older children can be more interested in talking about school, sports, friends,
extra-curricular activities, etc. (Hagan et al., 2017).
