A therapist's guide to children's self-esteem

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Occupational Therapy
• Child Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Self-esteem is a key concept for pediatric occupational therapists, but its definition and application vary.
• Understanding the developmental nuances of self-esteem is crucial for effective clinical practice with children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define self-esteem using Susan Harter's model.
• To apply this definition to occupational therapy practice with children.
• To guide evaluation and intervention strategies for children's self-esteem.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Susan Harter's model of self-esteem as a theoretical framework.
• Reviewed developmental characteristics influencing children's self-esteem.
• Discussed implications for occupational therapy evaluation and intervention.

Main Results:

• Young children's self-esteem is often linked more to perceived parental acceptance than competence.
• Children typically cannot accurately verbalize their self-esteem levels until age 8.
• Evaluation should consider self-report vs. observer-report and target domains important to the child.

Conclusions:

• Occupational therapists should use a developmental lens when assessing and intervening in children's self-esteem.
• Interventions should focus on self-esteem dimensions that are both low and perceived as important by the child.
• Re-evaluation should measure changes in targeted self-concept domains.