Monday, January 27, 2020

How Hearing Impairment Can Impact Psychology Essay

How Hearing Impairment Can Impact Psychology Essay For this assignment I aim to focus on the importance of lifespan development theory when appreciating the effects of hearing impairment on an individual. I aim to concentrate on the lifespan development of a child in its infancy stage (0-2 years). Human development or also known as the developmental psychology is the study of systematic emotional changes, psychological changes and social changes that occur throughout an individuals life span. The study analyses the individuals physical development, cognitive development which involves learning, interaction and problem solving and emotional and intellectual development. By evaluating human development it is effortless to understand the changing or arrangement of beliefs, worry, desires and skills that occur at different periods of the life cycle (Mussen et al., 1974). Hearing is now clearly identified as being crucial to early communication, speech and language development and active learning. Children with hearing impairment may therefore lag behind in communication skills, intellectual achievement and social performance. Therefore as a healthcare professional it is valuable to appreciate the different stages of lifespan development when trying to understand the individuals awareness and behaviour. The earlier the hearing impairment is recognized and treated the smaller the severity of the impact on the development of the child (ASHA, 2012). Case scenario In order to respect patient confidentiality I will use the name Ellie for my case scenario. Ellie is a 1 and a half year old girl who attended the appointment for a hearing test with her mum and her four siblings. Ellie is part of a big family of seven and Ellies mother is a very heavy smoker and smoked all through her pregnancy with Ellie. Her mother reports that Ellie is quite an aggressive girl and doesnt attempt to socialise with her siblings and other children her age. In addition, she reports that Ellie doesnt pay attention to her when given requests or instructions. Ellie passed her new-born hearing screening, however after great encouragement from us Audiologist VRA (visual reinforcement audiometry) and tympanometry was performed revealing that Ellie has a moderate flat conductive hearing loss. Due to concerns of Ellies lack of speech and language development and behaviour problems, valuable information about grommets or a hearing aid was supplied to the mother. However, Elli es mother was in disagreement about any of these options. Therefore Ellie was given a follow up appointment to see how she is getting on. I have chosen this case I will be able to truly see how hearing impairment affects the physical, social and cognitive development of an infant. Discussions In order to assess an infants condition immediately after birth it has now become essential to perform a quick test such as an APGAR test devised by Virginia Apgar in 1953 (MedlinePlus, 2009). This assessment is taken place instantly on the new-born to detect how well the heart is beating, their colour, respiratory rate, general response to stimulation and their muscle tone. The new-borns are then given an Apgar score which is rated out of 10, with a score above 7 meaning the new-born is in no danger, and a score of 4-6 meaning the new-born has some difficulty breathing and may have possible long term risks. However with an Apgar score of less than 3 the new-born is said to be in a critical condition and requires immediate special support or treatment (Bee and Boyd, 2007). From the gathered history taken from Ellies mother, Ellie underwent a normal birth with no significant abnormalities occurring therefore Ellie must have been given an Apgar score of above seven. According to Arnold Gesell children develop at different rates, however their patterns of development are all constant (Mussen et al.,1974). The development of an infant can be analysed in three different ways- their physical development, social and cognitive development. Physical development is at its greatest between the ages of 0-2 years and is essential for children providing them with the abilities to seek the world around them. For the first year of a childs life the main apparent physical development is the immense growth changes that occur to the body. By the age of one the body length would have increased over a third of the original length (20 inches) and the weight would have gained approximately triple the original weight (7.5pounds). These physical developmental changes proceeds from the head downwards (Cephalocaudal) to the trunk outwards (Proximodistal) (Fitxgerald et al.,1977). Therefore by having these normative values we can tell if a childs physical development is lacking. Ellie was born as a low birth weight baby possibly as a result of the mother smoking throughout the pregnancy. Low birth weight babies like Ellie generally progress slower through the developmental stages but generally catch up in the first two years (Vasta et al., 1999). However Ellie is now one and a half and has no apparent physical developmental abnormalities. The bones of an infant are much softer than adults bones as a result of higher water content. These bones then harden through the developmental stages of an individual up to adolescence in a process called ossification. A new-born babys skull has the ability to compress without damage during birth as it is separated by spaces named fontanels. By Ellies age the fontanels would have been replete with bone developing into a singular combined skull bone (Bee and Boyd, 2004). In the first few years of an infants life there is an accelerated growth in the human brain with the greatest development occurring in the midbrain. The cerebral cortex and the cerebrum enclose the midbrain and control the construction of language, consciousness, problem solving, thinking and learning. Thus an infants life commences with a set of beneficial natural responses called reflexes. A reflex is an involuntary movement in response to any stimuli. According to the psychologist Jean Piaget the beginning of an i nfants life is all to do with movement and so most of the infants actions are reflexive (Davenport, 1994). Most of these reflexes may be adaptive reflexes or also known as survival reflexes in which assists the infant to swallow, breath, grasp or suck involuntary. Whilst the primitive reflexes are not essential for their survival, it only gives a good suggestion of the status of the infants neurological system. Examples may be of the Babisnki reflex (as the sole of an infants foot is stroked the big toe enhances with the other toes spreading outwards) ; and the Moro reflex (startle reflex extending arms and legs after loud noises). With Ellies case these reflexes have disappeared which is normal for her age and demonstrates that there is no damage to her nervous system (Mussen et al., 1974). Infants are born with surprisingly good set of perceptual skills and so are fully equipped to follow objects that are 12 inches away, distinguish pitch and level of sound and recognize parents faces from others. By one month old the infants posture and large movements should be fully developed. The infants arms would be more active than the legs, the infant will turn head away as you rub its ear, their head will descent loosely unless supported however the neck muscles will start to develop at this stage (Sheridan, 1975). During the VRA testing it is apparent that Ellies small and large motor skills such as handling of small objects, hand-eye coordination, grasping, sitting upright and walking seem to be fully developed. However her language development was lacking which may be due to her hearing loss. Ellies mother raised a slight concern on Ellies ability to talk. During the appointment Ellies speech was very difficult to understand and her sentence structures were as to be expecte d from a child with a hearing loss. Infants with a hearing loss often cannot hear speech sounds and therefore misinterpret and misuse their vocabulary. Developmental problems such as speech and language may also contribute to a reduced academic achievement and social isolation from the children which can be remarkably distressing for the parents (ASHA, 2012). Erik Erikson was the first psychologist to develop the psychosocial model of personality, which is the foremost known model of development and personality. He believed that development is constant throughout ones life. Eriksons model expresses how a childs social experiences influence an individuals value of self and their personality (Mcleod, 2008). Like Erik, John Bowlby (1907-1990) was another theorist concerned with child development which created the attachment theory. Bowlby suggested that an infants personality is influenced by their childhood relationships. According to Bowlby: children come into the world biologically pre-programmed to form attachments with others, because this will help them to survive (Cited from Mcleod, 2007). Children who fail to form this real attachment by around 6 months of age tend to be less sociable, less emotionally mature and more aggressive. Therefore for a positive and healthy development of a child like Ellie it is essential for a strong attac hment between the infant and the primary caregiver (usually the mother). However Ellies positive behaviour and social skills seemed to be lacking. A child similar to Ellie with a significant hearing loss may often feel isolated as they cannot communicate therefore it is vital at this stage for the mother to understand this and meet their childs needs (Shaffer, 1993). From informally assessing Ellie behaviour and her mother it is clear that this initial bonding may be absent between the two. Vygotsky the theorist believed that a childs development associates mostly to mental development, being language, interpretation processes and thought (Cattan and Tilford, 2006). However Jean Piaget (1896-1980) concluded that a childs cognitive development is formed from a distinct series of stages. He believed that a childs cognitive development skills take place due to advancement of the brain and the childs abilities to interact with their surroundings. Piaget characterizes the development of children into four set stages with each stage symbolizing the childs appreciation of the reality and its surroundings at that stage. The first two years of an infants development is regarded to as the sensorimotor stage. During this stage the child learns and experiences the world around them through their senses and movement. The child accomplishes an activity and by repeating this activity they are able to advance on their new knowledge and awareness (Bee and Boyd, 2004). Piaget termed the cognitive structures as schemes (set of activity, anticipations and memories that allow the child to understand their surroundings). Therefore for Ellie to keep up with her cognitive development she must have good coordination between her sensory (hearing) and motor actions (movement). Ellies cognitive development might be underdeveloped as she receives less sensory information due to her hearing loss and therefore has less motor actions. The effect of a hearing loss on the cognitive development of a child like Ellie is rather intricate due to the different ways cultures, families and human kind respond to children whom attempts or fails to talk and communicate due to their hearing loss (Mayberry, 2002). There are also learning theories involved in cognitive development. Ivan Pavlov devised the classically conditioned model, which is described as a learning process that takes place when an unfamiliar stimulus is presented into the system. As the new-born is repeatedly conditioned to the same stimuli (brush cheek before feeding), this stimuli will become a conditioned stimuli in the course of time. Operant conditioning is also classed as a learning process as the new-born learns and interacts through the use of reinforcement such as a toy, smile, attention or food (Bee and Boyd, 2007). During the VRA testing, Ellie was conditioned to move her eyes in the direction of the sound source and rewarded visually by a lighted up toy (BATOD, 2012). After great encouragement Ellie performed a positive VRA test and therefore show no signs of abnormal learning process. Starting at the age of 1 and increasing until the age of 5, repetitive and exploratory play is very common in children. At around Ellies age it is expected of children to be able to push and pull large toys, carry a toy, grasp crayon, enjoy coloured books and perform VRA testing. However in Ellies case and for any child with a hearing loss these normal behaviours might be deficient or absent as hearing and speech are the vital implements to learning process, play and development of social skills (Sheridan, 1975). Hearing is essential to a childs development, yet children with hearing problems continue to be an under identified and undeserved population (Cited from ASHA, 2012). Not only does a childs hearing loss affect the childs development it also affects the parents/primary caregivers involved inflicting feelings of anxiety on their new responsibilities for their child. Therefore it is essential to provide the parents or the primary caregivers the vital information and advice on t heir childs hearing loss for the childs positive development. Ellies mum needed great encouragement on this in order to improve Ellies self-esteem and help her to positively develop (ASHA, 2012). Conclusion Hearing impairment has a great effect on the childs social life, cognitive and learning development. Ellie has proven to have normal physical development; however her cognitive and social development and speech and language capabilities are evidently hindered by her hearing impairment. It is therefore essential to supply the family of the child with any valuable information that will benefit the childs development and stress the importance of early intervention. The earlier the hearing impairment is recognized and intervened the greater the developmental outcome. Without knowing the normative of a childs developmental process it is hard to analyse the exact cause of the childs behaviour. Â  Ellies hearing loss has evidently delayed her revealing and acceptant communication skills (speech and language) leading to her social seclusion and low self-esteem. Â  Her aggressive behaviour and her lack of interest in others can be explained by her lack of auditory input and therefore lack of her ability to effectively communicate. Â  It is important for Ellies mum to appreciate the challenges that Ellie is faced before managing them properly herself. Â  However it is also crucial to support the entire family through Ellies developmental progress and early family concentrated intervention is advised to advance Ellies language and cognitive development (ASHA, 2012). An additional appointment was made for Ellie to see if they have changed their mind regarding to trying a hearing aid, however Ellie will continue to receive advice and care from us Audiologist, a specialised paediatrician and speech and language therapist throughout. Â  From this case study I am able to fully appreciate the effect that a hearing impairment has on the developmental process of a child. Â  However I am also very aware for the future of the importance to support the entire family when attempting to provide the best care for a child similar to Ellie. Why is ellie aggressive and dont socialise..can categorize them into being naughty straight away. Important that ellie gets enough attention she needs to help her develop, but important that this doesnt overurule the development of other kids. Vital to give all info need to parents and stress on the importance of early implementation better outcome. http://www.asha.org/About/news/Press-Releases/2011/Do-You-Understand-The-Effects-Of-Hearing-Loss-On-Your-Child-s-Development.htm http://unitron.com/unitron/global/en/consumer/children-c/supporting.html http://asha.org/public/hearing/disorders/effects.htm http://entcentre.com/FAQs/impact_of_hearing_loss_in_childr.htm http://unitron.com/unitron/global/en/consumer/children-c/supporting.html http://www.asha.org/About/news/Press-Releases/2011/Do-You-Understand-The-Effects-Of-Hearing-Loss-On-Your-Child-s-Development.htm conclusion?

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Discipline and Management Essay

Included in this essay is a comparison between discipline and management also behavior and misbehavior. Beginning the essay is a short definition and a short word picture of discipline, management, behavior and misbehavior. Next is a comparison of how each are different, similar, related. Discipline is described in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary as first being â€Å"punishment† or then further down states it is â€Å"training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character. † In our text book, Building Classroom Discipline, C. M. Charles states that discipline in the classroom is â€Å"Teachers’ efforts to maintain classroom decorum and secure student’ cooperation and exercising self-control. † Discipline should not be thought of as punishment but instead a learning road of self-control. Discipline is a person’s ability to conduct appropriately or a short word picture could be[pic]. With in the classroom, management is a written plan of action so that class runs smooth. Webster dictionary describes management as â€Å"conducting or supervising of something†. Management is the process of controlling and discipline is the act once management has failed. Management and discipline are interrelated and work together to for a common plan and a smooth ran class. If there was no [pic] (management) designed the discipline would not work. Webster’s dictionary states that behavior is â€Å"the manner of conducting oneself†. Behavior described in our text book Building Classroom Discipline â€Å"is the totality of one’s physical and mental activities. † Behavior is everything that we do whether good or bad. One word that best describes this is[pic]. Misbehavior is considered as a person’s actions â€Å"that disrupt teaching, interfere with learning, demean others, or otherwise violate the moral codes of society. † (C. M. Charles 2008 p13) In Webster’s dictionary they describe misbehavior as â€Å"a bad manner of conducting one self. † Both of the terms are related however [pic] (misbehavior) is the disruption of behavior as a whole. Behavior is the bigger picture and misbehavior is a smaller unit within behavior. The two are interrelated and you can not have one with out the other. With the appropriate action taken in advance misbehavior could be minimized. There are different types of misbehavior and some are more serious than others but none of the less takes away from instruction. This is why it is very important to have a discipline plan devised. In the above essay is a comparison between discipline and management also behavior and misbehavior. Beginning the essay is a short definition and a short word picture of discipline, management, behavior and misbehavior. Next is a comparison of how each are different, similar, related. To complete this essay is a short description of why it is important to have a discipline plan.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Boundryless Org Essay

1. Identify some of the problems likely to occur in a boundaryless organization like Newskool Grooves. What are the Advantages of boundaryless organizations? Some issues that have occurred at the Kiev offices, managers there said that their computer programmers find working with little structure is uncomfortable. They are used to the idea of a strong leadership structure and well-defined work processes. Trying to reach co-workers in other offices who practice boundaryless organization has become an issue for some managers. They said that when they call the office they say to wait until their meeting day which is an issue because they have an immediate issue and cannot always wait until they decide to get together. Developers working on hardware in different locations had a communication breakdown which required many hours of discussion to resolve which could have been avoided if they were all on the same track. The developers seldom met face to face and all made progress but all of them moved in different directions with the product development. An advantage of boundaryless organizations: Boundaryless organizations communicate mainly through email, phone and other virtual methods rather than more traditional face-to-face communication. The freedom to telecommute with international employees removes geographical barriers to productivity and allows for schedule flexibility. By organizing expert employees in groups and giving them decision-making authority, these companies can change quickly to meet needs and function efficiently in an ill-defined hierarchy. Employees no longer work in isolation but work as part of a team on broad, company-wide projects, quality management, just-in-time methods, lean production, and supply-chain management,† reports US Legal. To be successful, you should feel comfortable in a chaotic free-form workplace and have an ease of working with people to orchestrate the incredible amount of networking required. When employees manage and coordinate their own projects, it fosters a sense of pride in the ability to change and meet the demands of the situation fostering a strong work ethic. 2. Consider some of the cultural issues that will affect a company operating in such different parts of the world and whose employees may not be representative of the national cultures of each country. Are the conflicts you observe a function of the different types of work people have to perform? In this boundaryless company, headquarter in Berlin, Germany, structure outsourcing company in Kiev, Ukraine, marketing in Los Angeles, so many different employees with different cultures are all collaborate working together to achieve organizational goals. Employees are also very diverse in values, personality, and work preferences which are deep-level diversity. Some cultural issues that are sensitive will rise in the workplace and create unpleasant things among employees. Employees might not be working together well as they will have fighting in the decision making. A good research in understanding various biological characteristics like gender, race, ethnicity, age, or disability, will better the surface-level diversity. Almost all employees are creative and like to accept challenges. Therefore, in this similar personality and work preferences, they should be emphasized in working with others as a team. Training for team building with different cultures people will be quite important. Looking at the conflicts in Newskool, like the difficulties in decision-making and employees fighting to do what they perceive is better compare to the others. It takes time for the company to come with one decision as all of the employees can participate in decision making. People that are so diverse will suggest different solutions, reflecting their different cultures. Maybe it will be good to have a proper discussion in decision making, and only few managers can have the power in making decision in the discussion. It is not a function of different types of work people have to perform. As people from different areas or departments can contribute their opinions and ideas in the same work that require one decision. Another conflict will be inefficiency. Yes, different people must perform different tasks in their organization, but Newskool is boundaryless. When Gerd, the founder and the CEO does not satisfy, he asks his employees to redo the work tasks. It will cause a waste in resources as Gerd perceive something differently from his diverse employees. Sometimes, it is good to have hierarchy as people can know who to refer, which department to function and so on. This conflict is a function of different types of work people have to perform. The employees that are sometimes so dominant and think their works are correct, refuse to listen to Gerd and do things according to their own way. 3. Based on what you know about motivation and personality, what types of people are likely to be satisfied in each area of the company? Use concepts from job characteristics theory and the emerging social relationship perspective on work to describe what might need to change to increase employee satisfaction in all areas. Types of people are likely to be satisfied are competent, anxious, empowered and open people. This based on self efficacy theory; this theory refers to an individual’s belief that he or she is capable of performing task. People who posses self efficiency believe that they are capable in behaving in a way that produce that outcome they want. In Newskool Groovers, their employees are participates in decision making and innovation, creative and competent people. Because technology plays a major role as a communication medium in the boundaryless organization, much work is done from a distance via e-mail, phone, and fax. Less work is done in traditional face-to-face settings. Virtual collaboration makes it easier to use the expertise of a broader range of individuals. With telecommuting, international employees are more easily made a part of all business processes. Employees often like the freedom that boundaryless work offers them, particularly with virtual teams and more flexible work plans, arrangements, and schedules. Due to that, employee in company satisfied with the area of the company. Characteristic employees in company are likely competent and strong team skills. Concept job characteristics theory a model that proposes that any job can be described in terms of five core dimension: skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback. Based on this theory, to ensure employee satisfaction in all area in Newskool Groovers are by creating and maintaining a common task and group climate to focus groups and teams on the tasks at hand and on overall strategies, focus is on how to move ideas, information, talent, and decisions where they are most necessary, increase individual skill to do a task, hence he or she is encouraged to do it, regardless of title or position, jobs are rewarded on the basis of doing the jobs, not for accomplishing the necessary work. Thus, personal accountability for the work is discouraged at the expense of accountability for the job. Boundary-less Organizations An organization has external boundaries that separate it from its suppliers and customers, and internal boundaries that provide demarcation to departments. This rigidity is removed in boundary less organizations, where the goal is to develop greater flexibility and responsiveness to change and to facilitate the free exchange of information and ideas. It is made up of self-managing and cross-functional teams that are organized around core business processes. The teams include employees from different functional areas as well as customers and suppliers. Advantages Boundary less organization is able to achieve greater integration and coordination. They are able to adapt to environmental changes. Disadvantages However, it can be difficult to overcome political and authority boundaries. It can be time consuming to manage the democratic process to coordinate the efforts of many stakeholders. Companies are moving toward network structures, a group of organizations which coordinate activities via contracts, not a hierarchy. Companies are using outsourcing, transferring activities to outside organizations such as suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors. Network structures are becoming complex. Nike keeps R&D in-house but outsources other functions to companies around the world. Advantages of Network Structures 1.Production costs reduced through partners with lower costs 2.High bureaucratic costs avoided with a flat structure 3.Organic organizational behavior 4.Partners replaced for unmet performance expectations 5.Access to low-cost foreign sources of inputs and expertise Disadvantages of Network Structures 1.Coordination problems emerge, followed by lack of cost reduction and improved quality 2.Difficulty in replacing partners and keeping proprietary information from competitors 3.Difficulty in obtaining ongoing learning to build core competences The Boundaryless Organization The boundaryless organization connects people by computers, faxes, video teleconferencing, and computer-aided design systems. Functional experts join an organization to meet a contract and then go to another project, but unlike members of a matrix structure, they are not part of the organization. Outsourcing offers increased flexibility and reduced costs. Designing an organizational structure is an increasingly complex management activity.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee - 1436 Words

This book is a story that revolves around a girl named Scout Finch. Scout has a brother named Jem, a father named Atticus, and a friend named Dill. The characters live during the 1930s in a town in the southern United States called Maycomb that is filled with drama, racism, and mean old women. In the story, â€Å"To Kill A Mockingbird† by Harper Lee, there is a girl named Scout who acts as the narrator of the story. The key events in the story are about either Scout’s childhood, or about Atticus’s job as a lawyer, who had to defend a black man named Tom Robinson against a white woman who claims that she was harassed by Tom. In the end, Boo Radley helps Jem and Scout after they are attacked by Bob Ewell. The three main characteristics in the†¦show more content†¦During this time, racism was very popular in the southern United States, especially in court. In a case with a black man vs. a white woman, it is almost guaranteed that the winner is white, despit e the evidence, or lack of, to support their claims. The truth is that every racial group has some people who are considered immoral. You know the truth, and the truth is: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women--black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men. There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman without desire. (Lee 273) In this quote, Atticus tells the court the truth about everyone and the reason people who are racist are not open-minded. Atticus explains that the jury’s decision should not be affected by the color of the defendant’s skin. A white man could have done the same supposed crime that a black man also committed, but the jury would have made a different decision based solely on the fact that a black man was accused for a crime. Atticus also claims that a court is the best place to be open-minded. But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal---there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller,