Introduction
The purpose of this family assessment is to gather adequate information about the child and the family. Children with disabilities have unique developmental and functional needs that should be met by the family. The child in question has Down syndrome, and he is under the age of three. Down syndrome is an intellectual disability; the child has difficulties communicating, processing information and managing daily living. Down syndrome also comes with physical developmental challenges. Thus, the purpose of the family assessment to evaluate how the parents are meeting the unique needs of the child as he continues to develop.
The family assessment questions are classified into three: family concerns, family priorities, and family routines. A family assessment of priorities, resources, and concerns relating to a special needs child is done over a long-term period. Parents gain insight about their child as the child grows and develops, and yet family priorities, resources, and concerns may also change over time.
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Assessment Questions
Family Concerns
1. Can you tell me about your daily routine with the child? What happens in the mornings? Afternoons? Nights? Weekends?
2. What makes your child happy, laugh and/or smile?
3. What type of activities do you do with your child regularly?
Family Priorities
1. What are the activities that you and your child have to do?
2. What are your child’s interests? What things does your child enjoy and what holds your child’s attention? (e.g., people, places, things such as toys, dog, being outside)
3. What routines and activities does your child not like?
4. What are your child’s strengths, skills, and accomplishments so far?
Family Resources
Which family members or other caregivers spend considerable time with the child, and in what settings does this occur?
2. Are there activities that you used to take part in before your child was born that you would like to do again?
3. What new activities would you like to try with your child?
Interview with the family
The interview with the family is used to gather individualized information about how a child participates in everyday activities in various settings. Family members have different perspectives and experiences with the child, and they can give the full picture of the child’s development. The household is a nuclear family with both parents and an older child who is five years old. The mother stays at home to take care of the children while the father works at an engineering firm. The mother reported that being a stay-at-home mum helps to keep track of her children and provide the best care for her youngest child who has special needs. The rest of the family takes time to bond with the child after school or work. The interview with the mother who is the primary caregiver took longer as she had a lot to say and many concerns about the child. The rest of the family also appeared genuinely invested in the wellbeing of the child. The father shared his fears and worries on whether they were doing everything they are required to do for the child to develop well.
Assessment & Interview Results
The family assessment offered insights on how the family and the child are copying. The child appears well adjusted for a child who is about to turn three. The child communication skills have improved as she can produce about 50-100 intelligible words, a developmental milestone that his parents are ecstatic about it. The goal is to achieve regular and meaningful communication with comprehension of 250-500 words. The child produces intelligible words but needs to improve on it.
The assessment does not focus on the child’s communication skills only; it also evaluates the child’s gross motor and fine motor skills. The child can run, jump, and walk up and down the stairs without any assistance. During the assessment, the child was throwing around a ball and running after it showing his ability to handle playground activities. The child also demonstrated bilateral coordination through his play. He can hold two toys at the same time or feed himself. He showed pre-writing skills such as drawing lines, writing scribbles or coloring without any assistance.
The child’s daily routine starts with waking up and breakfast. The child goes to a local pre-school with typically developing peers. Once the child gets home; both children read a bit before playing. The child is in the process of mastering a few Down Syndrome Education books for his age. The child plays with his sibling, but his mother remains watchful all the time. During the interview, the mother watched the child keenly. The family knows a lot about what makes the child happy, his routine, interests, and dislikes. This shows that the family is invested in the wellbeing of the child. According to the mother, the child enjoys certain snacks, playing with blocks, playing with his sister and watching cartoons. The child is a creature of habit, and the mom reported a hard time introducing new things or getting him to stop doing something he likes. For example, the child used to cry a lot at the beginning of the weekly therapy sessions, but now he is used to them.
The child has achieved some independence; for instance, he can wash his hands, brush his teeth, or eat some snacks on his own. The child is unable to do more such as dressing himself, and he is yet to be potty trained. The mother is having problems with saying no to the child in most cases or letting him do things on his own. He has a lot of toys, and the parents go out of the way to buy him whatever he needs, or they think he needs. The parents do so to make his life easy. The child is also loved by his grandparents who spoil him with gifts and attention. In the end, when the child does not get what he wants, he throws an epic tantrum until his parents give in.
From the family assessment, the child shows impressive functional development. Parents have established a routine that works well with the child. The mother is particularly interested in the child’s wellbeing such that she obsessively notices small things, for example, the inability to learn a particular word or how he likes to keep his building blocks. The father wants the child to be more independent as the child is about to start grade school.
Thus the goal for the child is to demonstrate improved self-help skills through increased independence at home and in school. The child will independently eat simple food on his own such as yogurt with a spoon with minimum spillage, which will be measured through trials. The child will remove his coat, including unzipping himself or wearing his pants on his own. The mother will desist from helping the child or doing everything for him until he learns to do them on his own.
