Achievable logoAchievable logo
CCMA
Sign in
Sign up
Purchase
Textbook
Practice exams
Support
How it works
Resources
Exam catalog
Mountain with a flag at the peak
Textbook
Introduction
1. Medical assistant
2. Electronic records
3. Medical terminology and anatomy
4. The fundamentals of infection control
5. Introduction to vital signs
6. The patient interview and history
7. The physical examination
8. Appointment scheduling
9. Insurance billing
10. Diagnostic coding and the ICD-10-CM System
11. Procedural coding
12. Medical billing and reimbursement essentials
13. Assisting with medical specialties
14. Assisting with the musculoskeletal system
15. Assisting with the cardiovascular system
16. Assisting with the respiratory system
17. Assisting with the nervous system
18. Anatomy and physiology of the urinary system
19. Assisting in obstetrics and gynecology
20. Assisting in endocrinology
21. Assisting in ophthalmology & otolaryngology
22. Assisting in gastroenterology
23. Assisting in the immune & lymphatic systems
24. Assisting in pediatrics: the developmental stages and care
24.1 Assisting with pediatric examination and screening
24.2 Growth, development, and therapeutic approaches for young children
24.3 Therapeutic approaches for older children and developmental theory
24.4 Pediatric diagnostic procedures
24.5 Pediatric treatments and the adolescent patient
24.6 Diseases and disorders in pediatrics
25. The medical assistant’s role in caring for the older patient
26. The role of the medical assistant in physical therapy examination and assessment
27. Preparing for minor surgery: room, solutions, and supplies
28. Introduction to the clinical laboratory
29. Urinalysis
30. Blood collection
31. Analysis of blood
32. Electrocardiography and heart structure
33. The principles of pharmacology
34. Essential calculations and measurement systems
35. Solid, liquid, & solutions medication doses
36. Administering medications
37. Metabolism and core nutrient roles
38. Medical emergencies in the healthcare setting
Achievable logoAchievable logo
24.3 Therapeutic approaches for older children and developmental theory
Achievable CCMA
24. Assisting in pediatrics: the developmental stages and care

Therapeutic approaches for older children and developmental theory

4 min read
Font
Discuss
Share
Feedback

School-aged children have perfected fine motor skills and can paint, draw, and play an instrument. They enjoy team activities and are expanding their reading and writing skills. Their intellectual skills are developing, and social skills are going through refinement as a sense of self-achievement and self-worth is developed. During this time, the child learns and tests the rules for socializing outside the immediate family as an independent individual.

Therapeutic approaches for school-aged children (7 to 11 years)

  • Allow choices when possible, such as which arm to use for an injection.
  • A parent or caregiver should always be present during examinations.
  • Remove only as much clothing as needed for the examination or procedure.
  • Explain procedures in concrete terms; use pictures and diagrams when possible.
  • Give the child time to ask questions.
  • School-aged children often are curious, and can be cooperative if they know what is expected of them.
  • Address the conversation to the child; involve the child in decision making as much as possible.
  • Provide privacy.

Adolescence, or the transition stage, is the time when the individual attempts to establish an adult identity. The teenager proceeds by trial and error, experimenting with adult roles and behavior patterns. Traditional values learned in childhood may be questioned, and peer relationships take on new importance. During this time, teenagers must develop the emotional maturity and motivation to make reasonable decisions. They look to family members for encouragement and guidance in making decisions that will help them develop self-confidence and become patient, in addition to becoming less impulsive and self-centered.

Therapeutic approaches for adolescents (12 to 18 years)

  • Adolescents are self-conscious and strongly influenced by peers.
  • Privacy is very important to them.
  • Address how a procedure might affect the adolescent’s appearance.
  • Do not be judgmental; listen without condemning.
  • Encourage the adolescent to verbalize his or her concerns and fears.
  • The adolescent may regress to more childish behaviors when sick.
  • Teenagers want to be treated as adults; they want to know what is being done and why.
  • To promote an honest discussion about lifestyle issues, encourage the teenager to see the provider without the parent present.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) weight status categories

At a well-child visit the medical assistant measures height and weight and plots the child’s BMI on a CDC growth chart for their age and sex. The resulting BMI-for-age percentile places the child in one of four weight status categories.

Weight status category Percentile range
Underweight Less than the 5th percentile
Normal or healthy weight 5th percentile to less than the 85th percentile
Overweight 85th percentile to less than the 95th percentile
Obese Equal to or greater than the 95th percentile

Developmental theory

Psychologists have been researching and developing theories about human behavior since the beginning of the 20th century. Erik Erikson, a developmental psychologist, expanded on Sigmund Freud’s work. Erikson’s theory recognizes the cultural and social influences on individual development. His theory is based on stages of development that the individual must pass through and master. Each stage focuses on a developmental crisis, starting in infancy and ending in old age. According to Erikson, children must master the following stages:

  • Trust versus mistrust: Infants learn to rely on caregivers; mistrust occurs if needs are not met.
  • Autonomy versus shame and doubt: Toddlers learn language skills and gain independence; they may feel shame and doubt if they cannot meet parental expectations or are overprotected.
  • Initiative versus guilt: Preschoolers actively seek out new experiences; children become hesitant if restrictions or reprimands make them feel guilty or afraid to try more challenging skills.
  • Industry versus inferiority: School-aged children enjoy finishing projects and receiving recognition; they develop feelings of inferiority if they are not accepted by peers or cannot please their parents.
  • Identity versus role confusion: Adolescents face many physical and hormonal changes in this stage. Teenagers work at figuring out who they are and where they fit; they are seeking a direction for their lives. If they are unable to establish an identity and sense of direction, they become role confused.

When working in pediatrics, it can be helpful to understand Erikson’s stages and how you can help someone master those stages.

Sign up for free to take 6 quiz questions on this topic

Previous
Next  | 24.4 Pediatric diagnostic procedures
All rights reserved ©2016 - 2026 Achievable, Inc.

Therapeutic approaches for older children and developmental theory

School-aged children have perfected fine motor skills and can paint, draw, and play an instrument. They enjoy team activities and are expanding their reading and writing skills. Their intellectual skills are developing, and social skills are going through refinement as a sense of self-achievement and self-worth is developed. During this time, the child learns and tests the rules for socializing outside the immediate family as an independent individual.

Therapeutic approaches for school-aged children (7 to 11 years)

  • Allow choices when possible, such as which arm to use for an injection.
  • A parent or caregiver should always be present during examinations.
  • Remove only as much clothing as needed for the examination or procedure.
  • Explain procedures in concrete terms; use pictures and diagrams when possible.
  • Give the child time to ask questions.
  • School-aged children often are curious, and can be cooperative if they know what is expected of them.
  • Address the conversation to the child; involve the child in decision making as much as possible.
  • Provide privacy.

Adolescence, or the transition stage, is the time when the individual attempts to establish an adult identity. The teenager proceeds by trial and error, experimenting with adult roles and behavior patterns. Traditional values learned in childhood may be questioned, and peer relationships take on new importance. During this time, teenagers must develop the emotional maturity and motivation to make reasonable decisions. They look to family members for encouragement and guidance in making decisions that will help them develop self-confidence and become patient, in addition to becoming less impulsive and self-centered.

Therapeutic approaches for adolescents (12 to 18 years)

  • Adolescents are self-conscious and strongly influenced by peers.
  • Privacy is very important to them.
  • Address how a procedure might affect the adolescent’s appearance.
  • Do not be judgmental; listen without condemning.
  • Encourage the adolescent to verbalize his or her concerns and fears.
  • The adolescent may regress to more childish behaviors when sick.
  • Teenagers want to be treated as adults; they want to know what is being done and why.
  • To promote an honest discussion about lifestyle issues, encourage the teenager to see the provider without the parent present.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) weight status categories

At a well-child visit the medical assistant measures height and weight and plots the child’s BMI on a CDC growth chart for their age and sex. The resulting BMI-for-age percentile places the child in one of four weight status categories.

Weight status category Percentile range
Underweight Less than the 5th percentile
Normal or healthy weight 5th percentile to less than the 85th percentile
Overweight 85th percentile to less than the 95th percentile
Obese Equal to or greater than the 95th percentile

Developmental theory

Psychologists have been researching and developing theories about human behavior since the beginning of the 20th century. Erik Erikson, a developmental psychologist, expanded on Sigmund Freud’s work. Erikson’s theory recognizes the cultural and social influences on individual development. His theory is based on stages of development that the individual must pass through and master. Each stage focuses on a developmental crisis, starting in infancy and ending in old age. According to Erikson, children must master the following stages:

  • Trust versus mistrust: Infants learn to rely on caregivers; mistrust occurs if needs are not met.
  • Autonomy versus shame and doubt: Toddlers learn language skills and gain independence; they may feel shame and doubt if they cannot meet parental expectations or are overprotected.
  • Initiative versus guilt: Preschoolers actively seek out new experiences; children become hesitant if restrictions or reprimands make them feel guilty or afraid to try more challenging skills.
  • Industry versus inferiority: School-aged children enjoy finishing projects and receiving recognition; they develop feelings of inferiority if they are not accepted by peers or cannot please their parents.
  • Identity versus role confusion: Adolescents face many physical and hormonal changes in this stage. Teenagers work at figuring out who they are and where they fit; they are seeking a direction for their lives. If they are unable to establish an identity and sense of direction, they become role confused.

When working in pediatrics, it can be helpful to understand Erikson’s stages and how you can help someone master those stages.

More from Assisting in pediatrics: the developmental stages and care

  • Assisting with pediatric examination and screening
  • Growth, development, and therapeutic approaches for young children
  • Pediatric diagnostic procedures
  • Pediatric treatments and the adolescent patient
  • Diseases and disorders in pediatrics