Unit 1 Lifespan Development

Infancy: 0-2

Early Childhood: 3-8

Adolescence: 9-18

Early Adulthood: 19-45

Middle Adulthood: 46-65

Later Adulthood:  65+

Physical: height, weight, hair colour, face structure, skin tone

Intellectual: IQ, knowledge, mentally, level of dialogue

Emotional: happy, sad, excited, angry, anxious

Social: body language, eye contact, hand gestures, tone of voice, posture

LIFE SPAN - the amount of time between a person's birth and their death

• During this time they will experience several life changes. This may affect there life span

GROWTH - an increase in height, weight or other dimensions and can be measured

DEVELOPMENT - how the individual develops complex skills iand capabilities as they grow

Measuring height:

1. INFANTS grow rapidly, will reach roughly half their adult height by the age of two.

2. ADOLESCENTS experience growth spurts during puberty.

3. ADULTHOOD full height is reached by the start.

1. Growth rates are not constant

2. Different part of the body grow at different rates

3. Growth rates vary between children

4. The growth rate of boys is usually faster on average than girls. Men tend to be taller than women.

Head circumference is measured at birth and at 6-8 weeks to identify any abnormality in the brain or skull growth.

Skull growth is faster in the first two years of life. 

This continues into Early Adulthood.

Measurements are plotted on a growth chart.

• Growth charts give the length or height, weight and dimensions expected at a certain age.

• Comparing children's growth against norms is important, it identifys signs of ill health and development problems.

• Growth charts are different for boys and girls. There rate of growth varies.

• In the first two years, an infant's length is measured when lying down.

• From 2 years old their height is measured when standing.

Areas of Development:

1. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT: growth and other physical changes that happen to our body throughout life.

2. INTELLECTUAL/COGNITIVE: the development of language, memory and thinking skills.

3. EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: the ability to cope with feelings about ourselves towards others.

4. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: the ability to form friendships and relationships, and to learn to be independant.

Rate of development varies between individuals.

Each stage called a milestone (developmental norm).

LANGUAGE MILESTONES UP TO 8 YEARS:

0-3 MONTHS: use gurgling and crying to commmunicate

18 MONTHS: can say six to ten words.

2 YEARS: can link words together.

3 YEARS: can use simple sentences.

8 YEARS: can reason and explain.

Gross motor skills allow children to control the large muscles in their torso, arms, legs, hands etc.

INFANCY 0-2:

1. Infants develop their gross motor skills from the head down.

2. Around six months, infants gradually control muscles in their neck and back so they roll, sit and crawl.

3. At 11-13 months, the muscles in their legs develop so that they can stand, cruise and walk.

Gross Motor Activity:

• Walking
• Grawling
• Bending
• Balancing
• Co - ordinating
• Skipping 
• Jumping
• Scooting
• Kicking
• Pushing
• Pulling
• Climbing

Children continue to develop Gross Motor Skills:

3 years old: can pedal and control a tricycle. At 6 they can ride a bicycle.

3 years old: can throw a ball. By 4 they can aim it. At 5-8 they can accurately throw and catch a ball.

3-4 years old: can balance and walk along a line. At 5-8 they can balance on a low beam.

3-4 years old: can run forwards and backwards. At 5-8 they can skip with a rope.

Fine motor skills are important for controlling and coordinating the movement of the small muscles in the fingers and hands.

How fine motor skills develop:

NEWBORN: able to grasp an adult's finger. 3 months he will hold a rattle. 6 months he will grasp a toy and pass it. 12 months he will pick up small objects using PINCER GRASP.

18 MONTHS: can build with small blocks, use a spoon and make marks with crayons using PALMAR GRASP. 2 years old she will pull on her shoes and control her crayon.

3 YEARS: is developing a TRIPOD GRASP. Can use a fork and spoon, turn the pages of the book, and button and unbutton clothing. 4 years will be able to thread small beads and colour in.

5 YEARS: can control the muscles in her fingers to manipulate the construction block and use hand-eye coordination. Writes her own name forming letters correctly. At 8 will use joined-up.

GRIPPING: Having the strength in fingers and hands to hold an object firmly.

Activity: Holding a rattle, tricycle handle or spoon.

MANIPULATION: Skilful movement of objects using fingers and hands, such as turning, twisting and passing objects from one hand to another.

Activity: Building with blocks, playing a musical instrument, playing with placing farm animals or cars.

HAND-EYE COORDINATION: Control of eye movement at the same time as finger and hand movement.

Activity: Writing, sewing or completing jigsaw puzzles.

PUBERTY

Young people experience physical changes called puberty.

Girls around 11-13 years                                                    Boys around 13-15 years

Starts when a hormone in the brain sends a signal to the pituary gland, which releases hormones that stimulate the ovaries in girls and the testes in boys to produce sex hormones.

A young persons height can increase rapidly - known as a growth spurt.

Girls around 11-13 years                                                     Boys around 13-15 years

IN BOYS:

The hormone TESOSTRONE is produced by the testes.

Stimulates growth of the Penis and testes, pubic hair growth, development of muscle and lowering of the voice.

IN GIRLS:

The hormone OESTROGEN and PROGESTRONE is produced by the ovaries.

Stimulates growth of the breasts and reproductive system and help to regulate the menstrual cycle.

The process that are related to the sex organs that are present at birth and mature when sex hormones are released.

GIRLS:

• Menstruation begins
• Uterus and Vagina grow
• Ovulation occurs

BOYS:

• Penis enlarges
• Prostate gland produces secretions
• Testes enlarge and produce sperm

These are not necessry for reproduction. They develop when sex hormones are released.

IN GIRLS:

• Growth of armpit hair
• Increased layers of fat under the skin
• Breasts enlarge
• Growth spurt
• Hips widen

IN BOYS:

• Growth of facial hair
• Growth of armpit, chest and pubic hair
• Increased muscle
• Growth spurt
• Larynx (voice box) grows, causing the voice to deepen.

MATURATION: 

Individuals reach physical maturity (maturation) in early childhood.

PHYSICAL MATURITY:

• Motor coordination is at its peak 
• Full height is reached
• Reaction time is quickest
• Women are at their most fertile and can become pregnant and lactate
• Hand-eye coordination is at its peak
• Sexual characteristics are fully developed
• Pysical strength and stamina is at its peak

At the beginning of Early Adulthood, women are the most fertile. At 40-45 years they reach the end of their repoductive years. This is Perimenopause.

MENOPAUSE:

The reproduction in oestrogen causes physical and emtional symptoms that include:

• Hot flushes
• Night sweats
• Mood swings
• Loss of libido
• Vaginal dryness

What happens during perimenopause:

• Oestrogen decreases
• Ovulation is irregular 
• Menstruation becomes less frequent

AGEING:

Signs of aging include:

• Greying hair
• loss of muscle tone, strength and stamina
• body shape may change with an increase in or loss of weight
• men begin to lose hair
• women are no longer fertile as menstruation ends
• loss of height

Menopuase happens over several years with the gradual ending of menstruation.

The role of sex hormones in females:

• Oestrogen plays the most important role in female sexuality and regulates ovulation.
• Progestrone is necessary for the implantation of fertiliesed eggs in the uterus, the maintanence of pregnancy and sexual health.

Reduction in Oestrogen causes:

• The ovaries to stop producing eggs
• Thinning and shrinkage of the vagina

Reduction in oestrogen:

• affects the hypothalamus in the brain, which regulates temperature, causing hot flushes and night sweats
• affects the health of hair, skin and nails
• may cause mood swings, as oestrogen regulates neirotransmitters that affect mood.

Reduction in Oestrogen and progestrone:

• Gradually stops menstruation
• Impacts libido

The Affects of Ageing:

• less elasticality in the skin
• decline in strength
• loss of muscle
• loss of stamina
• increased likelihood of injuries caused by falls
• higher susceptabiliy to infection
• higher susceptability to disease
• Decline in the performance of organs
• thinning of the hair on the head and pubic hair
• reduction in hearing
• Reduction in vision
• less mobility in the large muscles in arms, legs and torso.
• less mobility in the small  muscles of the fingers and hands

HEIGHT LOSS:

You lose height in middle adulthood, this continues into later life.

At 80 individuals may have lost as much as 5cm. 

Caused by changes in posture and compression of the spiral discs and joints.

INTELLECTUAL ABILITY:

Ageing does not impact an cognitive ability. It can negatively affect how individuals process information. e.g.

• memory
• recall
• speed of thinking

Intellectual development is about how individuals organise ideas and make sense of the world around them.

Types of Intellectual Development:

Problem solving: needed to work things out and make predictions about what might happen.

Language development: essential to organise and exprss thoughts.

Moral development: needed for reasoning and making choices about how to act towards self and others.

Memory: essential for storing and recalling information.

Abstract thought and creative thinking: essential for thinking and discussing things that can't be observed.