Adolescence

Adolescence
Physical Development Milestones

Adolescence brings about many physical changes. The most significant change occurs
with puberty. Females begin with the growth of breasts, pubic hair, and their first
menstruation. Also during this time girls grow an average of
five inches in a single year during puberty. Each child grows
at their own rate, some girls enter puberty at age 10 while
others do not experience any signs until age 16 (Mossler,
2011).
Adolescence for males begins around age 12 and
may last for four to six years. The first indication that
puberty has begun is the enlargement of the testes. The
next signs include a growth spurt and the appearance of
pubic hair (Mossler, 2011). Berk (2013) states that, boys
height gain is more intense and longer lasting, [compared to girls] (p. 203). Puberty is a time
of change, proper support and encouragement will increase the likelihood that the adolescent
comes out of it feeling confident about themselves.
Language Development Milestones

Adolescents are typically social creatures looking for someone who they can relate to
and share ideas. Adolescents deal with various personalities and expectations from teachers,
parents, friends, etc. For each of these people they must be able to communicate effectively.
Berk (2013) states that, Adolescence brings dramatic gains in capacity to adapt language
style to social context (p. 393). This behavior indicates that adolescents have an increased
awareness of others social standing.
Another example of language development during adolescence includes the
comprehension of over 40,000 words (Berk, 2013). This huge increase since late childhood is
due to many influential factors. One being the amount of interactions that teenagers have.
Another being the amount of interaction that adolescents have with print. By this time they
have read countless books and articles inside and outside of school. The never ending
exposure to language drives the individuals expansion of vocabulary and grammatical
structures.
Cognitive Development Milestones

One of the biggest changes and challenges with the increased cognitive capacity of the
adolescence is their ability to make decisions. There are so many changes occurring within an
individual during adolescence. Their ability to think abstractly allows for what Piaget called
hypothetico-deductive reasoning. Berk (2013) describes, When faced with a problem, they
start with a hypothesis, or prediction about variables that might affect an outcome, from
which they deduce logical, testable inferences (p. 253). Anyone that has spent any amount
of time with an adolescent knows that they are not always logical and understanding, but
they are capable of such thoughts.
Another milestone in adolescent development is the regression back into egocentric
state of mind. Mossler (2011) suggests this may be due to, immature frontal lobe
development (p. 4.1). Adolescents begin to view themselves from the perspective of others.
They wonder what others think of their actions, words, the way they dress, etc. These kinds
of thoughts lead adolescents back to thinking about themselves, in a more abstract way.
Social-Emotional Milestones
According to Berk (2013) two milestones achieved in the social-emotional area of
development are the use of
abstract descriptors and the combining
of those traits to organize and
create a self-concept. Examples of
abstract traits would be
intelligent, motivated, introverted,
and extroverted. The
organization of their traits leads to the
realization that they are not
always the same in every situation. As
adolescents develop their
self-concept they begin to recognize
that they portray themselves
differently in front of friends, parents,
teachers, etc. Over time they
move past traits that describe
themselves and begin to integrate their beliefs and future goals.
Moral Reasoning/Self-Regulation Milestones

Adolescence is a time of great change in the way children perceive and understand the
world around them. During adolescence the, Relationship between moral reasoning and
behavior strengthens (Berk, 2013 p. 513). An example of this would be the governments
choice to have a law requiring people to be at least 21 before they can legally purchase and
consume alcohol. The adolescent would be able to see that there is a cause greater than their
own desire for freedom of choice. They would understand that there are certain health and
legal liabilities for others.
Social Factors Influencing Development

One social factor that influences adolescent development is parenting. It is now that
the relationship between caregiver and child will be put to the ultimate test. Between the
pubertal changes and the increase in aggression children turn into completely different
people than they were just a few years ago. There is also the factor of increased autonomy
being sought by the adolescent. A childs temperament and attachment to their caregivers
will decide the road the adolescent follows.
Cultural Factors Influencing Development

One cultural influence on adolescent development is
that of the cultures perception of beauty. Many adolescents
struggle with the way they look. To themselves they may be
too fat, too skinny, not developing like others, or several
other factors. Mass media advertisements promote men and
women with certain physical features that are deemed ideal
by
their culture. Some cultures being fat as a sign of wealth. Other cultures view being skinny as
a sign of beauty and success.
Signs of Atypical Development

A signal of atypical development would be a child coming of age that does not being to
show signs of puberty. For example, a child that is 16 should begin to grow pubic hair and
have an increase in height. If these types of signs do not begin this may be indicative of a
physical abnormality. This may mean an imbalance in hormones or a disruption in the brain,
such as the pituitary gland. In any case it is wise to keep a close eye on all areas of
adolescents.
Strategies for Families

A big part of adolescence is gaining control over emotions and an understanding of the
physical changes. Before children reach puberty and begin these big changes it is helpful if
families instill a good understanding of emotions early. Starting in infancy parents can begin
labeling emotions for children and as they grow can give them tools to help manage major
feelings of anxiety, anger, and sadness. Such a tool could be journaling or breathing exercises.
Families can also offer support and understanding for adolescents through the trying changes
of puberty.

Adolescence

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Adolescence

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Adolescence

Physical Development Milestones

Language Development Milestones

Cognitive Development Milestones

Moral Reasoning/Self-Regulation Milestones

Social Factors Influencing Development

Cultural Factors Influencing Development

Signs of Atypical Development

Strategies for Families

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