Development of the Teenager!

1. Development of the Teenager! Aubrie, Stephanie, Lisa, Jen, Mindy, Debi

2. Areas of Development • Social/Emotional • Sexual identification • Cognitive • Physical

3. 13-14 year olds

4. Struggle with self identity Moody May act-out/childish behavior with stressful situations and inability to cope/respond appropriately. Express selves through actions not words Individual talents may emerge Puberty at its climax Feel awkward and sensitive to body and self Development of self

5. High preference to be with friends vs. family Realize parents are not perfect and like to point out their faults Look for other adults to look up to Often disagree with parent views Drift away from the interests and objects from childhood Interested only in the present, with minimal interest in future (sometimes unrealistic) May begin participating in risky behaviors Importance of peer approval and fitting in with friendships changing frequently. Conformity in behavior and physical appearance Development of Relationships

6. Sexual Development • Understand that they are sexual and understand the options and consequences of sexual expression • Choose to express their sexuality in ways that may or may not include sexual intercourse • Recognize the components of healthy and unhealthy relationships • Have an understanding of their own sexual orientation [This is different than sexual behavior]

7. Cognitive Development • Increased speed, automaticity & capacity of information processing • More breadth of content knowledge, • Increased ability to construct new combinations of knowledge • Greater range for applying or obtaining knowledge • Capacity to set goals for extending knowledge • Awareness of their emotional makeup to: periodically monitor their progress, fine-tune their strategies, evaluate obstacles & make adaptations.

8. 15-17 year olds

9. Increased concern with physical appearance, as well as what others think.  Spend more time in self care.  Experiment with different styles. Concerns about body image and sexual attractiveness Relationships with non-family adults grow which exposes them to new experiences in life Independence becomes important and believe parents get in the way of his/her independence, can be embarrassing, which often leads to increased conflict with parents.  They may hide the need and acceptance of parents. Development of Self

10. Development of Self (cont) • Decreased “acting out” and increased use of speech to express ones self. • Begin to show concern about future • Development of self-esteem • Poor concept of cause and effect • Still feel invincible, therefore increasingly engage in risky behaviors

11. Development of Relationships • Friendships are very important, along with need to “fit in” and be approved by peers.  This can be exhausting for this age group.  Failed friendships or relationships can have a huge impact on emotions.  Confide in friends often vs. adults

12. Majority of puberty is complete Move toward heterosexuality, as well as fears of homosexuality.  Adolescent often has frequently changing relationships with opposite sex.  Have the capacity to develop long-lasting, mutual, and healthy relationships, if they have the foundations for this development—trust, positive past experiences, and an understanding of love Sexual Development

13. Cognitive Development • Piaget’s Theory: Adolescent was in formal operational stage of cognition where thought is more abstract & adolescents are no longer limited to actual, concrete experiences as anchors for thought • They can now conjure up make-believe situations & events that are hypothetical possibilities & then try to reason logically about them • In this stage: adolescent has ability to develop hypotheses, or best guesses to solve problems as in algebraic equation • They systematically deduce, or conclude best path to follow in solving equation  

14. 18-21 year olds

15. Development of Self • Physical development complete with decreased concern about body • Increased emotional stability • Understanding of cause and effect increases and risky behavior may decrease • Self expression improves

16. Development of Self (cont) • Future becomes realistic and important; goal setting is significant • Independence with decision making, increased ability to think things through • Development of self-esteem continues to grow • Stable interests

17. Development of Relationships • Serious relationships develop and are very important to this group with feelings of love.  One on one dating with intimate relationships.  Peer groups have less influence but smaller group of friends are still of importance • Parent conflicts dissipate and good relationships often develop; they become friends.  Increased respect for each other.  More likely to seek and listen to parents for guidance.  • General increased concern for others

18. More comfortable and confident with sexual identity Have typically made distinction of sexual orientation Beginning to look for relationships Exploring sexual preferences Sexual Development

19. Religious Development • The degree of adolescents’ participation in religious organizations may be more important than religious affiliation as a determinant of premarital sexual attitudes & behavior • Adolescents who attend religious services frequently may hear messages about abstaining from sex • In one study, adolescents who attended church frequently & valued religion in their lives were less experienced sexually & had less permissive attitudes toward premarital sex

20. General Adolescent Facts

21. Work for Adolescents • At the turn of 19th century-fewer than 1 out of 20 high-school-age children was in school • Today - more than 9 out of every 10 adolescents receives a high school diploma • National survey of 17,000 high school students- 3 out of 4 reported some job income during average school week with income exceeding $50 per week for 41% males & 30% females • Jobs for Teens: 17% fast-food restaurants, 20% cashiers in retail stores, 10% unskilled laborers 10% clerical assistants.

22. Money management Time budgets Pride in accomplishments Important skills about how to get & keep a job Benefits to work for Adolescents:

23. Give up sports, social affairs with peers & sometimes sleep Lower grade point averages Poor school attendance Less satisfaction with school Less time with their families Alcohol and marijuana Drawbacks to Work

24. Individuals’ self-concepts play central roles in their career choices During adolescence individuals first construct a career self-concept Develop ideas about work Crystallize or narrow their choices Begin to initiate behavior for some type of career Career Development

25. Education for Adolescents

26. This century has seen schools playing prominent role in lives of adolescents Laws excluding teens from work & mandating attendance at school were passed by virtually every state Some experts believe that junior & senior high schools actually contribute to alienation & delinquency & interfere with transition to adulthood A push for back-to-basics where students are being taught fundamental skills & knowledge needed for workplace Education Facts

27. Transition to Middle School • When students make transition from elementary to middle or junior high school - they experience top-dog phenomenon: • Circumstance of moving from top position in elementary school to lowest position in middle/junior high school • These positions are characterized by being oldest, biggest & most powerful versus youngest, smallest & least powerful

28. Effective Education Strategies • School’s ability to adapt all school practices to fit physical, cognitive & social development of its students • Emphasize importance of creating environment positive for adolescents’ social & emotional development • Smaller ‘communities’ or ‘houses’ to lessen impersonal nature of large schools • Lower student-to-counselor ratios • Parental & community involvement in school • Curriculum structure flexible in time & content • Program for health and fitness

29. References • D.E. Super (1990). A life-span, life-space approach to career development. In D. Brown and Associates, Career choice and development: Applying contemporary theories to practice (2nd ed.). San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, p. 212. • Irwin, D.B. & Simons, J.A. (1994). Lifespan Developmental Psychology. Madison, WI: Brown and Benchmark. • Benk, L. A. (2001). Development Through the Lifespan (2nd Ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon • From: Advocates for Youth; http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Growth_Ages_13_17/Retrieved on April 13, 2009 • Zoltan, B. (1996). Vision, Perception, and Cognition (3rd Ed.) Thorofare: Slack Inc. • Case-Smith, J. (2001). Occupational Therapy for Children (4th Ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.