Physical Developmental Domain
As it was mentioned in the case description, M.’s overall physical development is within the norm, and so is his physical health. The only area of growth on which M. and special education practitioners have yet to embark is enhancing patient’s fine motoric skills. Well-developed fine motoric skills allow for a refined use of the small muscles in control of the leading hand, especially the thumb and the pointing finger (Libertus and Hauf 301).
It is not possible to dismiss the importance of having control over one’s hands’ motions: once a child improves motoric skills, he or she can learn to draw, write, feed himself or herself, and change clothes. Thus, by expanding and developing the said set of skills, individuals become more independent and self-reliant. Furthermore, they get a better grasp of how their bodies function and how they can have an impact on the outside world through their actions.
M. still has a hard time controlling his emotional outbursts, and it is only logical that whenever he is frustrated with challenging tasks – for instance, to write something neatly – he becomes angry. One of the ways to find a compromise between the necessity of developing motoric skills and fostering M.’s autonomy is to teach him motoric skills in a playful way. M. might find finger painting a fun activity, and his educators might use it as an outlet for his emotions. Another idea is letting him draw with small crayons, pencils, and pieces of chalk, which would put more strain on his hand muscles.
Communication Domain
M. is verbal and responsive when he is with his family; however, once he finds himself surrounded by people who are not close to him, he tends to shut down. Now, going to school involves a great deal of day-to-day communication, and even though M. expresses an interest in certain subjects, academic success is only achievable if he can explain himself. In this developmental domain, the educators’ first goal would be to help M. interact with other children. The second goal would be for M. to overcome his speech blocks.
A great strategy to adopt in this situation would be to foster his involvement in normal everyday situations. Ideally, a classroom should be designed and equipped in a way that it is safe and encourages communication (Gargiulo and Kilgo 160). A teacher should not be a focal point, and M. should be able to see other children’s faces at all times. If he is silent during class, it is unreasonable to expect him to rush into conversations during breaks.
Educators should come up with games that get each child to participate and help M. understand that he can feel free during this activity as no one grades or judges him. A game should have verbal elements: it may include a song, nursery rhymes, or an expression that everyone should repeat throughout the process. Thus, when done properly, involving M. in such an activity will help achieve both communication goals – interaction and verbality.
Works Cited
Gargiulo, Richard, and Jennifer L. Kilgo. An Introduction to Young Children with Special Needs: Birth through Age Eight. Nelson Education, 2010.
Libertus, Klaus, and Petra Hauf. “Motor Skills and Their Foundational Role for Perceptual, Social, and Cognitive Development.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 8, 2017, p. 301.