Stage not Age – Developmental Stage versus Chronological Age

Adverse life experiences can impact a child's ability to meet developmental milestones.  In some
instances, development does not keep up with chronological developmental milestones, resulting in
behavioral issues, such as the inability to cope with frustration or change.  Often a child's
developmental age, which is the age at which they function emotionally, physically, cognitively and
socially, is much younger than what we would typically expect.

In brief, this is because when a infant/child does not get access to a safe, predictable and a loving
care-giving environment, their brain development is altered and may not go through the normal
sequence of growth.   From studies into Developmental Trauma when the stress response in children
is repeatedly activated then sequential development of the brain is disturbed, where foundation steps
are missing and the lower parts of the brain that are responsible for survival functions and emotional
regulation are disrupted causing the upper part of the brain to also be effected and this causes other
elements to be out of kilter, and this manifests in a variety of behaviors and an impairment of
executive functions i.e. making judgements about what you are experiencing and exercising moral
judgement as well as difficulties such as sensory processing disorder, ADHD, cognitive impairment,
speech delay etc.

Adjusting they way you see a child, for example seeing their developmental stage as being much
younger, you can start to help them meet their needs more appropriately (needs of a much younger
child) and fill in skill gaps by letting them practice new skills repeatedly in a safe environment to
enhance their developmental progress.

The below image shows a snapshot from a Fagus Developmental profile for a child who is 9 years
old.  It shows that in the Self-Control social and emotional domain this child’s behaviours are typically
similar to the behaviors of a child in the Infant Age Range.  Their ability to self regulates and control
their impulses are much delayed.  The objective would be to put a goal in place to teach the child a
set of skills around self control to help them to practice and improve their skills in this area, within a
safe and nurturing environment. These may involve brain stem and mid-brain functioning and include
activities such as yoga and expressive arts.   The Developmental Profile can repeated and original
goals set reviewed to see whether the pupil has made any progress in this area.  Although please be
aware this journey may span a number of years.

SOURCE: https://www.fagus.org.uk/stage-not-age-developmental-stage-versus-chronological-age/
 THE CHILD-LEARNER IN HEALTH EDUCATION
DEVELOPMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF LEARNERS

INFANCY TO TODDLERHOOD
– Approximate Age: Birth to 3 years
– Cognitive Stage: Sensorimotor
– Psychological Stage: Trust vs. Mistrust [birth to 1 year]
Autonomy vs. Shame & doubt [1 to 3 years]
General Characteristics

• Dependent on environment.
• Needs security.
• Explores self and environment.
• Natural curiosity.
• Welcome active involvement.
• Forge alliances.
• Encourage physical closeness
• Provide detailed information.
• Answer questions & concerns.
• Ask for information on child’s strengths/ limitations & likes/dislikes.
PRE-SCHOOLER
– Approximate Age: 3 to 6 years
– Cognitive Stage: Preoperational
– Psychological Stage: Initiative vs. Guilt
General Characteristics:
• Thinking pre-causal, concrete & literal.
• Egocentric.
• Believes illness is self-caused & punitive.
• Limited sense of time.
• Fears bodily injury.
• Animistic thinking [objects possess life /human characteristics].
• Centration [focus is on 1 characteristic of an object].
• Separation anxiety.
• Motivated by curiosity.
• Acute imagination/prone to fears.
• Play is his/her work.

• SCHOOL AGE CHILDHOOD

– Approximate Age: 6 to 12 years
– Cognitive Stage: Concrete operations
– Psychological Stage: Industry vs. Inferiority

General Characteristic:

• Understand cause & effect.

• More realistic and objective.
• Deductive/inductive reasoning.
• Wants concrete information.
• Able to compare objects & events.
• Variable rates of physical growth.
• Reasons syllogistically.
 • Understands seriousness & consequences of actions.
• Subject-centered focus immediate orientation

ADOLESCENCE
– Approximate Age: 12 to 18 years
– Cognitive Stage: Formal Operations
– Psychological Stage: Identify vs. Role Confusion
General Characteristics:

• Abstract hypothetical thinking.

• Can build on past learning.
• Reasons by logic & understand scientific principles.
• Future orientation.
• Motivated by desire of social acceptance.
• Peer group is important.
• Intense personal pre-occupation, appearance, extremely important [imaginary audience].
• Feels invulnerable, invincible, immune to natural law [personal fables]

YOUNG ADULTHOOD
– Approximate Age: 18-40 years
– Cognitive Stage: Formal Operations
– Psychological Stage: Intimacy vs. Isolation
General Characteristics
• Autonomous • Intrinsic motivation.
• Self-directed • Able to analyse critically.
• Uses personal experience to enhance/ • Make decisions about personal,
interfere with learning. occupation & social roles.

MIDDLE ADULTHOOD
– Approximate Age: 40 to 65 years
– Cognitive Stage: Formal Operations
– Psychological Stage: Generativity vs. Self absorption & Stagnation
General Characteristics
• Sense of self is well developed. • Fatigued/decreased energy levels.
• Concerned with physical changes. • Pathophysiology [chronic illness]
• At peak in career. • Psychosocial changes.
• Explore alternative life styles. • Decreased risk taking.
• Reflects on contributions to family & • Selective learning.
society. • Intimidated by formal learning.
• Re-examines goals & values.
• Questions achievements & successes.
• Has confidence in abilities.
• Desires to modify unsatisfactory aspects
of life.
• Yellowing of lenses, distorts low tone
colors; blue, green, violet.
• Distorted depth perception.
LATE ADULTHOOD
– Approximate Age: 5 years and above
– Cognitive Stage: Formal Operations
– Psychological Stage: Ego integrity vs. Despair
General Characteristics

• Cognitive changes.
• Decreased ability to thick abstractly; process information.
• Decreased short term memory
• Increased reaction time & anxiety.
• Stimulus persistence [after image].
• Focuses on past life experiences.
• Sensory/motor deficits & auditory changes.
• Hearing loss, especially high pitched tones consonant [s,z,t, f, & g] & rapid speech.

• Visual changes

– Farsighted [needs glasses to read].

– Lenses become opaque [glare problems]
– Smaller pupil size [decreased visual adaptation to darkness].
– Decreased peripheral perception.
– Yellowing of lenses,[distorts low tone colors; blue, green, violet].
– Distorted depth perception.
– Fatigued/decreased energy levels.
– Pathophysiology [chronic illness]
– Psychosocial changes.
– Decreased risk taking.
– Selective learning.
– Intimidated by formal learning.