History of Child Development
The field of child development has a new origin and is very disciplined. It derives from three major branches of psychology. Experimental, psychoanalytic and clinical psychologists. It is also based on research from various disciplines, including medicine, biology, anthropology, sociology, public health, social services, neuroscience, and education (Berk, 2013; Gander & Gardiner, 2015). Child development studies help to develop realistic expectations about children, to pay attention to what should be paid attention during the development process, to recognize the deviations from normal behavior of children and to provide appropriate guidance (Doğan & Baykoç, 2015).
Who is a Child Developmental Specialist and What are their duties?
With the development of child development, the concept of child development has emerged. Child developmental specialists; graduates of faculties and schools providing education in the field of child development; ensuring that children can live in a healthy environment and increase their quality of life; from birth until the end of the adolescence period, mental, language, motor, self-care, social and emotional development areas, evaluating the child from a developmental perspective, taking part in child health monitoring, supportive, developmental programs, children, family, professionals and community service, providing health services Developmental Child Neurology Association (2016). Child Developmental specialist provides developmental support programs for children between 0-18 years of age, who develop and support all developmental areas of children with special needs and hospitalization, prevent developmental deviation, and develop developmental deviations. Child Developmental specialist works in the fields of health, education, social services and other sectors.
Child Developmental specialist working in the field of health does developmental support studies in the Child Development Unit, Developmental Pediatrics, Inpatient Services, Game Rooms and in other units where child developmental specialist should be present in hospitals. Polyclinic services are provided in the Child Development Unit.
Operating system of the unit occurs family interview, developmental evaluation and development follow-up steps. In the family interview, general information about the child and the family is obtained and the reasons for the application are received. In developmental assessment, the development profile of the child is extracted, standardized and informal assessment tools are developed based on the chronological calendar age and diagnosis of the child. In the development follow-up, suggestions and assignments are discussed in detail as a result of the interview with the family and child assessment (Doğan & Baykoç, 2015).
Child developmental specialist working in the field of education can work as academic staff in associate, undergraduate and graduate education staff in universities. Child Developmental specialists, who can take part in Special Education Institutions and Guidance and Research Centers of the Ministry of National Education, carry out the studies of physical, mental and social development of individuals according to their age levels, and prepare individual education programs according to the characteristics of individuals. They follow the development and education of the individual and cooperate with the relevant professional staff for the children who cannot demonstrate the expected development. They can be appointed as a teacher to the educational institutions of the Ministry of National Education provided that they have not completed the Secondary School Area Teaching Non-Thesis or Pedagogical Formation Program.
Child developmental specialist working in the field of social service can work as Child Developmental specialist in Children and Youth Centers. They work in the production and implementation of plans and projects.
Child developmental specialists, at the Ministry of Family and Social Policies, are responsible for identifying children's developmental levels, supporting and overseeing their development.
The Child Developmental specialist who work in the Conservation Care and Rehabilitation Centers follow the child in order to ensure the adaptation of the child to the center and make a case presentation during the professional work process. A Child Developmental specialist who is assigned to social services and works on the admission and adaptation of the child to the center is responsible for the implementation and evaluation of the development programs necessary for the emotional, cognitive and social development of children.
The Child Developmental specialist who work in the Ministry of Family and Social Policies Directorate General of Child Services in Children's Houses are responsible for carrying out professional studies related to the care and care necessary for the adaptation of the child adopted by the coordination center to the child house.
They prepare and implement educational programs related to their physical, mental, emotional and social development in line with the age, disability, interests and needs of each child. Child Developmental specialists can take part in Family Counseling Centers at the General Directorate of the Ministry of Family and Social Policies provided that they complete the family counseling education program that complies with the determined standards.
Child developmental specialists working in the Ministry of Internal Affairs can work at the General Directorate of Security, Children's Branch / Bureau. They are responsible for investigation of physical, psychological and sociological factors of children pushed into crime, development of plans and programs to eliminate delinquency. In addition, they are responsible for providing guidance to the victim child and his / her legal representative, who have been exposed to neglect and abuse, fleeing from the home or institution, living in the street and working on the street, the victim, drug and substance addicted child.
Child Developmentists can work in Unıcef, Ilo and Volunteer Organizations (NGO) as project producer, manager and consultant.
REFERENCES
BERK, E. L. (2009). Child Development. Onur, B. (Çev. Edt.) (2013). Çocuk gelişimi. Ankara: İmge Kitapevi.
DOĞAN, A. & BAYKOÇ, N. (2015). “Hastanede Çocuk Gelişimi Birimi’ne Yönlendirilen Çocukların Değerlendirilmesi”, Hacettepe University Faculty of Health Sceinces Journal. 1, s. 101-113.
DOĞAN, A. ve BAYKOÇ, N. (2015). Türkiye’ de Bulunan Üniversitelerin Lisans Programlarının Çocuk Gelişimi Açısından İncelenmesi. Sözel Bildiri. Uluslararası Katılımlı III. Çocuk Gelişimi ve Eğitimi Kongresi “Erken Müdahale”, Ankara.
Gelişimsel Çocuk Nörolojisi Derneği (2016) https://www.gcn.org.tr/adresinden alınmıştır.
