BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHO-SOCIAL AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
BIOLOGICAL
· Ages of 13 and 15
This period of rapid physical development is the second fastest growth period after infancy. Growth, however, is quite variable, with early bloomers and late bloomer. Extremities of the body grow before the body itself, which makes the adolescent appear gangly. Boys and girls are of almost the same relative proportions for shoulders, hips and waists, yet their arms and legs hang down. Along with the limbs, the nose and feet grow. The nose develops 2-3 times its size during this period and may appear as an “adult” nose on a child’s face. Their brain has trouble incorporating these changes and the adolescent can be quite clumsy during this period.
Adolescents also are developing sexually between the ages of 13 and 15 and they are preoccupied with sex and their sexual development. This can be a period of embarrassment. Boys and girls frequently dress in oversized clothes, covering themselves until they can psychologically adjust to their new bodies and feelings. This period might be little bit easier for girls than for boys at this age because girls generally will talk and share experiences more comfortably than the boys will.
· Ages 16-19
Physical maturity is nearing completion and adolescents are adjusting to their hormone surges and to their bodies. What they were hiding by wearing oversized clothes at ages 13 and 14 now becomes a source of exhibition. Their posture and clothing shift to show off their bodies. There are additional stresses, however, for the late bloomers and early bloomers. The early bloomers are perceived as an older child and may not be ready for dating, leadership or other expectations based on their physical prowess. The late bloomers are under a different kind of stress. The 13-year-old that still looks 11 may be ostracized based on size; this may be even harder on males than on females. A research study tracked late blooming boys over a 20 to 25 year period and examined the impact of being a late blooming male in their adult life. They found that these men viewed themselves as less mature, less responsible and less capable in many ways than other people.
PSYCHO-SOCIAL
· Ages 13-15
This is a period of psychosocial stress. Peer pressure is at its highest intensity. This is where what the group thinks is more important than anything else is. Adolescents migrate to peers and adults who listen, understand and affirm them. For example, the athletic kids organize around sports and they talk about sports and sports figures. Sports figure posters are hung in their rooms. It is very apparent what an adolescent is involved with by the symptoms and language they are using at this time. It is not until age 15 or 16 that they are sophisticated enough to conceal what they are doing. This need for a peer group continues regardless of the psychopathology of the client. Unfortunately, when the adolescent can not fit in anywhere else, the druggie subgroup is always available because all the adolescent has to do is use. This need for a peer group is also an issue for adolescents in recovery. Adults in AA are difficult for adolescents to accept as peers and it can be difficult to find other recovering peers. Substance use also is a normal social experience for adolescents and for adolescents with addiction this can pose many problems for their recovery.
· Ages 16-19
Intimacy becomes the focus of the 16 to 19 year old age group. Adolescents seek to bond and connect on a deep and meaningful level to another person. They begin to develop preliminary intimacy skills, which means that they can stay outside of themselves long enough to emotionally bond and connect to another person. Prior to this age, they change best friends according to convenience; friendships now become enduring. Typically, a first love experience happens between the ages of 15 and 19 with or without sex. Relationships that break up following first intimacy experiences can be devastating and a setup for suicide. Without any experience in handling intimacy, sometimes the adolescent trusts the wrong person or shares too much of themselves. It is a powerful experience. The intervention is to help the adolescent through their thoughts and feelings while focusing on their contributions to the lost relationships and what things they have learned and can take with them. The self-conscious adolescent at age 13 to 15 becomes preoccupied with self-concepts between ages 16 to 19.
COGNITIVE
· Ages 13-15
Prior to the age of 12, cognitive processes are characterized by concrete thinking where learning occurs based on the senses and through repetition. Around the age of 12 or13 regions of the brain develop to support abstract thinking. They may not be able to think through complex issues but they can begin to think about things that are not there. Rote learning then becomes much less effective as a teaching tool than the application of abstract concepts. Moreover, the concept of time only develops around the age of 15. Adolescents may have developed rituals and habits around its measurement but there is no real meaning to the adolescent. Prior to that understanding of the concept of time, need gratification is more difficult to delay and adolescent’s impulsive behavior is more problematic. The capacity to wait, however, can be learned with help and support.
· Ages 16-19
Adolescents move to more formal operational thought with the ability for abstract thinking during this age period. Complex ideas, cause and effect and deductive thinking all derive from the ability to abstract. Adolescents also develop a sense of time around the age of 16 and are able to possess a sense of past, present and future events and relate it to themselves. The primary cognitive difference between adolescents and adults at this age is now life experiences.
SUMMARY
The mastery of the developmental tasks of adolescence leads to independence and the readiness to address the adult struggles and tasks. For adolescents with mental illness and addiction, the completion of those adolescent tasks are disrupted and delayed. Assessment and recognition of where the adolescent is in terms of his or her developmental tasks is vital to developing a treatment plan to habilitate and support the adolescent. The adolescent with mental illness and addiction is able to master these tasks with support and intervention by the treatment provider.
BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHO-SOCIAL AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
BIOLOGICAL
· Ages of 13 and 15
This period of rapid physical development is the second fastest growth period after infancy. Growth, however, is quite variable, with early bloomers and late bloomer. Extremities of the body grow before the body itself, which makes the adolescent appear gangly. Boys and girls are of almost the same relative proportions for shoulders, hips and waists, yet their arms and legs hang down. Along with the limbs, the nose and feet grow. The nose develops 2-3 times its size during this period and may appear as an “adult” nose on a child’s face. Their brain has trouble incorporating these changes and the adolescent can be quite clumsy during this period.
Adolescents also are developing sexually between the ages of 13 and 15 and they are preoccupied with sex and their sexual development. This can be a period of embarrassment. Boys and girls frequently dress in oversized clothes, covering themselves until they can psychologically adjust to their new bodies and feelings. This period might be little bit easier for girls than for boys at this age because girls generally will talk and share experiences more comfortably than the boys will.
· Ages 16-19
Physical maturity is nearing completion and adolescents are adjusting to their hormone surges and to their bodies. What they were hiding by wearing oversized clothes at ages 13 and 14 now becomes a source of exhibition. Their posture and clothing shift to show off their bodies. There are additional stresses, however, for the late bloomers and early bloomers. The early bloomers are perceived as an older child and may not be ready for dating, leadership or other expectations based on their physical prowess. The late bloomers are under a different kind of stress. The 13-year-old that still looks 11 may be ostracized based on size; this may be even harder on males than on females. A research study tracked late blooming boys over a 20 to 25 year period and examined the impact of being a late blooming male in their adult life. They found that these men viewed themselves as less mature, less responsible and less capable in many ways than other people.
PSYCHO-SOCIAL
· Ages 13-15
This is a period of psychosocial stress. Peer pressure is at its highest intensity. This is where what the group thinks is more important than anything else is. Adolescents migrate to peers and adults who listen, understand and affirm them. For example, the athletic kids organize around sports and they talk about sports and sports figures. Sports figure posters are hung in their rooms. It is very apparent what an adolescent is involved with by the symptoms and language they are using at this time. It is not until age 15 or 16 that they are sophisticated enough to conceal what they are doing. This need for a peer group continues regardless of the psychopathology of the client. Unfortunately, when the adolescent can not fit in anywhere else, the druggie subgroup is always available because all the adolescent has to do is use. This need for a peer group is also an issue for adolescents in recovery. Adults in AA are difficult for adolescents to accept as peers and it can be difficult to find other recovering peers. Substance use also is a normal social experience for adolescents and for adolescents with addiction this can pose many problems for their recovery.
· Ages 16-19
Intimacy becomes the focus of the 16 to 19 year old age group. Adolescents seek to bond and connect on a deep and meaningful level to another person. They begin to develop preliminary intimacy skills, which means that they can stay outside of themselves long enough to emotionally bond and connect to another person. Prior to this age, they change best friends according to convenience; friendships now become enduring. Typically, a first love experience happens between the ages of 15 and 19 with or without sex. Relationships that break up following first intimacy experiences can be devastating and a setup for suicide. Without any experience in handling intimacy, sometimes the adolescent trusts the wrong person or shares too much of themselves. It is a powerful experience. The intervention is to help the adolescent through their thoughts and feelings while focusing on their contributions to the lost relationships and what things they have learned and can take with them. The self-conscious adolescent at age 13 to 15 becomes preoccupied with self-concepts between ages 16 to 19.
COGNITIVE
· Ages 13-15
Prior to the age of 12, cognitive processes are characterized by concrete thinking where learning occurs based on the senses and through repetition. Around the age of 12 or13 regions of the brain develop to support abstract thinking. They may not be able to think through complex issues but they can begin to think about things that are not there. Rote learning then becomes much less effective as a teaching tool than the application of abstract concepts. Moreover, the concept of time only develops around the age of 15. Adolescents may have developed rituals and habits around its measurement but there is no real meaning to the adolescent. Prior to that understanding of the concept of time, need gratification is more difficult to delay and adolescent’s impulsive behavior is more problematic. The capacity to wait, however, can be learned with help and support.
· Ages 16-19
Adolescents move to more formal operational thought with the ability for abstract thinking during this age period. Complex ideas, cause and effect and deductive thinking all derive from the ability to abstract. Adolescents also develop a sense of time around the age of 16 and are able to possess a sense of past, present and future events and relate it to themselves. The primary cognitive difference between adolescents and adults at this age is now life experiences.
SUMMARY
The mastery of the developmental tasks of adolescence leads to independence and the readiness to address the adult struggles and tasks. For adolescents with mental illness and addiction, the completion of those adolescent tasks are disrupted and delayed. Assessment and recognition of where the adolescent is in terms of his or her developmental tasks is vital to developing a treatment plan to habilitate and support the adolescent. The adolescent with mental illness and addiction is able to master these tasks with support and intervention by the treatment provider.
BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHO-SOCIAL AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
BIOLOGICAL
· Ages of 13 and 15
This period of rapid physical development is the second fastest growth period after infancy. Growth, however, is quite variable, with early bloomers and late bloomer. Extremities of the body grow before the body itself, which makes the adolescent appear gangly. Boys and girls are of almost the same relative proportions for shoulders, hips and waists, yet their arms and legs hang down. Along with the limbs, the nose and feet grow. The nose develops 2-3 times its size during this period and may appear as an “adult” nose on a child’s face. Their brain has trouble incorporating these changes and the adolescent can be quite clumsy during this period.
Adolescents also are developing sexually between the ages of 13 and 15 and they are preoccupied with sex and their sexual development. This can be a period of embarrassment. Boys and girls frequently dress in oversized clothes, covering themselves until they can psychologically adjust to their new bodies and feelings. This period might be little bit easier for girls than for boys at this age because girls generally will talk and share experiences more comfortably than the boys will.
· Ages 16-19
Physical maturity is nearing completion and adolescents are adjusting to their hormone surges and to their bodies. What they were hiding by wearing oversized clothes at ages 13 and 14 now becomes a source of exhibition. Their posture and clothing shift to show off their bodies. There are additional stresses, however, for the late bloomers and early bloomers. The early bloomers are perceived as an older child and may not be ready for dating, leadership or other expectations based on their physical prowess. The late bloomers are under a different kind of stress. The 13-year-old that still looks 11 may be ostracized based on size; this may be even harder on males than on females. A research study tracked late blooming boys over a 20 to 25 year period and examined the impact of being a late blooming male in their adult life. They found that these men viewed themselves as less mature, less responsible and less capable in many ways than other people.
PSYCHO-SOCIAL
· Ages 13-15
This is a period of psychosocial stress. Peer pressure is at its highest intensity. This is where what the group thinks is more important than anything else is. Adolescents migrate to peers and adults who listen, understand and affirm them. For example, the athletic kids organize around sports and they talk about sports and sports figures. Sports figure posters are hung in their rooms. It is very apparent what an adolescent is involved with by the symptoms and language they are using at this time. It is not until age 15 or 16 that they are sophisticated enough to conceal what they are doing. This need for a peer group continues regardless of the psychopathology of the client. Unfortunately, when the adolescent can not fit in anywhere else, the druggie subgroup is always available because all the adolescent has to do is use. This need for a peer group is also an issue for adolescents in recovery. Adults in AA are difficult for adolescents to accept as peers and it can be difficult to find other recovering peers. Substance use also is a normal social experience for adolescents and for adolescents with addiction this can pose many problems for their recovery.
· Ages 16-19
Intimacy becomes the focus of the 16 to 19 year old age group. Adolescents seek to bond and connect on a deep and meaningful level to another person. They begin to develop preliminary intimacy skills, which means that they can stay outside of themselves long enough to emotionally bond and connect to another person. Prior to this age, they change best friends according to convenience; friendships now become enduring. Typically, a first love experience happens between the ages of 15 and 19 with or without sex. Relationships that break up following first intimacy experiences can be devastating and a setup for suicide. Without any experience in handling intimacy, sometimes the adolescent trusts the wrong person or shares too much of themselves. It is a powerful experience. The intervention is to help the adolescent through their thoughts and feelings while focusing on their contributions to the lost relationships and what things they have learned and can take with them. The self-conscious adolescent at age 13 to 15 becomes preoccupied with self-concepts between ages 16 to 19.
COGNITIVE
· Ages 13-15
Prior to the age of 12, cognitive processes are characterized by concrete thinking where learning occurs based on the senses and through repetition. Around the age of 12 or13 regions of the brain develop to support abstract thinking. They may not be able to think through complex issues but they can begin to think about things that are not there. Rote learning then becomes much less effective as a teaching tool than the application of abstract concepts. Moreover, the concept of time only develops around the age of 15. Adolescents may have developed rituals and habits around its measurement but there is no real meaning to the adolescent. Prior to that understanding of the concept of time, need gratification is more difficult to delay and adolescent’s impulsive behavior is more problematic. The capacity to wait, however, can be learned with help and support.
· Ages 16-19
Adolescents move to more formal operational thought with the ability for abstract thinking during this age period. Complex ideas, cause and effect and deductive thinking all derive from the ability to abstract. Adolescents also develop a sense of time around the age of 16 and are able to possess a sense of past, present and future events and relate it to themselves. The primary cognitive difference between adolescents and adults at this age is now life experiences.
SUMMARY
The mastery of the developmental tasks of adolescence leads to independence and the readiness to address the adult struggles and tasks. For adolescents with mental illness and addiction, the completion of those adolescent tasks are disrupted and delayed. Assessment and recognition of where the adolescent is in terms of his or her developmental tasks is vital to developing a treatment plan to habilitate and support the adolescent. The adolescent with mental illness and addiction is able to master these tasks with support and intervention by the treatment provider.
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