Learning Aim A - A1 Physical development across the life stages

Question 1

What are the different life stages and what ages do they occur and end?

Answer 1

Birth and infancy - 0-2 years

Early childhood - 3-8 years

Adolescence - 9-18 years

Early adulthood - 19-45 years

Middle adulthood - 46-65
years

Later adulthood - 65 years +

Question 2

What are the key features of these life stages?

Answer 2

Birth and infancy - grow rapidly, By 1 - they walk. by 2 - they run

Early childhood - develop strength and coordination

Adolescence - growth spurts and develop sexual characteristics during puberty

Early adulthood - Reach the peak of their physical fitness

Middle adulthood - Loss of strength, women go through menopause

Later adulthood - Gradual loss of mobility, loss of height.

Question 3

What is growth?

Answer 3

An increase in measurable quantity e.g. Height/weight

Question 4

What is Development?

Answer 4

Complex changes in someone’s skills and capabilities

Question 5

What are the principles of growth?

Answer 5

It is the increase in quantity. As height increases so does weight.

It is continuous but not smooth, there can be stages of more rapid growth in infancy and during puberty, which means that there can be a difference between the rates of growth for different people.

There are different rates of growth for boys and girls as well as different parts of the body.

(Centile lines - are lines on a graph used to show average measurements of height, weight and head circumference. The lines represent the values of the measurements taking in to account age and sex. )

Centile lines are used to measure the growth of an infant. Which ensures that if there is concerns then the infant is referred to a paediatrician.

Question 6

What are the principles of development?

Answer 6

Development happens from head to toe, inside to outside, holistically and in the same sequence but at different rates.

Development is seen as a journey, through the progress of the journey children reach milestones which are called developmental norms.

They describe the skills that infants children and adolescence are expected to develop at different ages and stages.

Question 7

What are the four main areas of skills acquisition?

Answer 7

The four main areas are :
-Physical
-Social development
Emotional , Intellectual development and language skills.

Question 8

Are there different rates of going through the stages of development?

Answer 8

Children pass through the same stages but each child is unique and will develop at their own rate.

Norms help professionals describe an average set of expectations.

If a child develops faster is doesn’t mean that the child is gifted neither does it mean that there is something wrong if the child develops more slowly

Question 9

What are gross motor skills

Answer 9

Gross motor skills are movements that involve the larger muscles of the body. These skills allow children to be able to control the body movements that require the use of the larger muscles, such as legs and arms.

Gross motor skills are essential for physical play e.g.. tag and everyday tasks such as walking up stairs, running, jumping and throwing the ball.

Question 10

What are fine motor skills

Answer 10

Fine motor skills are actions that require the use of smaller muscles in the hands fingers and toes.

They allow infants to pick up things using their finger and thumb, wriggle their toes and hold a small toy. Fine motor skills are also essential for dressing/undressing, drawing and stacking toys.

Question 11

What are the development milestones in Infancy (0-2 years)

Answer 11

Developing both gross and fine motor skills allows increasing and more complex movement.

By 2 infants develop and use both gross and fine motor skills as they become more independent.

Question 12

What are the gross motor skills developmental miles stones for infancy.

Answer 12

New-born - Reflexes - Grasp
1 month - Lifts chin, control of head.
3 month - Lift head and chest when on their front
6 Month- Roll over, kick legs when held, sit up (no help)
9-10 month - Crawls, begins to cruise
12-13 month - Stands alone, walk without help
18 month - Climbs on to furniture
2 years - throws large ball
2 1/2 years - Kicks a ball, Jumps from a low step

Question 13

What are the fine motor skills developmental mile stones for infancy

Answer 13

New-born - Holds their thumbs tucked in to their hands.
1 month - open hand to grasp finger
3 month - Briefly grasp a rattle
6 Month- Moves objects from hand to hand, can pick up dropped objects if they are in sight
9-10 month - use finger and thumb to hold small objects
12-13 month - Manipulates and places toys
18 month - Builds a short tower with blocks
2 years - Draws lines and circles, turn a page
2 1/2 years - Use a spoon and fork, build a tower of 7-8 blocks.

Question 14

Development of gross motor skills for early childhood (3-8)

Answer 14

By 3- Run, balance on one foot for one second
By 4 - Kick and throw a large ball
By 5 - Hop using each foot separately
By 6/7 - Skip, ride a bike
By 8 - Have good strength and body coordination - can take part in many sports and activities

Question 15

Development of fine motor skills in early childhood (3-8)

Answer 15

By 3 - Hold a pencil to copy letters, build a tower with cubes
By5 - Dress and undress on their own, tie their shoe lace
By 8 - Able to draw detailed pictures.

Question 16

What happen during adolescence (9-18)

Answer 16

They will experience a number to physical and growth changes.

This period is called Puberty.

Puberty is a development stage that prepares the body for sexual preproduction. Triggered by hormones.

Question 17

What are primary sexual characteristics

Answer 17

Relate to the changes and development of reproductive organs

Question 18

What are the primary sexual characteristics in a female

Answer 18

• Their uterus enlarges and their vagina lengthens
• Their ovaries begin to release eggs
• The menstrual cycle begins

Question 19

What are the primary sexual characteristics in a male

Answer 19

• Enlargement of the Penis
• Spontaneous erections may happen
• The testicles begin to produce sperm, beginning of ejaculation

Question 20

What are secondary sexual characteristics

Answer 20

Outward signs of development from child in to man or women

Question 21

What are the secondary characteristics in a female

Answer 21

• Breasts develop and area around the nipple begins to darken
• Pubic hair and arm pit hair begins to grow
• Redistribution of fat causing the hips to widen

Question 22

What are the secondary characteristics in a male

Answer 22

• Voice deepens
• Pubic hair, arm pit hair and facial hair begins to grow
• Redistribution of muscles and fat

Question 23

What is the role of hormones in sexual maturity.

Answer 23

Sex hormones are responsible for the changes that occur in puberty.

The pituitary gland controls the release of sex hormones in both females and males.

The release of sex hormones controls the onset and rate of puberty.

Question 24

What is the sexual hormone for females

Answer 24

Oestrogen and progesterone.

The ovaries begin to produce Oestrogen and progesterone which are responsible for changes including ovulation and menstruation.

The first period indicates onset of fertility.

Question 25

What is the sexual hormone for males

Answer 25

Testosterone.

The testes start to produce Testosterone which stimulates sperm production, indicating onset of fertility.

Testosterone is responsible for the development of secondary sexual characteristics e.g. deeper voice.

Question 26

What is happening during early adulthood (19-45)

Answer 26

• Physical strength peaks between 19 and 28
• Young adults have reached their full height and strength.
• Adults may gradually lose some of their strength and speed.
• Decline in physical capabilities may be shown towards the end of this life stage if individuals do not have a healthy life style.

Question 27

Pregnancy and Lactation within early adulthood.

Answer 27

Women may experience many physical and emotional changes in preparation for parenthood.

Hormonal changes usually take place with an increase of progesterone which maintains the pregnancy. While oestrogen ay be responsible for the sickness that some women suffer with in pregnancy.

Hormones also affect the shape and appearance of their breasts. Nipples and areolas darken and breasts become more sensitive and tender, preparing for the breasts to produce milk (lactation) to feed the baby.

Question 28

What is perimenopause

Answer 28

Ovaries begin to make less oestrogen which means that they stop producing an egg each month.

Perimenopause lasts until menopause starts which is when they stop producing eggs.

Perimenopause lasts four years

Question 29

What are the symptoms of perimenopause

Answer 29

• Hot flushes
• Night sweats
• Mood swings
• Loss of libido
• Tiredness
• Trouble sleeping
• Vaginal dryness
• Vaginal discomfort during sex
• Breast tenderness
• Irregular or very heavy periods,
• Urinary urgency

Question 30

What happens in middle adulthood (46-65)

Answer 30

Menopause

This is when fertility reduces and come to an end.

It can take several years to complete

Question 31

What does menopause involve

Answer 31

• Gradual ending of menstruation
• Large reduction of fertile eggs in the ovaries
• An increase in the production of hormones called gonadotropins that try to stimulate egg production, which can cause irritability, night sweats and hot flushes.
• Reduction of sex hormones resulting in shrinkage of sexual organs and loss of sexual interest.
• associated problems such as osteoporosis caused by a reduction in the production of sex hormones.

Question 32

What can hormone changes cause

Answer 32

can lead to mood changes, depression and anxiety.

self image can be affected as women can experience overwhelming sadness that they no longer can have children which makes them feel less desirable.

Self-image and Self-esteem can both become low which may impact on self-confidence and on quality of life.

Question 33

Effects of he aging process

Answer 33

Often adults put on weight as they eat the same as they did when they were younger they have just become less active.

Along with a change in body shape :

• Increased weight and waistline
• loss of skin elasticity
• Loss of muscle tone and strength
• grey hair, thinning of hair and hair loss.

Question 34

What happens during later adulthood (65+)

Answer 34

Deterioration of health

There are many changed such as changes in the body systems and organs that can result in a disease that can have an impact on the individuals life style.

Individuals may begin to lose height in middle adulthood which continues on to later life.

Further loss of strength and muscle loss and reduction in stamina

Mobility and dexterity becomes more difficult.

Small changes to the brain which include loss or shrinkage of nerve cells and general slowing of movements and Reponses.

Question 35

What is the effect of deterioration of intellectual abilities

Answer 35

Examples: Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Ageing can involve a loss of nerve cells in the brain.

However, this does not take away the ability to think logically or to reason.

Older people experience cognitive impairments and report problems with memory loss.

They may take longer to do things and take longer to respond

Reaction times may be slower.

These changes are natural art of ageing and aren’t necessarily a sign of dementia.