Adolescent Development

Physical Developmental
Milestones:
During adolescence the gender
gap related to physical agility
widens between girls and boys.
Boys physical skills pull away
from girls throughout
adolescence since girls
development stops around the
age of 14 (Berk, 2013).

Cognitive Developmental Milestones:

During adolescence children improve in the strategies

they use to make decisions as well as in their ability to
reason using abstract reasoning and thought
processes (Berk, 2013).

Social-Emotional Development:

During adolescence children begin to spend less

time with their parents and more time with their
friends. Children also begin to show much more
independence from their parents (CDC.gov).

Moral Reasoning:

During adolescence children have less conflict with

their parents and grow in their capacity to care and
share for others as well as developing more intimate
relationships (CDC.gov).

Language Developmental Milestones:

During adolescence children strengthen their skills

of metacognition, the ability to evaluate their own
thoughts. Adolescents also expand their vocabulary
during this period of development (Oswalt, n.d.).

Family Strategy:

Sign of atypical development:

Families can help their child to

develop during this stage by
encouraging him/her to volunteer
in their community and become
engaged in civic activities
(CDC.gov, 2015).

Parents should talk with their child about their

social-emotional well-being and seek help if their
child shows any signs of being suicidal. Adolescence
can bring intense feelings and thoughts and parents
should speak with their teens about these feelings
and thoughts (CDC.gov, 2015).

References:
Berk, L. E. (2013).Child development. (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
CDC.gov. (April, 2015). Child Development. Teenagers (15-17 years of age). Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/adolescence2.html

Oswalt, A. (n.d.). The Maturing Adolescent Brain. Sevencounties.org. Retrieved from

http://www.sevencounties.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=41158&cn=1310