Intentional Observation

Intentional Observation

Making an intentional observation of a child, their biological parent, extended biological family, foster parent/caregiver, etc. can help you when gathering information about a child’s development, behavior, strengths, and needs. When you enter a new household, there can be many new people and unfamiliar things happening all at once. Using the elements of a developmental perspective to focus what you look at is a way of making an intentional observation. This does not mean putting up blinders to any other type of information you may gather. Rather, it should be used to help you focus on what is most important – the child and his/her needs.

Because the information you gather will be used to make important decisions about children’s and families’ futures, intentionally focusing on the components of development – healthy relationships, developmental milestones, impact of risk factors, protective factors – can help CASAs better interpret what they see happening in a child’s relationships, environments, and developmental path. By intentionally using a developmental perspective to observe, you are better able to have an objective point-of-view because you are surveying and documenting children and families’ strengths, challenges, and needs through a science-based, factual lens, not personal opinions or judgments.

Having a developmental perspective and knowledge of early childhood development helps all observers recognize the hallmarks of development, such as the style of attachment children have with their parent/caregivers. Key behaviors and skills of young children are evidence of children’s abilities and can show if they are typically developing or exhibiting developmental red flags.[1] This information can be documented in CASA notes, reports, and be used to make recommendations. You can also use this information as the basis for seeking an outside opinion or refer a child for further assessment.

Part of making purposeful observations is identifying one’s personal values and biases when approaching families. These values are based on your own cultural contexts, preferences, and values. Entering an observation with this awareness can help you separate any subjective inferences you may instinctively make. It can also help you set your sights on objective, observable actions. This approach is especially important because different cultures, ethnicities, and socioeconomic levels have different expressions and reflections of healthy child development. For example, the relationships children have with their parent/caregivers, how they interact with others, and communicate their needs, wants, and emotions can be very different depending on the parent/caregivers' upbringing and background. Another example is, although families may be at a lower socioeconomic level and unable to provide many toys for children, there is still the possibility they can provide stimulating environments for children in a variety of ways.

REFLECTION QUESTION

What are some possible biases that might influence an observation of a child and parent/caregiver?

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