College of Education: Grand Canyon University
EDU 354: Child Development: Prenatal to Adolescence
Biological and Physical Development Scenarios
Scenario 1 (2-year-old): Abigail is 2 years old and has started attending daycare. She has
shown struggles with developmentally appropriate skills, such as walking (not climbing) up
a few stairs with limited assistance, running, and kicking a ball. At her annual well-check
with her pediatrician, she is considered below average on the CDC’s Stature-for-age and
Weight-for-age percentiles (CDC, 2017). Her pediatrician has diagnosed her with low
muscle tone (hypotonia). She is currently living with a foster family who has noted she
seems to be a “picky eater” and sensitive to food textures. They have asked for input on
how best to support her motor development at home.
In this scenario, Abigail has just started daycare and is struggling with the
developmentally appropriate skills for her age. The two parts of the brain that hypotonia effects
is the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system
consists of the brain and the spine, and issues related to the central nervous system account for
60% to 80% of all cases of hypotonia observed in infants and children (Heller & Agarwal, 2022).
For the peripheral nervous system, it is nerves that travel to the muscles. Effects related to the
peripheral nervous system account for 15% to 30% of all cases of hypotonia observed in infants
and children and this can cause hypotonia.
Hypotonia refers to a condition characterized by dull muscle tone. Individuals diagnosed
with hypotonia exhibit a lack of resistance in their joints during movement. This condition is also
commonly referred to as "floppy infant syndrome” (Cleveland Clinic, 2024). The causes of
hypotonia happens when there is a communication fault between the course that controls your
movement. Muscles, nerves, spinal cord and the brain are the pathways that connect. Some
causes include things like brain damage, infections, and lack of oxygen when the baby is born or
before. While hypotonia is not a particular disorder, it is a symptom of other conditions like
genetic disorders like down syndrome, or muscular dystrophy. This can also be linked to non-
genetic disorders like cerebral palsy. They haven’t specifically identified the exact cause of
Abigail’s hypotonia in this scenario.
Environmental factors can both impede and support development. Having access to
healthcare, a good diet that meets her nutrition needs and a stable home environment are all
things that can positively impact her development. Now, things like malnutrition or neglect in
the home could be things that have a negative impact on her development. We see in this
scenario
that her foster family noticed she was a “picky eater” and had food texture sensitivities this could
mean she would need to alter her diet to be able to have that positive healthy nutritional diet.
EDU 354: Child Development: Prenatal to Adolescence
Biological and Physical Development Scenarios
Scenario 1 (2-year-old): Abigail is 2 years old and has started attending daycare. She has
shown struggles with developmentally appropriate skills, such as walking (not climbing) up
a few stairs with limited assistance, running, and kicking a ball. At her annual well-check
with her pediatrician, she is considered below average on the CDC’s Stature-for-age and
Weight-for-age percentiles (CDC, 2017). Her pediatrician has diagnosed her with low
muscle tone (hypotonia). She is currently living with a foster family who has noted she
seems to be a “picky eater” and sensitive to food textures. They have asked for input on
how best to support her motor development at home.
In this scenario, Abigail has just started daycare and is struggling with the
developmentally appropriate skills for her age. The two parts of the brain that hypotonia effects
is the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system
consists of the brain and the spine, and issues related to the central nervous system account for
60% to 80% of all cases of hypotonia observed in infants and children (Heller & Agarwal, 2022).
For the peripheral nervous system, it is nerves that travel to the muscles. Effects related to the
peripheral nervous system account for 15% to 30% of all cases of hypotonia observed in infants
and children and this can cause hypotonia.
Hypotonia refers to a condition characterized by dull muscle tone. Individuals diagnosed
with hypotonia exhibit a lack of resistance in their joints during movement. This condition is also
commonly referred to as "floppy infant syndrome” (Cleveland Clinic, 2024). The causes of
hypotonia happens when there is a communication fault between the course that controls your
movement. Muscles, nerves, spinal cord and the brain are the pathways that connect. Some
causes include things like brain damage, infections, and lack of oxygen when the baby is born or
before. While hypotonia is not a particular disorder, it is a symptom of other conditions like
genetic disorders like down syndrome, or muscular dystrophy. This can also be linked to non-
genetic disorders like cerebral palsy. They haven’t specifically identified the exact cause of
Abigail’s hypotonia in this scenario.
Environmental factors can both impede and support development. Having access to
healthcare, a good diet that meets her nutrition needs and a stable home environment are all
things that can positively impact her development. Now, things like malnutrition or neglect in
the home could be things that have a negative impact on her development. We see in this
scenario
that her foster family noticed she was a “picky eater” and had food texture sensitivities this could
mean she would need to alter her diet to be able to have that positive healthy nutritional diet.
