Case Study 1

Case Study
Kaitlyn Jones
College of Southern Nevada

Case Study 2
Case Study
Every child is different. Through observations it has been found that there are
developmental milestones most children of similar age meet. I chose to observe a student named
KH to see what developmental milestones he meets and does not meet. KH is a six-year-old
African American male. He is the youngest child in his family and only lives with his mother.
KH has a half brother that recently moved to Texas with his grandmother, cousins, and siblings
because he was not behaving in school. I was recently informed by KH that he had an older
sibling who died when he was much younger. KH does not know who his father is. In the after
school program there are only women listed on his pick up list which tells me that he is typically
surrounded by females. KHs family is in the middle class; his mother works long hours so his
grandma or moms friend usually picks him up. I have been observing KH for eight months in
the after school program I work for. I have observed his behaviors closely due to the fact that he
behaves quite aggressively. I observed him specifically for this assignment for a total of 3 hours
but arrived at some of my conclusions based on behaviors I have seen over time.
Physical
For the most part KH meets the physical developmental milestones stated by the Child
Development Guide (DSHS Fosterparentscope Training n.d.). KH is full of energy. Compared to
his peers his age he has a lot more energy than them. Because he has so much energy it is hard to
get him to sit down long enough to talk to him. Eventually, I was able to talk to him and he
informed me that he loves peanut butter and immediately moved on to telling me all the games
he loves and hates. The list of games he did not like was quite short and stayed the same every
time he told me but the games he liked continued to change. When he starts talking it is hard to
get him to stop because he gets so excited. He also fidgets and moves a lot when he is talking to

Case Study 3
others. I think this is due to his high energy level. Sometimes KH gets so into the game he is
playing that he forgets to go to the bathroom and ends up wetting himself. This happens very
rarely and it usually is a little bit and then he runs off to the bathroom. KH is very aware of the
differences between male and female which I think is influenced by the fact that females
surround him. KH is often getting in trouble for talking about the other genders body parts and
informing young kids about these body parts. KH is also notorious for kissing girls. Despite this
KH has no desire to play house or doctor instead he would rather play some kind of fighting
game with his peers.
There was one physical developmental milestone that I found KH did not meet, which is
clumsiness. KH is actually quite coordinated compared to his peers. Most of his peers trip over
their feet quite often, but for KH he often only trips because he was either pushed or he tripped
over his shoelaces. Today I observed KH jumping like a frog while he was throwing a ball, he
then also caught the ball while jumping like a frog. This just showed how coordinated KH is for
his age. I think his high energy level kind of contributes to his coordination. Since I have known
him he climbs on everything and balances on anything he can get onto. I think since he has so
much energy it has allowed for him to develop a coordination level that is uncharacteristic for his
age. KH is also quite short and skinny, since he has not seemed to have a growth spurt yet that
might be contributing to his lack of clumsiness.
Snowman states that children KHs age typically are very active which results in nervous
habits during sedentary activities, still need rest periods, have great large muscle control but lack
fine coordination, and that they tend to be extreme during physical activity. KH demonstrates all
of these characteristics. During snack or homework time KH tends to chew on his shirt, which I
have identified as his nervous habit since he does not do it during any other period of the day.

Case Study 4
KH also often gets tired which causes him to become overwhelmed and emotional. Because of
this we have designated a quiet spot for him where he can go and take a nap or just rest. KH is
very active and quite coordinated but he still has a hard time holding a pencil and opening his
snacks, which shows that he still lacks fine coordination. Lastly KH can be very extreme in his
behaviors during physical activity. He loves to jump off of anything he can climb onto and often
gets in trouble because he plays too rough during physical activities (Snowman/McCown, 2013).
For the most part KH meets a majority of the physical milestones presented. Based on
Maslows hierarchy of needs I believe that KH has for the most part fulfilled his needs in order to
excel physically. Based on his high energy I definitely believe he has fulfilled the physiological
and safety level. Since KH is notorious for kissing girls I would assume he has fulfilled his need
for belongingness and love. On the flip side though he could be kissing girls because he does not
get that attention at home and so he is attempting to fill his need for belongingness and love in an
inappropriate manner. Since working with KH he has demonstrated very little respect to adults
aside from his family. This leads me to believe that he has not made it to the esteem level. In
order for KH to move to the esteem level and potentially achieve self-actualization on a physical
level KH must achieve a sense of belongingness and love. On a physical level I would
recommend that his family enforce positive reinforcement. By promoting his positive behavior
not only will his negative physical actions potentially stop but KH might also begin to feel a
sense of belongingness and love (Snowman, 252).
For the most part KH meets a majority of the standards established for his age on the
physical level. In order for him to continue growing and reach the milestones I would encourage
him to continue playing frequently especially outside but promote safe play. Snowman states that
children KHs age are still extremely active but tend to be extreme in their play which potentially

Case Study 5
results in injury (Snowman, 53). It would be a hindrance to KHs development if his playtime
were taken away or shortened. In turn this could potentially harm his growth in other areas.
Based on Eriksons theory of industry versus inferiority I would recommend praising KH for
playing appropriately more often than he is criticized. If KH feels that he has been criticized too
often inferiority will result. Inferiority will not only cause him to stop developing on a physical
level but can also delay his growth on an emotional level (Snowman, 19).
Emotional
Emotionally KH meets almost all the developmental milestones listed within the Child
Development Guide (DSHS Fosterparentscope). Since I have been working with KH he has had
a hard time with criticism, blame, and punishment. When he gets in trouble he argues and
complains that he did not do anything. When I finally calm him down he will admit to what he
did. If I tell him he is having a hard day or his behavior is not good he will get very upset. When
he gets picked up every time I have to talk about his behavior he will deny it even if he told me
earlier that he did do it. KH definitely feels that he is the center of attention. He has a hard time
recognizing that there are other kids in the program and that he does not always get what he
wants. For example at snack time he feels that he should get the snack he wants even if that
means taking another kids snack. He often has tantrums when he gets in trouble or does not get
what he wants. A behavior plan has been put into place, which has reduced the tantrums, but if he
finds out he is having a bad day he will throw a tantrum right in front of everyone. His behavior
plan is quite simple and consists of three categories: keeping his hands and feet to himself,
following directions, and using his safe spot if needed. Typically, the best way to get him to stop
is to just let him have his tantrum for a few minutes and then give him a hug. While observing
KH I witnessed him telling other students they were cheating multiple times. Almost every time

Case Study 6
he got out in a game he would tell me that someone was cheating and then get upset when he had
to be out.
The one milestone that KH does not seem to meet is a sense of insecurity due to a drive
for independence. KH is still quite reliant on others; even if he knows how to do something he
still wants help. For example, KH is really good at math yet he still asks me every time he does
his homework for help. Despite this he has a lot of confidence. I would have thought since he is
reliant on others for many things he would be insecure but he is very confident in his abilities
even if he refuses to do them on his own.
Snowman states that at KHs age he is probably sensitive to criticism and ridicule, eager
to please adults, and sensitive to the feeling of others. This seems to be quite accurate for KH.
When KH gets in trouble he immediately begins to apologize and ask for a second chance. He
loves to help the staff and tends to get into less trouble when he is given tasks to complete
throughout the day. When it comes to sensitivity to others feelings KH follows this behavior to
an extent. Snowman states that sensitivity to others feelings often result in teasing which KH
definitely does. Alternatively, when he is asked to think about how the other child would feel he
has a hard time (Snowman/McCown, 2013)
Again I feel that KH is stuck at the belongingness and love stage according to Maslows
hierarchy of needs on an emotional level. Emotionally KH tends to be quite fragile. One second
he is having a great day and the next he is acting aggressively or extremely upset over something
as simple as a snack. When KH is throwing a fit often times staff try to hug him to get him to
calm down, which works with other kids his age in the program. In response to the hug he often
pushes staff away and works himself up even more. When he gets aggressive and upset he is
often heard saying things such as you guys dont even want me here. Recently during a movie

Case Study 7
KH was heard shouting why do you always blame the black kids. Both of these comments lead
me to believe that he does not feel he belongs. In order for KH to move to the next level of
Maslows hierarchy of needs emotionally he needs to feel that he belongs. Once he realizes that
he is a valued member of society no matter what his racial background I believe he will be able
to move past the belongingness and love stage and move onto the esteem level (Snowman, 252).
Again based on Eriksons industry versus inferiority theory I would recommend that KH
be praised for trying instead of being criticized. This will allow him to develop a sense of
industry in order to help him develop a strong self esteem which will help him emotionally
(Snowman, 19). Based on Snowmans theory of emotional characteristics for primary grade
students I would recommend that KH be given helping tasks and be encouraged to have
responsibilities. I would also recommend that KH be reminded that his actions can hurt other
childrens feelings (Snowman, 54)
Intellectual/Cognitive
KH is a very smart kid but he lacks intellectually in certain areas. He typically is very
confident when he speaks, but when he feels that he is in trouble he will repeat bits of what he is
saying over and over. It is almost as if he is losing his train of thought because he is so worked
up. KH also struggles to make choices, when he is given a choice in snacks or prizes from the
prize bin he will sit and stare at the options for minutes on end. He will then ask for them all,
when the answer is no he begins to get flustered over which choice he wants. For the most part
KH has a good memory but he struggles with short-term memory. This is particularly prevalent
when it comes to behavior, I will tell him a rule he needs to follow to have a good day and the
next day he will have completely forgotten. I have found that the best way to get him to
remember things is to tell him multiple times and then ask him to repeat it back to me. I think his

Case Study 8
lack of short-term memory comes from his high energy level. The one standard I would say KH
does not meet is reading and writing. Up until recently KH did not know how to read and
struggled with writing. He now knows how to do both but his still not quite at the level his peers
are at.
According to Piaget at the age of 6 KH would be right at the end of the preoperational
stage. Because of this he might show some characteristics of the preoperational stage while he
might have grown out of other characteristics. According to Piaget's theory KH should have
mastered symbols and symbol systems but their logic is hindered by perceptual centration,
irreversibility, and egocentrism. Because of the environment I have been observing KH in it was
a little bit difficult to determine whether KH followed Piagets theory or not. The one thing I
found was that KH definitely demonstrates egocentrism. For example, KH tends to get violent
when he is frustrated. If staff asks him how he would feel if someone hit him he typically
responds with well my brother hits me all the time so I dont care. This shows that he has a
hard time thinking of other peoples perspectives. I was unable to identify whether he
demonstrated perceptual centration or irreversibility due to the fact that the environment I have
observed him in is primarily play based (Snowman/McCown, 2013).
Vygotsky believed in two concepts, zone of proximal development (ZPD) and
scaffolding. ZPD is a term defined by Vygotsky as the difference between what a child can do
and what the child can accomplish with assistance. Scaffolding is defined as a support system for
early learning phases through demonstrating how to accomplish the task, giving hints, and
providing leading questions. It is unknown to me whether KH is taught in this manner but
despite the fact that he is very dependent on adults help for his work once the adult begins to ask
leading questions he is able to complete the assignment on his own. For example, during my

Case Study 9
observation KH had a math problem on his homework that contained double-digit addition.
When I asked him what the numbers in the tens place added together equaled he was able to
solve the problem with ease. Because I have seen KHs knowledge slowly grow throughout the
year I believe the teacher uses some kind of scaffolding and might teach just slightly in KHs
zone of proximal development (Snowman/McCown, 2013).
Sternberg developed the triarchic theory of intelligence, which consists of three parts:
practical ability, creative ability, and analytical ability. Since the environment I have observed
KH in is primarily play based and when it is homework time he typically refuses to do his
homework it is hard for me to know if he does possess the three components of successful
intelligence. The one component I do know that he demonstrates is creative ability. KH loves
drawing as well as playing imaginary games with his friends. For example, one of KHs favorite
games is pretending he is a power ranger (Snowman/McCown, 2013).
Gardner proposed eight intelligences, which he classified as the theory of multiple
intelligences. His eight intelligences are logical-mathematical, linguistic, musical, spatial, bodily
kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. Again since the environment I have
observed KH in is not a learning environment it is hard for me to know which of the eight
intelligences he possesses. I do believe though that KH is musical. He often says that he loves
the songs that we put on or that he loves the beat to them. His favorite activity is dancing and he
is fairly good at dancing for his age (Snowman/McCown, 2013).
Intellectually, I believe KH is working on mastering the esteem level of Maslows
hierarchy of needs in order to achieve self-actualization. KH is a very smart kid but he lacks that
self-esteem to achieve everything he is capable of. He doubts his abilities when it comes to
schoolwork and often does not respect authority, which leads him to getting in trouble. Often

Case Study 10
times when staff is helping him with his homework he will argue with them over whether they
are right or not. When staff walks away because he is arguing he then tells them he does not
know what he is doing. Once KH improves his own self-esteem and respects authority he will be
able to achieve self-actualization on an intellectual level (Snowman, 252).
In order for KH to advance cognitively I recommend that he continue to spend a large
amount of his time with peers his own age instead of spending most of his time around adults.
According to Piaget peer interactions do much more to encourage cognitive development than
adult interactions do. This is due to the fact that children are much more likely to discuss issues
with other children than they are with adults (Snowman, 29).
Social/Psychosocial
KH meets roughly half the social developmental milestones compared to the Child
Development Guide (DSHS Fosterparentscope). I recently witnessed his teacher telling him that
he needs to start eating his breakfast instead of doing everything else, this is an issue he has been
having in the after school program as well. When it is time to eat he wants to do everything but
eat so he struggles to finish his food within the given time period. KH definitely can be unkind to
his peers as well as a tattletale. During my observation I found him tattling even when he was
doing the exact thing he was tattling for. He also loves being the winner so he often will turn on
the kids he is playing with and say they are not playing by the rules so that he can win. During
my observation the big thing KH got in trouble for was his lack of concentration, bothering
others, and whispering when he should have been quiet.
It was hard to tell if KH met the standards for blaming his mother, identifying strongly
with his father, and not liking affection in public. KHs father is not in his life so he does not
identify strongly with his father but he does seem to have a strong connection to his older

Case Study 11
brother. Aside from his older brother it does not seem like he has many male figures in his life.
Because the only family member he lives with is his mom he does not really blame her for much.
She works a lot so she is not around very much and when she is she is not all that affectionate. I
also could not tell if he had a strong dislike for public affection. He does like to kiss other girls in
his grade though.
According to Erikson KH is in the industry versus inferiority stage. During this stage if
children are encouraged to do well and persevere then industry results but if children are
criticized too often or too harshly then inferiority results. For KH it is unknown to me whether he
has been judged too harshly or not but he does seem to demonstrate a sense of inferiority. During
homework time he often tries to get away with not dong his work and then when he does do his
work he complains that he cannot do it even before he tries. He also throws away all his graded
work whether it has a good grade or a bad grade on it. This leads me to believe that he does not
want his mother to see his grades because he is afraid of the criticism (Snowman/McCown,
2013).
James Marcia believed that a mature identity develops from crisis and commitment. He
then developed four stages, which vary based on the degree of crisis and commitment. The four
stages are identity diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and identity achievement. KH seems to be
primarily in the identity diffusion stage but shows one characteristic from the foreclosure stage.
KH is extremely disorganized and impulsive. His behavior is the biggest indicator of this. One
day KH could have a great day and the next he is getting in trouble constantly. His behavior is
often very impulsive and he shows no indicators of when he is going to act out. KH has low selfesteem when it comes to schoolwork, seems relatively alienated from his mother, and avoids
getting involved in school. The one characteristic of foreclosure that KH does demonstrate is that

Case Study 12
he needs guidance from authority figures. This leads me to believe that KH might be slowly
transitioning into the foreclosure stage (Snowman/McCown, 2013).
Since I have worked with KH I have not seen his mother give him any kind of positive
attention. Because of this I believe KH is stuck at the belongingness and love stage of Maslows
hierarchy of needs on the social level. KHs mom works long hours and often leaves work to
pick him up and then returns to work, so she always seems to be in a rush. It is clear that KH
wants the attention from his mother because he often runs over to her when she arrives. KH also
displays very little acceptance towards other patrons within the program. Currently, he is
constantly saying ew I dont want to be by kindergarteners! I hate them. He has quite a few
friends who are in kindergarten but when patrons his age are around he completely shuns the
kindergarteners in an attempt to fit in (Snowman, 252).
In order to promote social development I would recommend that KH be encouraged to
solve his own conflicts instead of an adult immediately stepping in. This not only will help KH
build social skills but also will promote cognitive growth. Snowman states that although quarrels
are still frequent at his age he should be allowed to work it out on his own unless the
disagreement goes on for too long or becomes aggressive. Snowman also states that competition
amongst friends at KHs age should be discouraged because it can not only become intense but
can also increase their dissatisfaction for each other. Lastly I would recommend that KH be
encouraged to play cooperation games instead of competitive team games. Snowman found that
often children KHs age could become overwhelmed by team spirit. By playing cooperation
games children can grow their social skills without the opportunity to be overwhelmed
(Snowman, 53)
Moral

Case Study 13
According to the Child Development Guide KH exhibits most of the characteristics
common for his age (DSHS Fosterparentscope). It is very common to see KH blaming others.
When he is in trouble he almost always says that it is someone elses fault or will try to tell me
what someone else did instead of what he did. Often times I have to bring the conversation back
to what he did and why. Recently he became very aware of his behavior. He often comes up to
me and asks how he is doing and if he is having a good day. During my observation he found out
he was having a good day and he told me that his mom was going to be proud. He gets very
excited when he has a good day and becomes very proud to tell his mother.
KHs behavior fluctuates very rapidly both throughout the day and throughout the weeks.
It is hard to pinpoint where his behavior stands according to Piagets theory on moral
development due to his rapid fluctuations in behavior. When KH is having a good day he
definitely believes that rules are unchangeable and believes that everyone should follow the rules
established by authority. When KH is having a bad day he does not tend to demonstrate the
typical behaviors. The two behaviors established by Piaget that KH does seem to always follow
are that the extent of guilt he feels is determined by the amount of damage done and that peer
aggression should be punished. For example, recently KH was suspended from the program I
observed him in because he picked a child up and threw him to the ground. For the rest of the
day KH cried not only because he had hurt the other patron but also because he knew his mother
was going to be angry. KH can be an extremely aggressive child when he has decided he is going
to have a bad day. When he is acting aggressively he does not believe he should be punished but
when other patrons are being aggressive he is the first one to say that they should be punished
(Snowman/McCown, 2013).

Case Study 14
Kohlbergs theory of moral behaviors is broken into six stages, which are labeled by
thought process instead of age. The first two stages typically apply to children 8 years old and
younger. Based on my observations KH seems to fall under stage two. Stage two is considered
instrumental relativist orientation, which is the idea that laws should be obeyed by both parties
and should involve an even exchange. I believe that KH is in this stage because when he does
something wrong he often points fingers at whom else did the same thing or will state that the
other child did it to him too. For example, during my observation KH hit another student, when I
called him over to talk to him his response was but he hit me too. Even if KH hit the student
first he still is typically more concerned with the fact that the student hit him back so it makes his
actions okay (Snowman/McCown, 2013).
Gilligans view on moral development is more based on gender than it is on age. Gilligan
believes that females approach moral dilemmas from a caring, helping, and cooperation
standpoint whereas males approach moral dilemmas from a justice, fairness, and individual
rights standpoint. KH seems to comply with Gilligans view. KH is always worried about what is
fair. For example, if he gets hit he often hits the child back. His rationality for this is that it is fair
since they hit him. Because KH does not approach moral dilemmas from a caring standpoint he
also does not seem to follow Noddings care theory. There is a chance that he has not developed
a caring relationship due to the fact that his mother works long hours and he seems to not have
much of a relationship with her (Snowman/McCown, 2013).
Due to KHs aggressive behavior I believe he is stuck at the esteem level of Maslows
hierarchy of needs. KH pretends to really not like kindergarteners and often will try to pick fights
with them simply because they are younger. It really boils down to him not respecting the
younger patrons. He also often tries to steal from younger patrons or even convince them to give

Case Study 15
him their belongings. Typically it seems to the staff that he knows they are younger and therefore
sees them as easy targets. He also loves to argue. In the mornings when I see him I will say good
morning and he will respond with leave me alone. Both of these behaviors tell me that he has not
quite achieved respect and fulfilled the esteem level (Snowman, 252)
As KH approaches the next moral stage I would recommend that KH become more aware
of different viewpoints regarding rules whether this be from peers or adults. I would recommend
this because according to Piaget currently at KHs age he is at the morality of constraint age
where he believes rules are unchangeable. In the next few years KH should be approaching the
morality of cooperation age where it is believed that rules are flexible. By being exposed to
different viewpoints regarding rules he will be able to slowly adapt to the morality of cooperation
stage and hopefully will be able to progress forward (Snowman, 40).
Summary
For the most part KH met the developmental milestones listed in the Child Development
Guide (DSHS Fosterparentscope). He seemed to lack the most in the social developments that
related to his family dynamic. I think his upbringing and family background strongly contributes
to him not meeting those standards. Most of the standards he seemed to meet or exceed. His
behavior is completely normal for his age group and his high energy levels, even though they are
higher than his peers, are completely normal for his age as well.

Case Study 16
References
Washington State Department of Health and Social Services (n.d.). DSHS Fosterparentscope
Training: Child Development Guide. Retrieved from
http://depts.washington.edu/allcwe2/fosterparents/training/cdevguid/cdg08.htm#PHYSICA
L
Snowman, J.S., & McCown, R.M. (2013). Ed Psych. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage
Learning.

Appendix A
Observation Notes
KH

6 years old

Male

One older brother

Lives with mother and roommate

Dad is not a part of his life

African American

Environment and Time Spent Observing

After School program located at the school

8 months

Physical

Full of energy- loves to run everywhere

When having too much fun he sometimes wets himself

Very aware of differences in gender

o Tries to kiss girls and points out female body parts

Does not like to play house or doctor

Loves to talk with mouth open when he is eating

Loves peanut butter

Can list lots of things he hates

Things he likes change frequently

Emotional

Has meltdowns when punished

o Often times after his meltdown he completely forgets why he was upset

Intellectual

Struggles to read and write

Difficulty making choices

o When given choice of snack or prize he always wants multiple or takes a long
time to decide which one he wants
o When given a time limit to pick he begins to have a melt down

Long term memory is relatively good

o Can remember things that happened at the beginning of the year

Not so good short term memory

o Cannot remember rules given to him earlier in the day

Social

Tattles on his friends frequently

Always wants to be the winner

o If he isnt winning he wants to retry or claims that it isnt fair

Hard time concentrating and likes to fool around

o Gets in trouble the most for this

Hard time finishing food on time

o Teacher constantly has to tell him to eat instead of messing around

Never heard him blame his mother

Father is not in his life

Strong bond with brother

Does not mind affection in public

o Loves to kiss others in front of everyone

Moral

Blames others for behavior or will say they are lying

Anytime someone tattles on him he claims that they are lying