IS A 6 TO 9 PAGE ASSIGNMENT!

Create and analyze a 1-2-page simulated case study of an infant or toddler with developmental challenges and who shows evidence of genetic and biological factors that affect development.

Then, create a 5-7-page intervention plan based on evidence-based strategies that have proven effective in similar cases and make projections for possible long-term impacts of the child's current challenges.

Note: The assessments in this course follow the successive stages of lifespan development, so you are strongly encouraged to complete them in sequence.

Show Less Early developmental factors can have an influence that continues across the lifespan. The effects of genetic and environmental influences begin before birth.

After birth, the formation of attachment style is a major developmental factor. Psychologists in each area specialization should be prepared to employ evidence-based interventions to address challenges posed by the effects of early developmental concerns.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

Competency 1: Analyze how lifespan development theories and related research explain aspects of human growth and behavior at different ages.

Analyze evidence of a specific attachment style.

Competency 2: Assess the potential impact of individual and cultural differences on development across the lifespan.

Assess the potential impact of individual and cultural differences on development.

Competency 3: Identify evidence-based interventions to address specific developmental issues.

Suggest appropriate intervention processes based on lifespan development theory and evidence from the literature.

Competency 4: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for members of the psychological professions.

Write clearly, with correct spelling, grammar, syntax, and good organization, following APA guidelines.

Competency Map

Check Your ProgressUse this online tool to track your performance and progress through your course.

Toggle Drawer Context

Early Development

Beginning as early as conception, both heredity and environmental influences can affect the development of an individual. As you engage in this assessment, keep in mind that small influences can have a significant impact on a developing fetus. Hereditary diseases, genetics, teratogens, nutrition, and stress are all factors that can influence prenatal development, which in turn, can have effects across the lifespan.

Show Less Once a child is born, the external environment begins to influence development in a huge way. Attachment is one aspect that has been given much attention as having emotional influence during this time. There are direct implications that attachment and temperament can have on the ability to successfully develop and maintain peer relationships into adulthood.

As you review the literature and complete the learning assessment, consider the potential implications of early development for your professional direction. How might you apply your knowledge directly or indirectly to your areas of professional interest?

While early development may seem remote to your professional specialization, consider that the implications may be both direct and indirect.

For instance, if you work in education, you will need to take into account how the permanent influences of early development can affect how a person learns. More indirectly, imagine you are an industrial psychologist working in the field. A female employee returns to work after a maternity leave.

She is withdrawn and appears tired. When she is referred for a consultation, you discover that the employee had contacted Rubella during the first trimester of pregnancy, which caused her infant to be born with a heart defect. Would you be better able to support the employee if you were knowledgeable about the risk factors during pregnancy and environmental agents that could harm a fetus?

Toggle Drawer Questions to Consider

To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community.

Show Less

What are the critical processes and periods for neuroplasticity (changes to the brain) before birth and during the first 2 years of life? What factors can affect them? What remains relatively static (unchanging) after these periods?

What are possible effects of hereditary diseases, genetics, teratogens, nutrition, and stress on prenatal development? What effects persist across the lifespan?

What environmental influences, such as teratogens, can affect prenatal development? What environmental influences are important for development during the first 2 years of life?

What is the relative importance of genetic factors versus environmental factors for early development?

What is the importance of early relationships and attachments during the first 6-8 months of life for social and emotional development?

How might you directly or indirectly apply knowledge of early development to your areas of professional interests?

Assessment Instructions

Note: The assessments in this course follow the human developmental sequence, so you are encouraged to complete them in order.

Part 1: Create the Case

Create a simulated case study, relevant to your area of specialization, of an infant or toddler (birth to 24 months of age) who presents developmental challenges related to factors described by Bowlby's attachment theory, and also shows evidence of biological factors that affect development.

Your case study should be 1-2 pages in length and it should describe:

The infant or toddler and his or her strengths and challenges.

The medical, family, and social context.

The developmental challenges evident in the behavior of the infant or toddler.

Evidence in the case that supports a specific attachment style.

Contextual factors that could affect the infant's or toddler's biological and brain development.

Individual and cultural factors that theory and/or research indicate could impact the infant's or toddler's development.

Any other factors you deem appropriate based on your understanding of the theory and related research.

To develop this case, you should:

Explore theory and research related to development linked to biological and brain factors and influences based on Bowlby's attachment theory.

Identify attachment styles in general and analyze a specific attachment style for the case you are developing.

Locate and read current research on prenatal and infant brain development to describe potential outcomes linked to brain development in infancy or toddlerhood, including important considerations in the case you are developing.

Follow current APA guidelines for style and formatting, as well as for citing your resources. Include a reference list of the scholarly resources you consulted.

Part 2: Early Development Case Intervention Analysis

Research

Complete the following:

Research evidence-based interventions that have been effective in meeting the challenges of the infant or toddler you described in your case study, from the perspective of your own professional specialization (as far as possible).

Explain how the deficits in developmental domains or environmental contexts impacted functioning.

State the recommended interventions that align with your specialization.

Include evidence for those outcomes from the professional literature.

Explore briefly the literature on adult attachment issues, considering that early influences can impact development across the lifespan.

Explain, from the perspective of your specialization, how the attachment style of the infant or toddler could be manifested as an adult.

Explain how this might help in understanding and determining an approach to working with an adult with attachment-related issues.

Structure of the Report

Use the following format to structure your report:

Title page.

A descriptive title of 5-15 words that concisely communicates the purpose of your report and includes the name of the fictional subject. Be sure to follow Capella's suggested format for title pages on course papers.

Introduction.

An overview of the paper contents, including a brief summary (approximately ½ page) of the background information regarding the case study. (The complete 1-2-page case you developed will be included as an appendix.)

Body of the report.

The presenting challenges and primary issues.

An analysis of how lifespan development theory and research may account for the presenting challenges.

An assessment of the potential impact of individual and cultural differences on development for the current age and context described in the case study.

Suggestions of evidence-based intervention strategies that have proven effective in similar cases, supported by citations of research and any applicable theories.

Projections, based on research and/or theory, of possible long-term impacts that the current challenges may produce across the individual's lifespan.

Conclusion.

A summary of what was introduced in the body of the paper with respect to the case study context, challenges, and interventions.

Reference page.

A minimum of five scholarly sources from current peer-reviewed journals, formatted in current APA style.

Appendix.

The simulated case study you created in Part 1.

Other Requirements

Your paper should meet the following requirements:

Written communication: Write coherently to support central ideas, in appropriate APA format, and with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.

Length of paper: 5-7 typed, double-spaced pages, not including the title page, reference page, or case study appendix.

References: At least five scholarly resources (peer-reviewed journals).

APA format: Follow current APA guidelines for style and formatting, as well as for citing your resources in the body of your paper and listed alphabetically on the Reference page.

Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

Note: In graduate-level and professional writing, you should minimize the use of direct quotes. Lengthy quotes do not count toward assessment minimums. It is your interpretation of the material and its application to practice that is assessed.