Selecting the appropriate framework continued

3) Selecting the appropriate framework continued -

Time

Time is a critical factor to consider before drawing meaning from what you observe. Observers should be cautious about interpreting behavior without observing a child multiple times and across multiple situations. For example, time is an important consideration when observing the style of attachment between the children and parent/caregiver. The children’s reactions to the parent/caregiver may vary greatly depending on the environment where the observation takes place and the length of time they have to spend together. There are many factors that impact the time and situations in which children can be observed. Sometimes, court appointed visitations do not allot an appropriate amount of time for children to get comfortable with their visiting parent/caregiver, especially if they have been separated for an extended period of time. Often times the amount of time given to visiting parent/caregivers is determined by the court. This is a circumstance that should be considered when you are interpreting your observations. The child’s schedule is important to consider as well, such as nap or feeding time. All of these factors can impact how the children act and what is appropriate for their level of development, which changes what CASAs observe and the quality of information gleaned from an interaction.

Stage of Development

Infants and toddlers are growing and changing rapidly. It is essential to consider behaviors through the multiple lenses of developmental ages, stages, and issues for their age range. For example, the behavior of a one year old that screams and cries when mom moves out of sight has a different meaning than a four year old who does the same. This may indicate the type of relationship between the parent/caregiver and child. However, if the four year old has a significant developmental delay, the intense separation anxiety may not be the result of the relationship with the parent/caregiver.

Context

The overall context of an observation including physical environment, the presence of an observer, expectations about the observation, is one of the most important considerations when making sense of any observation.

The physical environment and knowing how children balance multiple relationships are key to your observation. Children should be observed in a safe, comfortable environment, with safe, familiar people and in the most naturalistic fashion. Children can often sense stress or tension that may be happening between various people during a visit. In turn, this can cause them distress and/or change how they interact with those involved in the visitation or time of observation.

Home visits are one place where observations will need to take place, since this is one of children’s most natural environments. During a home visit, it is often a good idea to tell the parent/caregiver that you will be observing and gathering information. This simple step sets a tone of respect towards the parent/caregiver and ensures you are starting the observation by building a relationship with the parent/caregiver on terms they agree with. Try to make observations in various contexts and with different people in the child’s life. This will give you a well-rounded understanding of the contexts in which they live.

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