Adolescence Characteristics and OT Roles PDF

Adolescences Characteristics and OT Roles OT Practice and Adolescence Dr Sandra Block, OTD,OTR/L Adolescent Development This period generally encompasses the ages between 13 and 19. Pre- Adolescence is between 9 and 12 (tweens) This period is characterized by: – Intense physical gro...

Adolescences Characteristics and OT Roles OT Practice and Adolescence Dr Sandra Block, OTD,OTR/L Adolescent Development This period generally encompasses the ages between 13 and 19. Pre- Adolescence is between 9 and 12 (tweens) This period is characterized by: – Intense physical growth – Physiologic maturation (puberty) – Psychosocial Development  Tweens Social – Peer groups predominates this age groups social interaction. Formation of best friendships – Talking and Joking are focus of interactions – Physical appearance is beginning to be important – Express themselves through their clothes ie name brand clothing – Beginning to share less and less of themselves with the adults – Video games and social media are important Social Behaviors – Cooperative – Less impulsive, able to regulate behaviors – Competitive relationships form  Physical Development of Adolescents Puberty Puberty – Girls: average onset between 8-13 years Average age for first period between 9-13 years – Boys: average onset between 11-12 years – During this time adolescent will gain 50% of their adult weight and 20% of their adult height – Bones become longer and wider – Muscles become stronger and larger – 80% of adolescences suffer from acne – Require glasses due to changes in the shape of the eyeballs – Sleep pattern changes their internal clock shifts by about two hours * Adolescents have to integrate all these physical and physiological changes in a healthy self image!!  Development of Body Image Health Behaviors and Concerns Early Adolescence (11-13 years old) – Focused on self – Self evaluate their attractiveness – Compare themselves with peers in regards to their appearance and their body shape and size – Interested in their sexual development and that of their peers – Anxious about their sexual development  Development of Body Image Health Behaviors and Concerns Middle Adolescence (14-17 years old) – Have finished puberty. – Beginning to accept their bodies – Interest shifts from their appearance to grooming and enhancing their attractiveness. – This is the time where eating disorders begin and body image disorders start.  Cognitive Development Prefrontal lobe increases development. This leads to increased ability for abstract reasoning, processing speed, and response inhibition. Piaget: Called this stage “Formal Operations” logical thinking. – Symbolic thought. – Hypothetical-deductive reasoning.  Cognitive Development Develop a sense of time and become interested in the future Development of Moral and Social reasoning Better able to understand consequences of their actions Able to incorporate values into their decision making  Adolescences Fable Indestructible- engage in risky behavior ie smoking, fast driving, unprotected sex, don’t believe in covid-19 pandemic Unrealistic- believe “they can do anything” Exaggerate- believe “ everyone is watching them”  Psychosocial Development Self Identity Two Elements Individualistic Component “Who Am I?” – This is a person’s self concept. Contextual Component “Where and How do I fit in?” – What allows person to understand their values, beliefs, interests, and social norms for the roles they are in, such as friend, employee, student, daughter/son.  Psychosocial Development Characteristics Early Adolescence (10 to 13 years old) – Obsessed with self – Emotionally separate from parents; less family participation. – Less affection to parents. – Challenge rules – Mood/behavior swings – Have mostly same sex friendships. Peers become paramount. – Abstract thinking – Exploration of sexual feelings – Need privacy – Cannot think beyond what they want right now. Can regulate behavior when they want – May experiment with drugs, alcohol and jeweling/vaping/or cigarettes  Psychosocial Development Characteristics Middle Adolescence (14 to 17 years old) – Continue to move toward psychological and social independence from parents – Challenge parents' authority and standards – More involvement in their peer group culture – Influence of peer groups is very powerful – Participate in formal and informal peer group activities: sports, clubs, gangs – Accept their body development – Sexual exploration with a partner: dating increases – Able to reflect their feelings and the feelings of others – Become more realistic about the future and the job/career they may want Increase risk taking behaviors – Increased creative and intellectual abilities – Experiment with drugs, alcohol and jeweling vaping/or cigarettes  Psychosocial Development Characteristics Late Adolescence (17 to 21 years old) – Sense of self becomes more stable. Able to stick to their opinions, values, and beliefs – Strengthen relationship with parents – Increase their independence in decision making – Increased interest in the future, consider current actions in relation to their future – Increased self confidence in regards to body image – Decreased peer influence and increased confidence in personal values and their sense of self – Preference for one-to-one relationships. Start to have a serious significant other – Establish worker role and financial independence – Develop a value system that becomes more stable Promoting a Healthy Self Identity Teens want to be like other teens. Teens with disabilities face a challenge to fit in and not have their disability define them. Teens with a disability must incorporate the disability into their self concept Role of OT Model use of appropriate first person language. Instead of saying “Beth with CP”, identify Beth with another positive characteristic. “Beth with Brown Curly Hair” Avoid emotional language Don’t say “Chris who SUFFERS from Down Syndrome. Don’t say “John who is a girl now” Assist Adolescent to identify their genders, abilities, interests, and positive qualities that should be the primary characteristics of their self identity  Marcia’s Four States of Identity 1. Identity diffusion: Seen in Early Adolescence. A poorly 1. Identity diffusion: Seen in Early Adolescence. A poorly defined sense of self identity. I.e unable to establish any type of goals/values 2. Moratorium: Early and Middle Adolescence. Active exploration and developing a sense of identity is occurring 3. Identity foreclosure: State where it appears person has achieved self identity, but in reality they have avoided the key ingredients of self exploration and experimentation. I.e doesn’t question things and do them as expected by parents or society 4. Identity Achievement: Late Adolescence. Comes about through the resolution of self exploration and experimentation to create a coherence between a person’s self identity and their self expression and behaviors  Occupations of Adolescence Work IADLs Health Management Play and Leisure Social Participation Rest and Sleep Education ADLs  Work Work or Volunteer Role for OT activities: – Focus on skills and – Facilitate the behaviors needed to full fill adolescent’s worker role. interactions with adults – Assist in creating an on a more equal occupational identity. This playing field. looks at interests, values, – Develops life and social and abilities of the skills. adolescent, and identifies careers that fit – Gives sense of self efficacy – OT can educate employers regarding disability and possible accommodations that will be needed – Teach skills needed to navigate the work force  Health Management Health and wellness Role for OT activities: – Focus on skills and behaviors – Developing and needed to maintain healthy and wellness routine maintaining routines for healthy physical, mental – Assist with medication and social lifestyle management. This looks promotion adolescents' abilities to communicate with physician, obtain meds and administer it – Engage in Activities that correctly, take it in a timely manor, are oriented toward identifies side affects and maintain taking care of own body a health diet – OT can educate adolescents on – Manage disease their disability/disorder and ways to manage symptoms independently, make their own appointments, – Teach skills needed to maintain a and understanding physical, mental and social insurance issues wellness  ADLs Activities that are oriented Role of OT Address performance skills needed to toward taking care of our participate in ADLs within various own body. They are routine environments (ie- take a shower in gym class, apply deodorant or style hair activities people do every independently) day without assistance Assistive Technology may be needed to teach ADLs They are essential to live in Adolescents with neuromuscular disorders a social world are likely to have trouble with ADLs because of their motor and associated Ability to perform ADLs movement difficulties, disturbances of independently affect sensations, lack of visual perceptions, cognition and communication that are acceptance and social associated with these disorders. The nature interaction with peers and of the neuromuscular disorders affect adolescents' ADL performance differently participation in inclusive compared with other developmental environments disabilities such as autism or Down Sexual activity- Engaging in syndrome a broad possibilities of sexual Adaptive equipment may be needed Environmental or task modification may be activities and experimenting needed with self and others Teach adolescent to express sexual expression and experiment without guilt or shame  IADLs IADLs are the Role for OT activities that – Assist Teen with support life in the taking more community and responsibility. within the home. – Chores – Environmental – Driving/Public modification may transportation be needed. – Health Management: – Adaptive equipment medication may be needed. management, decision making – Teen/Family about healthy education. behaviors  Education Activities involved Role of OT focus on the teens’ in learning and strengths to design and participating in implement programs to educational improve performance in various areas environment Educate educators and Teens life can be other disciplines on how physical disabilities full of “drama” impact teens educational and worry but performance and help that affects their imple impl ment Universal education Design Learning Teach teens how to advocate for themselves  Leisure/Play These activities provide Role of OT enjoyment to life. They – Leisure check list to are discretionary, identify interests and assist in increased leisure spontaneous, and/or participation. organized activities we – Community education. chose to do. – Identifying recourses for They account for more teens and families than 50% of Teens – Identify community waking hours. programs for teens and – Sports families. – Developing teens skills – Video needed for social and Games/TV,phone/social leisure participation. media – Encourage teens to join – Band clubs they feel comfortable – Scouts in – clubs  Social Participation Social activities, Role of OT friendships, and the behaviors and roles – Need to understand the needed to participate in interaction between the these activities and teen and their relationships environment Successfully engaging in – Address skills needed social interaction with to participate in social others within their situations within community various environments Peer group activities – Make accommodations including intimate partner if possible relationships are paramount in adolescence – Education (teach teens Teens want to “fit in” how to handle peer pressure in a healthy Peer Pressure way)  Rest and Sleep Role of OT Rest and Sleep are identified as a Educate teens and caregivers on sleep critical occupation. Sleep has a misconceptions and expectations significant impact on functional Address secondary conditions that may performance in self-care, work, precipitate diminished sleep quality (e.i and leisure. pain, fear, depression, anxiety) Modify the environment (including noise, Teens should get nine to ten light, temperature, bedding, and hours of rest each night however technology use while in bed) Make the they sleep an average of only bedroom a sleep haven, Keep it cool, quiet seven to seven-and-a-half hours per and dark. (use eyeshades or blackout night curtains) Sleep-deprived teenagers are Avoid TV, computer/ipad, cellphone in the irritable, moody, have poor hour before bed and stick to quiet, calm activities academic performance, at risk for Establish a routine sleep schedule (a bed injuries, fatal car and wake-time and stick to it, coming as accidents ,higher risk of obesity, close as you can on the weekends) diabetes, attention and behavior Teach teens calming night activities to problems, poor mental health and counteract their already heightened in extreme cases, they can become alertness depressed or suicidal. Naps can help pick teens up and make Biological sleep patterns shift toward later them work more efficiently, if they plan times for both sleeping and waking during them right. Naps that are too long or too adolescence close to bedtime can interfere with regular sleep Contexts of Adolescence Home School Friends’ Homes Church Work environment Community Groups Sports Teams Virtual world: Internet, Facebook,twiter,snapchat, Instergram, fortnite,XBOX Live  Barriers for Adolescent Development Low Socioeconomic Status Non-Supportive Family environment Poor educational environment Unsafe neighborhood, home, or school Non accessible resources Not belonging to a peer group/Isolation Substance Abuse Trauma Depression Delinquency/School dropout Facilitators for Healthy Adolescent Development Positive supportive family. Family that allows adolescent to explore and spread their wings with guidance Good role models Supportive, well adjusted peer group Supportive educational setting Positive and available adults in their lives Mentors Membership in a desirable social group  References American Occupational Therapy Association. (2020). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (4th ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(Suppl. 2). Brandeis University. (2018). Opioid Policy Research Collaborative. Schneider Institutes for Health Policy. Institute for Behavioral Health. Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D’Ambrosio C, et al. Consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine on the recommended amount of sleep for healthy children: methodology and discussion. J Clin Sleep Med 2016;12:1549–61. Vroman, K. (2010). Occupational Therapy for Children. In J. Case-Smith & J. Clifford O’Brien. (Eds.), In Transition to Adulthood: The Occupations and Performance Skills of Adolescents (pp. 84-107). Maryland Heights, MO; Elsevier.