Periods of Development- Adolescence

Physical Development Milestones:

Physical development in adolescence is extreme. They basically experience the change from
childhood to adulthood through puberty. For girls, Menarche (the beginning of menstrual
periods) typically occurs about 2 years after early breast and pubic hair appear. It may occur as
early as age 9, or as late as age 16. The average age of menstruation in the United States is about
12 years. For boys, Boys growth spurt peaks around age
13.5 and slows around age 18 (NLM,2013). This
milestone does occur at different times and can be difficult
to determine if a child is suffering with atypical
development.
Language Development Milestones: Younger children
tend to grow and learn at an extremely fast rate (including
their language development). However, as they get older and reach the adolescence period their
learning abilities slow down. For adolescents, the amount of information they can process
continues to increase, but the rate of increase is not as great as it once was during the middle
childhood years (Oswalt, 2015). Yes, children who are going through adolescence may not as
learn as quickly as younger children however the information they do learn is more advanced
and helpful for their future needs.
Cognitive Development Milestones:
Adolescences may be one of the most difficult periods of development that children undergo.
They are faced with more difficult life challenges and are one stage away from becoming an
adult. Their minds have done more than comprehended the basics, they are at a more advanced
educational level. During adolescence, children develop the ability to understand abstract ideas,
such as higher math concepts, and develop moral philosophies, including rights and privileges
(UMM, 2015). They have the mental capacity to expand their own personal knowledge and
process the information necessary for future careers and higher education programs.
Signs of Atypical Behavior:
When it comes to physical changes, it is difficult to determine if a child is falling behind in this
milestone because it really does vary. There is no exact age a child will hit puberty but if parents
do have concerns they are able to talk to their family
doctors about them. As for language development,
learning is not always the same for everyone. Parents
who are concerned their child is falling behind may
want to have them assessed and consider programs
such as special education and tutoring.
Influencing Learning:

At this stage, it is really important that parents stay involved in their childrens lives and provide
them with the guidance they need (even if they do not want it) but at the same time respecting
their independence. Parents can encourage their children to stay up to par with their studies and
encourage them to take any steps they may need if they fall behind.

ReferencesNLM. (2013). Adolescent Development. Retrieved from:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002003.htm
Oswalt, A. (2015). The Maturing Adolescence Brain. Retrieved from:
http://www.sevencounties.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=41158&cn=1310
UMM. (2015). Adolescent development. University of Maryland Medical Center. Retrieved
from: http://umm.edu/health/medical/ency/articles/adolescentdevelopment#ixzz3S3LYVwk3 .