Title: Children and Adolescents
1Children and Adolescents
2- Learning Objectives
- 1) Understand the process and context of the
development of children - 2) Learn the process of adolescent development
through early, middle and late adolescence
3Development in Infancy
- A.) Dependent upon health and capacities
including motor skills, sensory abilities - B.) Dependent upon availability of attuned,
available, caring adults - C.) Consistency of adult involvement is most
important
4- Importance of learning to communicate and to
obtain consistent reinforcement of communicating
wants and needs
5- Importance of parental affiliation parental
caring for child as he or she is
6- Early motor development enhances relating
capacity and mobility rolling over, sitting,
crawling, walking, climbing, running
7- Motor development both builds autonomy and the
capacity for exploration but also increases the
need for social interaction, supervision and
limit setting
8- Language development begins before age 1 with
babbling, proceeds to single words, putting words
together by age 2 and greater vocabulary and
complexity of syntax through age 5
9- Language development furthers modulation of
emotions and impulses through prefrontal
cortical modulation of arousal
10- Language development also furthers
preoperational, egocentric thinking and capacity
for solitary and peer play
11- Preschool programs require capacity for
nurturance, adult availability, physical play,
routines, rest, use of language
12- Importance of alternatives to language for
developmentally delayed, deaf and autistic
children
13- School aged children engage increasingly in group
experiences (teams, classes and clubs)
14- Through progression to concrete reasoning school
aged children require consistency, challenge and
reinforcement and clear support for and standards
for success
15- Differences in cultural background, size, gender
and skills become increasingly more important
leading to in groups and out groups
16- Specific vulnerabilities in preschool children
include parental loss, parental neglect and
domestic violence
17- Specific vulnerabilities among school aged
children include ADHD, learning disabilities and
conflictual parental relationship
18- Adolescence is the journey between childhood and
adulthood
19- Physiologic
- Cognitive
- Emotional
- Behavioral
- change occurs, often asynchronously
20Goals of Adolescence
- 1.) Learn skills necessary to be prepared for
occupational and relationship competency in
adulthood
21Goals of Adolescence, cont.
- 2.) Gain the capacities for self-direction and
decision making
22Goals of Adolescence, cont.
- 3.) Have memorable and meaningful experiences
that represent contributions and lead to belonging
23Goals of Adolescence, cont.
- 4.) Avoid problems that have long-term
consequences and a life of their own
24Goals of Adolescence, cont.
- 5.) Build the capacity for autonomy upon a
foundation of connections and a set of personal
values
25Some challenges which can persist into adulthood
that frequently have inception in adolescence
include
- A.) eating disorders
- B.) substance abuse
- C.) incarceration and persistent unlawful behavior
26Some challenges, cont.
- D.) handicap following injury/accident
- E.) school failure/dropout
- F.) HIV
- G.) teen pregnancy(ies)
27Some challenges, cont.
- Frequently these risk factors occur together and
have exponential effects
28Family and community factors can exacerbate risk
- A.) Parental substance abuse, psychopathology, or
criminality - B.) Conflictual parental relationship or
post-divorce conflict - C.) Parental job loss or moving
- D.) Poverty
29Family and community factors, cont.
- E.) Poor schools
- F.) Community violence/school bullying
- G.) Exposure to gangs and antisocial peers
30Family and community factors, cont.
- H.) Lack of access to resources and adult role
models - I.) Lack of opportunity to develop and refine
unique skills - J.) Inadequate or poor information
- K.) A rejecting or unsupportive community
31Role of cultural and ethnic/racial difference
- A.) Differing views about American culture
- B.) Pressure to maintain culture of origin
- C.) Confusion about being true to ones own
culture - D.) Defining a unique cultural adaptation
32Sexual Orientation Issues
- A.) Concerns about being different
- B.) Family responses
- C.) Peer acceptance and support
33Sources of resiliency among adolescents
- A.) Adult/parental support
- B.) Intelligence
- C.) Attractiveness
- D.) Even/easy personality
- E.) A unique talent or ability
34Other sources of resiliency
- A.) Positive framing of contribution and
circumstances by others - B.) Experience of competent problem-solving
- C.) Experience of regard and an expectation of
honesty and integrity
35Course of Development
- A.) Generally successful 60 continuous growth
- B.) Staggered but progressive growth 20
- C.) Challenged development 20 of youth at
risk for varied poor outcomes
36Characteristics of successful growth
- A.) Decreasing age of onset of puberty (earlier
for girls) - B.) Consistent age of brain maturation with
completion of frontal lobe maturation at age 25
37Characteristics of successful growth, cont.
- C.) Supervision and support synchronous with and
consistent with fluctuating skills - D.) Opportunities for negotiation, communication
and exploration of concerns through language
38Challenges to successful development
- A.) Arbitrary and excessive efforts at external
control - B.) Lack of appreciation of adolescent ambivalence
39Challenges to successful development, cont.
- C.) Fluctuation between absent supervision and
authoritarian control - D.) Parental helplessness and abandonment
40Community problems that impact youth development
- A.) Lack of after school or extracurricular
opportunities - B.) Lack of work opportunities
41Community problems that impact youth development,
cont.
- C.) Negative views about teenagers
- D.) Confusion between recognition of physical
maturity and awareness of slow psychosocial/emotio
n regulation development
42Characteristics of Positive Youth Development
-
- Confidence
- Competence
- Caring
- Connection
- Character
43Youth who do well
- A.) Have a positive connection with their school
- B.) Have positive relationships with youth who
have a positive relationship with school - C.) Are engaged positively with adults who care
about them
44Adolescence can be divided into 3 sections
- A.) Early ages 11-14
- B.) Mid ages 14-16
- C.) Late ages 17-19
- Many aspects of adolescence persist into 20s
45Early Adolescence
- A.) Focus upon physical changes
- B.) Developing interests which may change rapidly
- C.) Need adult supervision
- D.) Need structure and monitored expectations
46Early Adolescence, cont.
- E.) Want greater privacy
- F.) More aware of emotional experience
- G.) Beginning to reflect on self and experience
- H.) Impulse control can be a challenge
47Mid Adolescence
- A.) More time with peers
- B.) Strong desire to belong, activities based on
belonging - C.) Beginning partnering
48Mid Adolescence, cont.
- D.) Abstract reasoning, problem solving used more
frequently - E.) Wants and utilizes more independence in
decision making - F.) Expects competence and expects to make
contributions to social groups
49Late Adolescence
- A.) Greater self-direction, self-monitoring
- B.) Greater capacity for judgment and impulse
control
50Late Adolescence, cont.
- C.) More independent decision making
- D.) More involvement in longer term relationships
- E.) Parents/adults more in the role of advisor/
mentor - F.) More consistent values and beliefs