CASE STUDY OF A

CHILD AGE 17
BRIANNA OCEGUEDA
EDU 220-1001-1002
ABSTRACT

Physical Development-Active, mature, underweight, insecure

Emotional Development-Eating disorder, substance abuse, depression, shows affection to
familiar people, goes to therapy
Cognitive/intellectual Development-Less authorization, knowledgeable, engaged in formal
thought, political knowledgeable, increase in freedom
Psychosocial/Social Development-Parent influence, peer influence, communication skills,
social skills
Moral/Character/Philosophical Development-Impulsive, religious, education goals
TYPICAL PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL
 (AGE 17)
Excessive physical activity alternating with lethargy. (Child Development Institute, 2015)
Physical changes may not occur in a smooth, regular schedule. (Medline, 2017)
Sudden and rapid physical changes can make the adolescent insecure/self-conscious. (Medline, 2017)
Worried about their body changes, which results in comparing themselves to others. (Medline, 2017)
Has essentially completed physical maturation; physical features are shaped and
defined. (Child Development: Using the Child Development Guide, 1993)
Probability of acting on sexual desires increases. (Child Development: Using the Child Development
Guide, 1993)
TYPICAL PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL
ACCORDING TO SNOWMAN (AGE 17) PAGE 102
 Reach physical maturity
 Reach ultimate heigh for most females
 "16 percent of students are considered to be overweight: 13 percent are obese"
 Possible increase in acne, leading to "worry and self-consciousness"
 Increase sex drive
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OBSEVATION OF A
CHILD AGE 17
OBSERVED CHILD (AGE 17)
DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES MET:
 Reached physical maturity
 Increase in facial acne, due to her hormones
 Feelings of insecurity, because of rapid body
changes
 Reached maturity by having their own part-
time job
TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT (AGE 17)
DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES NOT MET:
 The child is not over or underweight but suffers from body
imaging
 No big interest in indulging in food when feeling depressed
 Is considered to be quite short, not reaching her ultimate
height
Still relies on the parent for some basic adult duties, such as
filling out important paperwork 
 PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Encourage your teen to get enough sleep and physical activity, and to eat healthy balanced meals. (Center for Disease
Control and Prevention,2017)
Encourage your teen to have meals with the family to potentially stop the negative body images in their mind (Center for
Disease Control and Prevention,2017)
Talk with the teen about maturity expectations, responsibilities, and other ways of behaving respectfully in a public
setting. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention,2017)
The adolescent should stop engaging in substance abuse because it "jeopardize their physical and emotional health but
also increase their risk of doing poorly in school or dropping out of school" (Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, pg.105) 
TYPICAL EMOTIONAL BEHAVIORS AT AGE 17

Have more interest in romantic relationships and sexuality. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention,2017)
Go through less conflict with parents. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention,2017)
Show more independence from parents. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention,2017)
Spend less time with parents, and more time with friends. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention,2017)
Depression, that results in poor grades or substance abuse. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention,2017)
Concerns of living away from home. (Child Development Institute, 2015)
Worries about failure. (Child Developmetn: Using the Child Development Guide, 1993)
May appear moody, angry, lonely, impulsive, self-centered, confused, and stubborn. (Child Development: Using
the Child Development Guide, 1993)
Conflicting feeling about dependence/independence. (Child Development: Using the Child Development Guide, 1993)
TYPICAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL
ACCORDING TO SNOWMAN (AGE 17) PAGE 105
Depression
Unstable family situations placing risk for suicide 
Substance abuse (tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs)
Common eating disorders such as Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia nervosa 
Schizophrenia
Anxiety 
EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OBSERVATION OF
A CHILD AGE 17

DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES

MET:
Having more romantic relationships
Often gets sad about body size, shape, and weight
Is very outgoing and social with friends
Goes to therapy to deal with trauma
Engaging in substance abuse
Experience anxiety, jealousy, and conflicts about
certain circumstances
NOT MET:
Does not plan to leave home after high school
Does not show too much interest in social
media and games
Has little to no interest in continuing education
after high school
No major signs of suicide or unstable family
situations
EMOTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Compliment the teen and celebrate his efforts and accomplishments. (Center for Disease Control
and Prevention,2017)
Show affection for your teen. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention,2017)
Respect teen's opinion. Listen to her without playing down her concerns. (Center for Disease Control
and Prevention,2017)
Be supportive towards physical activities. (Child Development Institute, 2015)
Seek the advice of a school counselor to treat depression. (Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, pg.105)
Talk to your teen about the dangers of substance abuse and risky sexual activity. (Center for Disease
Control and Prevention,2017)
TYPICAL COGNITIVE/INTELLECTUAL
BEHAVIORS AT AGE 17
The child has huge strides to attempt to understand the world around them. (Child Development
Institute, 2015)
The child has a better understanding of their goals, ambitions, and skills. (Child Development
Institute, 2015)
They may be a little self-centered and, despite their developing a moral sense, might consider their
viewpoint to be right even though they understand that others will have their own views. (Child
Development Institute, 2015)
Concerned about the future: beginning to integrate knowledge leading to decision about the future.
(Child Development: Using the Child Development Guide, 1993)
TYPICAL COGNITIVE/INTELLECTUAL BEHAVIORS AT
AGE 17 ACCORDING TO PIAGET AND VYGOTSKY. PAGE 39

Piaget and Vygotsky believed in physical, mental, and social experiences to construct
personal conceptions of what the word is like. 
Humans begin to understand the basics of organization and adaptation. 
The more children interact with their environment, parents, teachers, and age-mates, they
form organized, generalizable patterns of behavior.
COGNITIVE/INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT
OBSERVATION OF A CHILD AGE 17
DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES
MET DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES
NOT MET
The child seems understanding of how life works and
responsibilities
v Noticably less authorization than before, but
Knows not to skip school because of the consequences
still relies on parent for some basic adult
that come with actions
duties, such as filling out important paperwork
 Is educated on politics, therefore can have a formal
conversation about law and crime punishment  v Got their license and a car, although still
 Is able to engage in formal thought and conversations relies on their authoritarian to pay for car
Is able to give reasons for their actions, for the most part insurance and car payments 
COGNITIVE/INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS
Reinforce appropriate behavior, and, if necessary, punish inappropriate
behavior (Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, pg.220)
Encourage the child to talk to you, not just about their concerns but about their
aspirations as well, be supportive rather than judgemental. (Child Development Institute,
2015)
Know that despite the constant attempts, adolescents still view parents and teachers as
knowledgeable authority figures. (Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, pg.107)
TYPICAL PSYCHOSOCIAL/SOCIAL BEHAVIORS
AT AGE 17
Relationships with parents range from friendly to hostile (Child Development: Using the
Child Development Guide, 1993)
Sometimes feels that parents are "too interested."(Child Development: Using the Child
Development Guide, 1993)
Usually has many friends that vary in gender and level of maturity. (Child Development:
Using the Child Development Guide, 1993)
TYPICAL PSYCHOSOCIAL/SOCIAL BEHAVIORS
AT AGE 17 ACCORDING TO ERIKSON PAGE 28
Erikson's theory portrays people as playing an active role in their own psychological
development through their attempts to understand, organize, and integrate their everyday
experiences.
He believed that people are best able to adapt to their world when they possess both the
positive and negative qualities of a particular stage.
Difficulties in adjustment and development arise when the negative outweighs the
positive.
PSYCHOSOCIAL/SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
OBSERVATION OF A CHILD AGE 17
DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES
MET
Has a friendly relationship with family
Does feel that their parents can be too
strict and unwelcoming to her opinions
Has multiple friends that she hangs out
with almost every day
DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES
NOT MET
The child is a relatively positive person,
though when it comes to certain things, she
can become stubborn which increases the
difficulty in adjusting
May show more interest towards friends than
towards education and responsibilities
Doesn’t feel comfortable being alone
PSYCHOSOCIAL/SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS
Try to maintain a good relationship with your parents. (Child Development: Using
the Child Development Guide, 1993)
As the parent, try not to pry on the child. (Child Development: Using the Child
Development Guide, 1993)
Avoid disapproval; discuss needs and expectations that get met in the relationships (Child
Development: Using the Child Development Guide, 1993)
TYPICAL MORAL/CHARACTER/PHILOSOPHICAL
BEHAVIORS AT AGE 17
Is confused and disappointed about discrepancies between stated values and actual
behaviors of family and friends. (Child Development: Using the Child Development
Guide, 1993)
May be interested in sex as a response to physical emotional urges and as a way to
participate in the adult world. (Child Development: Using the Child Development Guide,
1993)
May show greater interest in family traditions and values. (Child Development
Institute, 2015)
TYPICAL MORAL/CHARACTER/PHILOSOPHICAL
LEVEL ACCORDING TO KOHLBERG AGE 17 PAGE 27
Identity vs. Role confusion
Moral development ignores characteristics other than moral reasoning
Moral knowledge does not always result in moral behavior
The morality of constraint, rules are sacred, consequences determine guilt
MORAL/CHARACTER/PHILOSOPHICAL DEVELOPMENT
OBSERVATION OF A CHILD OF AGE 17
DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES
MET
Can be very religious, because their
family is religious
Has goals for the future
Feels guilt when doing something that is
not morally correct
DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES
NOT MET
Can be seen as impulsive sometimes and
doesn’t always care about consequences
Does not feel the need to do sexual adult
acts, to feel like an adult
MORAL/CHARACTER/PHILOSOPHICAL
DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Be sensitive to youth's feelings and thought, understand your own perspectives relating to
values.(Child Developmetn: Using the Child Development Guide, 1993)
Accept sexual experimentation as normal and healthy, although discourage them from
unprotected coital sex. (Child Development: Using the Child Development Guide, 1993)
Communicate your feelings about sexual relations. (Child Development: Using the Child
Development Guide, 1993)
Be open when discussing differences between values and
needs. (Child Development: Using the Child Development Guide, 1993)
REFERENCES

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Child development.

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/facts.html
Child Development Institute (2015). The ages and stages of child
development. https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/ages-stages/#.WR3Id_QrLrc
Medline (2017). Adolescent Development. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002003.htm
Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2015). Psychology applied to teaching, 14th ed. Stamford, CT: Cengage
Learning.
University of Washington. (1993). Child development: Using the child development guide.
http://depts.washington.edu/allcwe2/fosterparents/training/chidev/cd06.htm