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28 April 2018
UNDERSTANDING THE FIVE AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT 2
Abstract
There are many things that can be taken into consideration when observing a student’s behavior
Introduction
Southern California with his mother and older brother. Daniel did not have his father
predominantly in his life while growing up, so this may have affected him. Daniel has traveled
from Southern California to Las Vegas for family relocation. This move has also affected his
life. I chose to interview Daniel because Daniel is someone that is considered close to someone
in my family. I also work with Daniel, so I can observe him as well. I will incorporate
observations as well as his answers in each category to fully help explain the observations I saw.
I will use my viewpoint, his view point, and the DSHS Fosterparentscope Child Development
Guide.
Physical
Fosterparentscope Training, n.d. says that the age group of 16-19 “has essentially completed
physical maturation; physical features are shaped and defined…[and the] probability of acting on
sexual desires increases.” Just by looking at him, I can tell he has reached a peak of maturation.
He is about 6 feet tall with facial hair growing in. His face has defined features, such as
cheekbones and jawline. He has acne, but not excessive like what is expected in younger
adolescents. Although he claims not to be sexually active, he does admit to having sexual
UNDERSTANDING THE FIVE AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT 3
attraction towards certain women. Although he is not sexually active, Snowman would claim that
“sexual intercourse among high school students has trended up…” (Snowman, 2013, p65) and he
should keep this in mind considering his sexual attraction. He claims that he will have safe
sexual intercourse; however, he does want a partner and children soon in his life. With these
facts, it is safe to say that Daniel meets the standards set forth in the DSHS. Another physical
milestone is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Because Daniel has food, water, safety, etc, he meets
the physical step in Maslow’s hierarchy. Daniel works at a grocery store, and because of this
employment, he knows he can help his single mother if needed and that they will always have
food, water, and a house over their heads. With all in consideration, Daniel seems to be on track
Emotional
For Daniel’s age group, the DSHS claims that the emotional characteristics are that
adolsecents tend to “[worry] about failure…may appear moody, angry, lonely, impulsive, self-
dependence/independence.” Daniel meets quite a few of these standards. Daniel’s grades have
fluctuated from passing and failing—he gets grounded for failing grades. When grounded, the
grades rise and he gets ungrounded, but then the grades fall again. He tries to stay motivated to
keep up his grades; however, it is quite difficult for him. There have been times, he admits, he
worried he may not graduate. However, with graduation in one month exactly, he is feeling
pretty confident about his grades. Daniel is also very moody—he will admit to it even. There are
times he will be upset about the smallest thing—like not sitting in the front of the car. These
things bother him more than they should. He also changes moods quick—he will be upset one
second, and fine the next. Sometimes, you cannot tell what he is feeling. This goes hand in hand
UNDERSTANDING THE FIVE AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT 4
with anger—he doesn’t get angry very easily, but he seems angry sometimes even though he
isn’t. However, he claims his moms ex-boyfriend use to make him quite angry, and that things
have even gotten physical between the two, which also explains the impulsiveness. Another trait
expected is they may appear lonely. This is applicable to Daniel because Daniel has moved to
Southern Nevada within the past few years. Because of this, he claims to miss his friends from
Southern California and reminisces on memories from home. Because of this, he may appear
façade. Sometimes Daniel makes jokes about being better than others, but in a way they are self-
depreciating. He does not really feel this way and it is obvious—he might have some self-
confidence issues. Snowman has said that “many psychiatric disorders either appear or become
prominent during adolescence,” (Snowman, 2013, p.67). This relates to his low self-confidence;
however, he may not have depression. He claims that he has been working out and working hard
to feel more confident. Daniel also shows the confliction of independence—he has said he goes
back and forth between staying with his mom and moving back to California. In regards to
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Daniel often feels safe with his mother—although she is strict, he
knows he is safe with her and this helps him maximize his full emotional potential. Daniel seems
to be on track emotionally.
Philosophical
Daniel has matured in his viewpoints since the day I first met him two years ago. Ever
since he got a job, he seems to be more in touch with the “adult world” and to have developed
morally. The DSHS states that the milestones for this stage are the adolescent “is confused and
disappointed about discrepancies between stated values and actual behaviors of family and
friends; experiences feelings of frustration, anger, sorrow, and isolation…[and] may be interested
UNDERSTANDING THE FIVE AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT 5
in sex…” Daniel does not really experience discrepancies in family behavior, and he claims to
not have these experiences with friends. However, on a similar note, Daniel may meet Piaget’s
rules on moral relativism. He claims that children older than ten “base their judgement on the
intent of each child” (Snowman, 2013, p 40). Sometimes, Daniel stays up later than supposed to;
however, he claims it is to get his homework done since he worked late. Although he is supposed
to be in bed by ten, the rule is flexible because good intentions. Daniel is philosophically
mature—he is a bright child with his morals set straight—he wants to do good because it’s
ethical principle, like what Kohlberg states for his six different moral stages. Daniel seems to be
at stage six. This maturity could be because he had to grow up fast to help his single mom.
Social
Daniel has a good relationship with his mom. The family of three were close because
they did not have much growing up, only each other. It is said by the DSHS that “relationships
with parents range from friendly to hostile…sometimes parents are ‘too interested’”…[and they]
usually [have] many friends and few confidants.” As stated previously, Daniel has a good
relationship with his family. He is close with his mother and sometimes his older brother was
like a father figure. However, he does get hostile with them when he feels they are too interested,
and this is specifically with his grades. Although they get along primarily, Daniel claims to hate
confrontation about his grades and wishes they would not try and be so involved. He feels as if
he wants good grades to please his family, but also wants to not pursue further education,
psychologist Erikson claims there is “uncertainty as to what behaviors will elicit a favorable
reaction from others” (Snowman, 2013, p 19). This is important because Daniel is still forming
his identity—he is considering the options he has for his education and he is unsure how his
UNDERSTANDING THE FIVE AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT 6
family will react, but he wants them to be supportive. Snowman claims that “parents and other
adults are likely to influence long-range plans” (snowman, 2013, p 66). Although this may be
true, even with his mother’s constant encouragement to go to college, Daniel does not
necessarily want to besides the fact pursuing this route will please his mother. He socially is
developing; however, he is confusing his social role in his family with what he wants for himself,
Intellectual
is smarter than he thinks. This is completely in line with the DSHS scope, claiming the
adolescents “may lack information or self-assurance about personal skills and abilities.”
Although I explained to Daniel that he is smart and he is only doubting himself, he disagrees and
claims that he is not smart. Only on a few days out of the week does he actually feel intelligent.
When asked what made him feel intelligent, he says it is after he receives praise on his
intellectual capabilities. Sometimes at work he is complimented for his problem solving behavior
and his clever mindset, and he realizes, ‘wow, maybe I am smart!’ Yet most days, he simply feels
developmental milestone for adolescents that he can grow out of. Daniel seems to be on track
0
Physical Emotional Philosophical Social Intellectual
*I gave Daniel the list of DSHS milestones discussed in this case study. I asked him to keep track of how
many days he felt he corresponded with the majority of the milestone per category. The results are
displayed in the bar graph above.
Daniel ranks pretty well according to some of the guidelines set forth by the age group he
is set in. Although he has self-doubt, it is something to be expected in his age group. To help
Daniel with his confidence, parents and teachers ca utilize scaffolding techniques to slowly but
surely build up Daniel’s confidence through each success. This will help Daniel mature
exponentially—for many milestones, he has matured past what is expected. However, it is his
self-doubt that keeps him within the developmental range expected. I believe that he will mature
tremendously as he gains confidence in his abilities, and this is possible with the proper support.
UNDERSTANDING THE FIVE AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT 8
References
http://depts.washington.edu/allcwe2/fosterparents/training/chidev/cd06.htm
Snowman, J., & McCown, R. (2013). Ed psych. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.