OBSERVATION PAPER

Observation Paper: Child Observation

Observation Paper: Child Observation

Background

The child that I chose to observe was a nine year old boy that I will refer to as Bob. Bob is a highly gifted child who, unfortunately, suffers from cerebral palsy, as well as panic attacks. His parents are divorced and he lives with his mother, who has remarried. His father has also remarried, and he does have contact with him, though the relationship is somewhat strained. He comes from an upper middle class background, and has no brothers or sisters. I observed Bob in the waiting room for about an hour (his mother was good enough to bring him in for his appointment a little early so that I could observe him). The room contained many toys and books for varying ages, as well as a number of magazines for both kids and adults. The walls were covered with different pictures and posters, and there were a number of chairs.

Observation

Bob's mother, Molly, helped him into the office by supporting him under his arms. His upper body works normally but he has trouble with his legs, particularly his lower legs, and is unable to walk on his own. His mother took him immediately to the corner of the room containing the toys and books, then lowered him to the floor. Bob picked out a science book that appeared to be geared towards children a few years older than he. Laying on the floor, he began to read aloud and frequently questioned his mother, who sat in a nearby chair, about pronunciation of words, as well as dates and background information on famous scientists mentioned in the text. His mother answered all of his questions, and when she did, he engaged her in further conversation about the subject until he was sure that he understood. His mother was then called into the office to speak with the doctor alone. Before leaving, she asked Bob if he needed to use the restroom (he needs her help to do so).

He told her he was fine, and she went into the office. At this point, Bob and I were the only two people in the room. He continued to read aloud after his mother had left. With her gone, he engaged in private speech when he came to a word he did not know, or a subject he was unfamiliar with. His conversations with himself were very similar to those he had with his mother. About ten minutes after his mother had left, Bob began looking over at me occasionally, but only for a second before going back to his reading. When he was unsure of a word, he repeated it several times before moving on. His reading grew gradually quieter until I could not always make out the words.

At one point, he came across a word that he did not know and began reasoning to himself as follows: “This must be an English word…although I speak English, so maybe it's from a different country… or maybe ...