Introduction
A medical professional must always be aware of the specifics of each age group and how to address them accordingly, as patients’ needs differ greatly based on age. Children between the ages of 6 and 12 are not an exception, possessing unique needs and characteristics. Hence, it is imperative for a pediatric doctor to be aware of these characteristics in order to give their patients proper treatment.
Brain Growth and Developmental Changes
Children between the ages of 6 and 12 face several changes regarding brain growth. There are two significant periods of brain growth in middle and late childhood. Between ages 6 and 8, there are noticeable increases in eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills. Then, between the ages of 10 and 12, the frontal lobes mature, and improvements in reasoning, forethought, and memory become obvious (Lang, 2020).
When kids start elementary school, their understanding of social norms grows along with their potential to become more modest and demand more privacy, especially around adults (Lang, 2020). Children may start looking for sexual content in the media due to showing romantic and sexual interest in their friends to puberty (Lang, 2020). Thus, children during this age are more capable of logical thinking and reasoning, as well as motor skills and coordination, and are entering puberty, becoming more reserved around adults and taking more interest in sexual behavior.
Modifying Assessment Techniques
Hence, the above-mentioned characteristics must be considered when modifying assessment techniques for children of this age. They can provide more information on their current physical state as they are more capable of logical thinking. However, due to puberty, they are more reserved in the company of adults. Hence, it is essential to be careful while assessing children of this age group on the topics of sexuality and adjacent issues to get a better picture of the state of their health. Lastly, as their muscle mass and motor skills increase, they may take an interest in sports, which can, in turn, lead to injuries (Suwarjo, 2020). Thus, a medical professional must consider that a school-aged child is more capable of logical reasoning, is more reserved around adults, and can have more severe injuries due to a higher capacity to receive them.
Case Study: Assessing an 11-Year-Old
These considerations can be used in an assessment of an 11-year-old child. During this age, they are physically active and possibly engaged in sports (Suwarjo, 2020). As the child is entering puberty, they may have begun to explore their sexuality. Furthermore, according to Piaget’s cognitive development theory, this child is entering the formal operational stage, learning to think and reason abstractly and logically (Sanghvi, 2020). Potential findings from the assessment may include physical injuries from sports activities, as well as injuries resulting from early exploration of sexuality.
While communicating with such a patient, it is necessary to build rapport, as 11-year-olds are more reserved with adults than other children. Moreover, it is possible to use logical arguments and more complex explanations while talking to the patient, as they are more capable during this stage of development than younger kids. Thus, a child at the age of 11 will probably be physically active and entering puberty while being able to reason and think logically and abstractly, improving communication with the doctor.
Conclusion
Thus, children between the ages of 6 and 12 have some unique characteristics compared to people of other age groups. They tend to have better motor skills and physical development than younger children while developing logical and abstract thinking. Moreover, they tend to be more reserved around adults due to the start of puberty. Thus, they are better at conveying information about their well-being while also possessing a greater capacity to receive injuries due to a higher interest in sports and exploring their sexuality. To summarize, a medical professional must know these features to adapt their assessment and treatment of school-aged patients.
References
Lang, D. (2022). Individual and Family Development, Health and Well-being. Iowa State University Digital Press.
Sanghvi, P. (2020). Piaget’s theory of cognitive development: a review. Indian Journal of Mental Health, 7(2), 90–96. Web.
Suwarjo, S. (2020). Physical-motor development in children at elementary school – article review. Physical education and sport through the centuries, 7(2), 247–255. Web.