Child/Adolescent: Due October 1 2013
Gender: Female
Age: 9 Years old
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Bio psychosocial factors affecting interview
What did you learn from this interview? What communication strategies worked very well?
I learned that a school age child has a good logical thinking. She understood the sequence of events and she liked the explanation of scientific rationales. I learned that children at this concrete operation of cognitive development stage are very good listeners and quick learners. They are also very sharp and curious. She asked questions and she could understand when I explained things in more detailed manner. She also could still comprehend the more complex part of our interview and my explanation.
Visual aid worked well in the communication. I was able to use a visual aid to explain what tooth cavity was, and the client asked questions about how it worked and why it happened. The teach-back method was helpful as well. I was able to know whether the information I just provided was received and understood by the client. There were also great strides in terms of development. She used body language whenever she did not understand. For instance, she would shake her head whenever she did not understand anything. She also used tonal variation whenever asking any question. What surprised me most about the child was the fact that at every stage of our conversation, she would ask questions. She was very curious. Another point that I learned is that a child easily adapts to his or her environment. At first, I could see her reluctance to carry out the interview. Perhaps it was the inner fear that everybody, including adults have whenever they meet a person. Nevertheless, the kind of coolness and easy adaptation that the child inhibited was a shock to me. She was also very friendly, though I was a total stranger.
What strategies or areas need improvement?
The developmentally appropriate language was something I needed for improvement. I should have been aware of my client’s development stage. Consequently I should not have talked to her like she was a little child. This is because she was or is in the concrete operational stage. For future interviews, I should asses the client’s development stage. I should not also make assumptions about the client based on what my previous experiences were. The child’s development is at a very critical stage and bound to confuse. Her mannerly behavior showed indication of a person who was aware of her situational stage and accepted. For instance, her dressing code and her behavior showed a child on the process of being mature. She was very respectful and never used bad language in front of me. Unlike others, she was not rude and behaved very official with me. She was also courteous and not arrogant.
