Normal cognitive, emotional and behavioural development — formative SAQs

SAQ 1 (10 marks)

Parents of a 28-month-old say he has “daily meltdowns” when told no. He uses two-word phrases, points, enjoys pretend play with cars, recovers with a calm parent, and has no skill loss. ^{[1] [3]}

1. Explain the developmental reason tantrums are common at this age. (3) ^[3]
2. Outline your bedside assessment of cognition, emotion and behaviour. (4) ^{[1] [2]}
3. Give three counselling points and one safety-net that keeps this on a normal-variation pathway for now. (3) ^{[4] [12]}

Model answer

Desire and motor autonomy often outrun inhibitory control and language for self-calming at toddler age. ^[3] Assess caregiver concern, observe play/problem-solving, emotion peak and recovery, joint attention/gesture/words, and caregiver co-regulation; document domains against evidence-informed expectations. ^{[1] [2]} Counsel routines, prevention of hunger/fatigue triggers, brief safe limits with recovery connection; safety-net return if aggression becomes injurious, skills regress, or function collapses across settings. ^{[4] [12]}