Understanding the Challenges in Assessing Young Children

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Understanding the Challenges in Assessing Young
Children

• Gerard M. Kysela, Ph.D.,
• Professor Emeritus,
• The University of Alberta,
• and
• Clinical Director,
• The Family Centred Practices Group.
• www.familycentred.ca

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Principles of Family-centred Practice

• include families in decision-making, planning,
  assessment, and service delivery
• develop services for the whole family
• services are guided by families priorities
• families have choice regarding the level of their
  participation.

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Presentation Topics

• Resilience and Capacity Enhancement
• The Ecological Model
• The Family Adaptation Model
• Family/Child Centred Assessment Practices.

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Resilience

• Maintenance of positive adjustment under
  challenging life conditions
• A process (not a trait)
• Protective processes
• Risk processes
• Why use resilience?
• Shifts our consciousness from pathology to
  capacity
• Alerts us to the possibility that positive
  adjustment processes may differ by environment
  (challenging life conditions vs typical life
  conditions)
• Luther, S.S., Cicchetti, D., Becker, B.
  (2000). The construct of resilience A critical
  evaluation and guidelines for future work. Child
  Development, 71(3), 543-562.

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Protective ProcessesIndividuals Families

• social competence
• reading skill
• sense of responsibility
• problem solving
• feelings of control
• plans for future
• optimism
• history of success
• history of reinforcement
• seeks support
• detaches from conflict

• effective parenting
• attachment
• warmth and affection
• cohesive support
• structure within the family
• coping skills
• expectations of members
• good partner relationships
• strong extended family
• extracurricular activities
• responsibilities outside the home
• Mangham, McGrath, Reid, Stewart, 1994

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Protective processes in communities

• mutual support
• collective expectation of success in meeting
  challenges
• high level of community participation
• organize cooperatively
• volunteerism
• egalitarian treatment of community members
• optimism
• empowerment (control over policy and programming)
• Mangham, C., Reid, G., McGrath, P., Stewart,
  M. (1994).
• ResiliencyRelevance to health promotion.
  Atlantic Health Promotion
• Research Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax,
  NS. Health Promotion Directorate, Health Canada.

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The Ecological Model of Development
Macrosystem

• Microsystems - Daily
• Mesosystems - Family School
• Exosystems - Local Structures
• Macrosystems - Beliefs and Mores
• Proximal and Distal Influences

Exosystem
School Board
Workplace
Mesosystem
Family
Friends
Child
School
Day Care
Microsystems interactive
Media
Industry
Dominant beliefs/mores
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The Family Adaptation Model
Beliefs
Coping Skills
Hassles Uplifts
Family Adaptation
Social Supports
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Family/Child Centred Assessment Practices

• Family-centered practices are based on the
  philosophy that a childs abilities to learn and
  grow are intertwined with the strengths, needs,
  and philosophies of their parents and other
  family members
• Goal is to enhance the natural capacities of the
  family to identify needs/risks, mobilize skills,
  and set their own priorities for intervention.

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Common Practices in Family Centred Practices

• Inform parents of the purpose and intent of all
  assessment measures and procedures
• Accept direction from families regarding goals
  for their child, information and resources they
  need, and priorities they would like to see
  addressed
• Provide a variety of supports that fit with
  various styles, strengths and preferences
• Use clear, jargon-free language as well as
  helping families become effective communicators

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Common Practices in Family Centred Practices

• Help families view the assessment and
  intervention process in a positive light
• Understand the family within their context and
  accommodate all individual differences
• Value, believe and respect all information that
  you receive from parents - keep it in the
  strictest confidence
• Help families see similarities between themselves
  and their peers

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Practices One Tries To avoid

• Invading privacy
• Unfairly raising expectations of family members
  regarding treatment gains
• Telling families what they NEED to do
• Under-emphasizing the importance of team work
• Isolating the child as the client