Anthony Stiles

Pediatric Nursing

K. Priebe

12 November 2020

Potential Development Reflection

Today, Abby and I had the opportunity to visit Potential Development located on Market St. in

Youngstown, Ohio. We were split up into two different classes. The class I spent the day with ranged

from children of 9 years to 13 years of age. Despite having diagnoses of autism, I was told that only one

of the children (not in attendance on this day) has “true autism.” Their daily schedule went as follows:

Free time, Work 1, Math, Hygiene, Lunch, Work 2, Playground, Social Studies, Dismissal. The staff I

observed were wonderful with the children and knew how to act appropriately to every single situation.

There were 7 children and 3 adults (4 including myself) in our class. The children were very well

behaved, therefore, earning time in the Sensory Room. The Sensory Room was an area in the basement

that was the home of several neon bubble fixtures. The room is typically used to calm down an agitated

child, however, the teachers also use it prophylactically to prevent situations from arising. One of the

children in the class has a tendency to flip from perfectly calm to a state of rage, violence, and chaos in

seconds. In this room he asks to be “squished”. Upon request, the adult with him will take a large

cushion, lay it over him, and proceed to sit on it. This blew my mind that this was a request and I asked

for an explanation; the response was that the feeling of pressure and being cornered actually helped

keep him calm and that it helped the child feel less vulnerable. This was a really great experience, and I

am very happy to have had the opportunity to visit this school.

While the “educator” title is often a standard term for a teacher, the job is quite different when

dealing with children with developmental delays or autism. There are many aspects to consider when

working with these children. It is important to use boundary markers so help clarify a child’s personal

area. A clear and set schedule should be placed in a very accessible and visible spot. Strategies to make
directions and learning expectations clearly understood should be utilized. Structured opportunities for

students to participate in social interactions should be provided. Creating a plan to help the students to

generalize their learning across settings and situations should be a priority.

It is important to recognize the physical and psychological health needs of the child with

developmental delays and/or autism. One of the most important considerations to take into when

working with a child of this nature is that their social skills are not as easily developed. The child should

be given opportunities to work with others in a friendly engaging manner. This could consist of playing

board games, playing video games, collaboratively reading with others, and group play as a whole. It is

important to assist with their development of fundamental motor skills. Fitness, social interaction, and

independence should all be highly encouraged for children with developmental disabilities and/or

autism.

It is important to know the difference between chronological age and developmental age.

Chronological age is simply how old a child is in years. While trying to determine a child’s developmental

age, you find many more aspects to consider. Developmental age measures and individual’s behavioral,

cognitive, and physical development in comparison to a “normal person” of the same chronological age.

It is important to understand that a display of developmental age does not always surface in the same

ways. For example, a 12-year-old child may be able to read and write like other children their age,

however, have the temper and coping skills of a 6-year-old. Parents need to work with professionals to

develop any areas that do not correlate between developmental and chronological ages and address

them as soon as possible in order to create the best outcome.