Principles of Growth and Development Developmental task Biological

Principles of Growth and Development

Developmental task Biological age Psychological age Social age Chronological age CONCEPTS

Developmental Task • Anticipated growth norms and expectations at certain times in development • Leads to satisfaction and success with future tasks

Difference in “Ages” Biological Age • Physical growth and health and capacity of vital organs • “How the body functions over time. ” Psychological Age • Adaptive capacity of the person compared with similarly aged people • A person’s perception of the aging process

Difference in “Ages” Social Age • Societal roles and expectations at certain ages/stages Chronologic Age • Time since birth

PRINCIPLES OF GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT

Development ü Childhood is the foundation period of life - early patterns of development persist throughout life ü Development follows a definable, predictable, sequential pattern and continues in adulthood ü Growth and development are continuous but occur in spurts ü Growth is usually accompanied by behavior change ü Human behavior is goal directed ü When one need is met, the person has energy to pursue another- behavior changes direction

Development Cont. ü Critical periods occur when a person’s physical and psychosocial growth undergo marked rapid change and the capacity to adapt to stressors is underdeveloped ü Mastering developmental tasks of one stage is the basis for mastering the tasks at the next stage ü Increasing autonomy and self-knowledge allow the person to see themselves separate from the environment ü Developing person simultaneously acquires competencies in the areas of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social ü Readiness and motivation are essential for learning ü Multiple factors contribute to the person’s characteristics and traits

Growth Principles • Readiness- ability to perform physical tasks depends upon maturation of the neurologic structures of the brain and maturation of the muscular and skeletal systems • Differentiation- development proceeds from simple to complex, general to specific • Cephalocaudal, Proximodistal, Bilateral - development is head to toe, close to the body, equal bilaterally • Asynchronous Growth- developmental shifts at successive periods in development- I. e. the infants head is larger in proportion to the body than an adult’s head • Discontinuity of Growth Rate- different rate of growth changes at different periods during the life span

Example Cephalocaudal: The upper portion of the body develops quicker than the lower part of the body Proximodistal: The middle part of the body develops quicker than the outer part of the body. In this photo, the one month old infant's head and trunk are larger in proportion to her legs and arms.