A Case Study of a child

age 16
Alejandra Arias
EDU 220
Physical Behaviors ● Growth in height continues, but at a slower pace
(girls) than earlier; adult height is reached by age 16 or
17
● Breast development continues
● Pubic hair thickens, darkens, and takes on adult
triangular pattern
● Underarm hair thickens
● Hips widen; fat deposits in buttocks, legs, and
stomach increase
● Menstrual periods become regular; ovulation is
established; pregnancy becomes possible
Physical Behaviors ● Rapid growth in height and weight
● Muscles fill out and strength increases
(Boys)
dramatically
● Voice deepens
● Pubic and underarm hair appears and
thickens
● Body hair increases
● Penis, scrotum, and testes enlarge
● Ejaculation and nocturnal emissions
occur
Physical Behaviors ● Always hungry; appetite is great
Both (Boys and Girls)
● Need for sleep increases; may sleep
quite late on weekends
● Oily skin and acne may be
problematic
● Sweating increases
● Rapid growth may cause clumsiness
and lack of coordination
● Sexual desires and fantasies increase
Typical ● Adolescents males and females add
inches at a prodigious rate.

Physical ● Many adolescents become sexually

active.
● Adolescents males and females add
Development pounds

by Snowman
Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2013)
 The 16 year old girl I observed
My 16 Year is in 10th grade from what I
could see and tell she fits the
Old’s Physical typical pattern of physical
Behaviors/ development. I did noticed she
ate a bag of chips during class
Characteristics which is reasonable for girls and
boys her age and she did seem
to have skin problems which is
also normal for her age.
 ● Adults can help your child through
Physical this period of great change by
showing support and listening to his
Development worries and concerns.

Recommendations (Greatschools, 2017)

● If any aspect of your child’s

development seems atypical, talk to
his pediatrician and encourage your
teen to ask questions as well.

(Greatschools, 2017)
 ● Movement towards independence
● Firmer sense of self
Emotional ●
●
Developed sense of humor
Ability to compromise and make

Behaviors ●
important decisions
Movement towards autonomy
● May experiment in risk taking
behavior
● Friendships are very important.

Children’s Trust. (2007)

Typical ● Many psychiatric disorders either
appear or become prominent during
Emotional adolescence, such as anorexia and
bulimia.

Development ● Substance abuse such as drugs and

alcohol.

by Snowman ● The most common type of emotional

disorder during adolescence is
depression.

Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2013)

 The 16 year old I observed (my cousin)

My 16 Year is the typical high school drama queen. She

shows no sign of eating disorders or

Olds Emotional substance abuse. She’s very distant from

her parents, she likes to hangout with her

Behaviors/ friends more than her family.

She is definitely a funny girl, her sense

Characteristic’s of humor got better over the years. She is
making important decisions when it comes
to college and thinking about her future.
The majority of her emotional behavior fits
the characteristics
 ● Talk with the teen about her concerns

and pay attention to any changes in her

Emotional behavior. Ask her if she has had suicidal

Development thoughts, particularly if she seems sad or

depressed. Asking about suicidal

Recommendations thoughts will not cause her to have these

thoughts, but it will let her know that you

care about how she feels. Seek

professional help if necessary.

● Show interest in your teen’s school and

extracurricular interests and activities and

encourage him to become involved.

 ● Arguing skills improve (and are demonstrated often and

Cognitive/
with great passion)
● Reasoning skills improve:
● Begins with the ability to apply concepts to specific

Intellectual ●
examples
Learns to use deductive reasoning and make educated

Behaviors ●
guesses
Learns to reason through problems even in the absence
of concrete events or examples
● Becomes able to construct hypothetical solutions to a
problem and evaluate which is best
● Focus on the future develops

CDC.(2017)
 ● Begins with a present focus, mixed with some
fantasy
● Learns to recognize that current actions can have
an effect on the future
● Starts to set personal goals (and may reject goals

Continued.. set by others)

● Decision-making skills improve:
● Begins to independently differentiate right from
wrong and develops a conscience
● Learns to distinguish fact from opinion
● Learns to evaluate the credibility of various sources
of information
● Becomes able to anticipate the consequences of
different options
● May challenge the assumptions and solutions
presented by adults CDC.(2017)
Typical ● According to Piaget, 16 year olds
fall in the formal operational stage

Cognitive/ which means that they are able to

deal with abstractions, form

Intellectual hypothesis, solve problems

systematically, and in mental
manipulations.
Development ● According to Vygotsky, kids this
age acquire spontaneous
concepts, scientific concepts, and
empirical learning.
 The 16 year old I observed which is my
My 16 Year cousin has strong opinions and does
express her views, which is a normal
Olds Cognitive characteristic for a child her age… she
is mature for her age and also does
Behaviors/ have plans regarding college and her
future and does have a great sense of
Characteristics self and knows right from wrong.
Cognitive/ ● Include adolescents in discussions about a variety
of topics, issues, and current events.
Intellectual ● Encourage adolescents to share ideas and thoughts
with you.

Development ● Encourage adolescents to think independently and

develop their own ideas.

Recommendations ●
●
Assist adolescents in setting their own goals.
Stimulate adolescents to think about possibilities for
the future.
● Compliment and praise adolescents for
well-thought-out decisions.
● Assist adolescents in re-evaluating poorly made
decisions for themselves.

Standford Children’s Health.(2017)

 ● Older teens are more self-assured and better able
to resist peer pressure than younger teens.
● Teens spend less time than they used to with their
families. They prefer to spend more time with

Psychosocial ●
friends or alone.
Teens try to make close friends and may become
part of a group based on interests or attributes

/Social ●
●
(sports, arts, etc.).
Teens want control over more aspects of their life.
Teens are excited and at the same time
overwhelmed by the possibilities for their future

Behaviors ●
(college, work, or military.
Like adults, teens get depressed – sadness
lasting more than 2 weeks, however, is not
normal. Call your teen's health care provider if this
happens.
● Use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs is more
common now than before.
● Teens begin to have strong sexual urges, and
many become sexually active.
● Teens become more aware of their sexual
orientation (homosexual, heterosexual,
bisexual, etc.). SutterHealth.(2001)
 According to Erikson, 15 year olds are
in the identity versus role confusion
Typical stage.

Psychosocial ● They have no clear conception of

appropriate types of behavior other will
react favorably
/Social ● They develop their self identity, they

Development know who they are as a person and

establish a sense of stability in various
aspects of their lives.
by Erikson
 The 16 year old I observed is
My 16 Year Olds very social and involved in
school clubs and plays
Psychosocial volleyball for her school, she
does prefer to spend time with
Behaviors/ her friends rather than her
family which fits the description
for teens her age.
Characteristics
 ● Parents can help by recognizing
Psychosocial/ when relationships are getting
more intense and by talking

Social openly, without judgment, about

the possible future effects.

Development ● Try finding out what your child is

doing outside of school but give
them their space.
Recommendations
 16 year olds have a desire to

Moral/ fit into the morals of their

peer group.
Character
Behaviors
 ● 16 Year olds are in stages 5 and 6 which are:
Typical Moral/ Social contract and Universal ethical
principle.

Character ● In stage 5: People recognize that rules

represent agreements among many
individuals about appropriate behavior.

Development ● In stage 6: Stage 6 is a hypothetical, "ideal"

stage that few people ever reach. People in
this stage adhere to a few abstract, universal
by Kohlberg principles (e.g., equality of all people,
respect for human dignity, commitment to
justice) that transcend specific norms and
rules.

Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2013)

 My cousin Marissa has good
My 16 Year morals she knows what is
Olds Moral right and what is wrong she
does not fit the description of
Behaviors/ trying to fit in...she does not
Characteristics try to fit, she is confident and
makes a lot of friends
easily..(she is very talkative)
 ● It is recommended to restrict the types of
Moral/ ●
movies they are permitted to watch.
Discourage them from making friends who
Character ●
have values that are questionable.
In addition to setting a powerful example,

Development creating and using teachable moments can

have a large impact on the way teens

Recommendations ●
develop their character.
Family time can include a structured lesson
plan that opens the floor to discuss important
moral issues.

Teen Help.(2016)
 Bhalla, S. (n.d.). Growth & Development: 16-18 Years.
Retrieved November 13, 2017, from
http://sc.onetoughjob.org/development/16-18/growth-a-develop
References ment-16-18-years

GreatSchools Staff | March 2, 2016 Print article. (n.d.). Child

development: 13- to 16-year-olds. Retrieved November 13,
2017, from
https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/child-development-13-t
o-16-year-olds/

M. (n.d.). Parents & Teachers: Teen Growth & Development,

Years 15 to 17. Retrieved November 13, 2017, from
http://www.pamf.org/parenting-teens/health/growth-developmen
t/growth.html

Parents & Teachers: Teen Growth & Development, Years 15 to

17. Retrieved November 13, 2017, from
http://www.pamf.org/parenting-teens/health/growth-developmen
t/growth.html
References
Stanford Children's Health. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2017,
from

Continued
http://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=cognitive-
development-90-P01594

Teen Development of Morals and Values. (2016, January 08).

Retrieved November 13, 2017, from
https://www.teenhelp.com/teen-issues/teen-development-of-mor
als-and-values/