ABSTRACT
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Evaluation Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Clinical Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Family-Child Relationships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Developmental Stages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Oral Sensory (Birth to 18 Months)/Central Issue: Trust vs. Mistrust . . . . . 130 Muscular-Anal (18 Months to 3 Years)/Central Issue: Autonomy
vs. Shame and Doubt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Locomotor (3 to 6 Years)/Central Issue: Initiative vs. Guilt . . . . . . . . . . 132 Latency (6 to 12 Years)/Central Issue: Industry vs. Inferiority . . . . . . . . 134 Adolescence (12 to 18 Years)/Central Issue: Identity vs. Role
Confusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Young Adulthood, Middle Adulthood, and Maturity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Concluding Remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
The unique difficulty of life care planning for children arises from the constant social, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive changes that occur over the course of a child’s development. This ever-changing picture ensures that the impact of a catastrophic life event will differ depending upon the age and developmental stage of the child. In adults, a specific type of injury or insult may yield much the same picture whether it occurs at 33 or 38 years of age; however, a child’s outcome and the supports needed to maximize functioning differ greatly when
the child’s injury occurs at age 3 versus age 8. Utilizing a clinical psychologist in the life care planning process can provide a valuable understanding of the extent of disrupted development and the likely impact on developmental tasks the child has not yet had the opportunity to master. In addition, the psychologist can evaluate the impact on the family and determine the supports they will need to function effectively. This understanding can be critical to the development of a complete and appropriate life care plan (LCP).
