STAGES OF HUMAN LIFE AND ITS NEEDS

Franelyne P. Casuga
Faculty of Pharmacy
University of Santo Tomas

MAJOR DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS

INFANCY (1 month to 1 year)
Developing a sense of trust and belonging from a
relationship with mother and father
Differentiating self from environment
Learning
- Eat solid food
- Walk
- Explore
- Communicate

TODDLER (1 to 3 years)
Developing
- Will power
- Independence
Learning
- Exploring environment
- Feed self
- Run
- Communicate verbally
- Control urination

PRESCHOOL (3 to 6 years)
Developing
- Sexual identity
- Sense of initiative
Working on
- Autonomy
- Dressing self
- Washing
Developing sense of
- Time
- Space
- Distance
- Imagination

SCHOOL-AGE (6 to puberty)
Developing
- Sense of work
- Planning and carrying out projects
Learning the skills for survival in the childs culture
Developing modesty
Playing cooperatively
Learning
- Read
- Calculate
Developing neuromuscular coordination
Learning to control emotions

ADOLESCENT (12 to 20 years)
Developing
- Physical maturity
- Autonomy from home and family
- Self-identity
Coping with body images

YOUNG ADULTHOOD (18 to 40 years)
Establishment of enduring close physical and emotional
relationships
Child bearing
Child rearing
Establishing financial security
Community responsibility
Social interaction with peers

MIDDLE ADULT (40 TO 65 years)
Separation from children
Establishment in a job
Adapt to aged parents
Adapt to physiological changes of aging
Adjustment to altered relationship with spouse

OLDER ADULT (40 TO 65 years)
Acceptance of own life as valuable and appropriate
Adaptation to reduced physical health and strength
Possible death of spouse
Adjustment to retirement income
Development of relationship with new family members
Adaptation to change in living location and style
Development proceeds in orderly and predictable pattern
Thorough knowledge of normal behavior is required to
detect abnormalities in development

BEHAVIOR
An expression of complex interaction
Four fields
- Motor behavior
- Adaptive behavior
- Language development
- Personal social behavior

MOTOR BEHAVIOR
GROSS MOTOR
Involves posturing of the head, trunk and extremities
Necessitates movement of all or much of the body

FINE MOTOR
Illustrated by well-coordinated movements
of small muscles
- Fingers

ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR
Most significant
Most closely related to intelligence
Involves
- Ability to utilize and manipulate objects
- Motor and sensory coordination in the solution of
practical problems
- Resourcefulness in using past experience in
adjusting to new situations

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Ability to understand another person and
to be able to make oneself understood
- Reflex sounds and feeble gestures (3
rd
week)
- Crying
- Cooing
- Babbling (3
rd
to 8
th
month)
- Ma-ma, da-da
- Gestures (starts at the 4
th
month)
- Word usage

PERSONAL SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
Affected by environment and culture
Includes
- Habits affecting feeding, bowel and bladder control
- Ability to get along with other people


DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES

NEWBORN
Tonic neck reflex position when supine
Fisted hands
Complete head lag
Dolls eye movement
Startles (Moro reflex)

1 MONTH
Legs more extended
Raises head slightly from prone position
Watches person, follows moving object
Smiles, diminishes activity when talked to

2 MONTHS
Symmetrical position
Head control up to 45 from prone position
Hands no longer fisted
Change in activity when spoken to
Vocalizes (small throaty sounds)

3 MONTHS
Moves head towards sound
Holds rattle temporarily
Alert

4 MONTHS
Can follow moving objects with eyes
Both hands activate towards toy
Takes toy in hand to mouth

5 MONTHS
Good head control
Laughs loudly
Reaches for objects

6 MONTHS
Sits with support
Rolls over

7 MONTHS
Plays with rattle
Bounces
Recognizes familiar faces

8 MONTHS
Transfers objects from hand to hand
Sits without support
Imitates hand movement

9 MONTHS
Sits well
Holds bottle when feeding
Creeps

10 MONTHS
Pulls to feet
Uses thumb and index finger to hold small objects
Understands gestures

11 MONTHS
Stands with support
Does nursery games (peek-a-boo)
Repetitive consonant sounds (mama)
Two words with meaning
Responds to sound of name

12 MONTHS
Stands alone
Cruises or walks holding to furniture
Attempts to use a spoon
Obeys commands or requests
Cooperates in dressing

15 MONTHS
Walks alone, crawls up stairs
Feeds self with spoon
Builds tower of 2 cubes
Jargon, four to five words
Hugs parents

18 MONTHS
Seats self in childs chair
Creeps up stairs
Builds tower of 3 cubes
Imitates a vertical stroke
Plays ball
Has 10 words

24 MONTHS
Runs well
Can go up and down the stairs
Uses a fork
Combines 2 or 3 words in a sentence
Toilet-trained during the day

2 YEARS
Runs well
Can go up and down the stairs
Uses a fork
Combines 2 or 3 words in a sentence
Toilet-trained during the day

2 YEARS
Jumps
Builds tower of 6 cubes
Imitates a circle
Dry by night

3 YEARS
Stands on one leg
Builds tower of 10 cubes
Knows sex and full name
Dresses self except for buttons and tying shoes

3 YEARS
Rides tricycle
Dresses self except for buttons and tying shoes
Counts to 3 or more

4 YEARS
Walks up and downstairs alternating feet
Imitates a cross
Recognizes 2 or more colors
Cleans oneself, combs hair and brushes teeth

6 YEARS
Can write fairly well
Draws a complete person with clothes
Adds and subtracts
Distinguishes between left and right
Dresses self completely