Create and analyze a case study of a fictitious adolescent with developmental challengs, as well as an evidence-based intervention plan.
Introduction
Note: The assessments in this course follow the successive stages of lifespan development, so you are strongly encouraged to complete them in sequence.
What is adolescence? When does it begin and end? What risks and opportunities does it entail? This period of transformation from childhood to adulthood comprises so many changes in development—physical, cognitive, identity, and social—it has been referred to as adolescent metamorphosis.
Adolescence brings the emergence of sexual characteristics, sexual behavior, and sexual preference. Maturation affects males and females differently in terms of potential social and psychological problems.
In addition to dramatic biological changes, adolescents continue to demonstrate cognitive development. In cognitive development, as the Piagetian stage of concrete operations is gradually supplanted by the formal operations stage, more evidence of reasoning and abstract thinking begin to emerge. The shift to this stage of formal thought has the capacity to influence adolescents’ approach to academics as well as other life domains.
In addition to biological and cognitive changes, there are dramatic advancements in socialization and peer relationships. During adolescence, relationships with parents, siblings, and peers change. Adolescents no longer fit in well with groups of younger children and at the same time, they are not sufficiently developed to associate well with adults. Thus, adolescents can be greatly influenced by peer relationships, something that often places them at odds with the influence of parents and the broader community including schools. What risky or unhealthy behaviors are associated with adolescence? Are these behaviors common across genders or across cultures?
Adolescence is a time when humans begin the process of figuring out who they are and who they want to be. The quest for individuality is a major focus at a time when significant and often uncomfortable changes are taking place. Erikson (1950) proposes that all adolescents experience an identity crisis that needs to be resolved.
Effects of earlier influences continue to manifest themselves in the development of adolescents. And, the significant biological and social changes that adolescents undergo have great implications for their emergence into adulthood.
Reference
Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society (2nd ed.). Norton.
Part 1: Create the Case: Adolescence
Note: The assessments in this course follow the human developmental sequence, so you are encouraged to complete them in order.
Create a simulated case study, relevant to your area of specialization, of an adolescent who presents developmental challenges related to Erikson’s age- or stage-related milestones expected at their age.
Your case study should be 1–2 pages in length and it should describe:
The adolescent and their strengths and challenges.
A challenge for the adolescent in terms of identity and self-concept.
The medical, family, and social context.
The developmental challenges that were evident in the behavior of the adolescent.
Evidence in the case that the adolescent struggles by not meeting the expected milestones of Erikson’s theory of adolescent development.
Individual and cultural factors that theory and/or research indicate could impact the adolescent’s development.
Any other factors you deem appropriate based on your understanding of the theory and related research.
To develop this case, you should:
Explore theory and research related to development linked to adolescence.
Utilize current research on adolescent brain development to describe potential outcomes linked to brain development at this age, including important considerations in the case you are developing.
Develop your case study further by creating an environmental context for the adolescent. Include any specific issues that you want to explore through research, such as influences of a specific culture or ethnicity or specific socioeconomic status.
Maintain a resource list of the materials you consulted to build your case.
Follow APA guidelines for style and formatting, as well as for citing your resources. Include a reference list of the scholarly resources you use.
Part 2: Adolescent Case Intervention Analysis
Research
Complete the following:
Research evidence-based interventions that have been effective in meeting the challenges of the adolescent you described in your case study, from the perspective of your own professional specialization (as far as possible).
Explain how the deficits in the social-emotional developmental domain impact development.
Explain how the environmental contexts impact development.
State the recommended interventions that align with your specialization.
Include evidence for those recommendations and outcomes from the professional literature.
Explore briefly the literature on adult identity and self-concept, considering that early influences can impact development across the lifespan.
Explain, from the perspective of your specialization, how the identity issues (for example, Erikson’s theoretical perspective) that emerged in adolescence could be manifested in adulthood.
Explain how this might help in understanding and determining an approach to working with an adult with a history of identity issues.
Structure of the Report
Use the APA Paper Template [DOCX] and the following format to structure your report:
Title page.
A descriptive title of 5–15 words that concisely communicates the purpose of your report and includes the name of the fictional subject. Be sure to follow Capella’s suggested format for title pages on course papers.
Introduction.
An overview of the paper contents, including a brief summary (approximately half a page) of the background information regarding the case study. (The complete 1–2 page case you developed will be included as an appendix.)
Body of the report.
The presenting challenges and primary issues.
An analysis of how lifespan development theory and research may account for the presenting challenges.
An assessment of the potential impact of individual and cultural differences on development for the age and context described in the case study.
Suggestions for evidence-based intervention strategies that have proven effective in similar cases, supported by citations of research and any applicable theories.
Projections, based on research and/or theory, of possible long-term impacts that the current challenges may produce across the individual’s lifespan.
Conclusion.
A summary of what was introduced in the body of the paper with respect to the case study context, challenges, and interventions.
Reference page.
A minimum of five scholarly sources from current peer-reviewed journals, formatted in APA style.
Appendix.
The simulated case study you created in Part 1.
Additional Requirements
Your paper should meet the following requirements:
Written communication: Write coherently to support central ideas, proper APA style and format, and with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics. Refer to Evidence and APA for guidance.
Length of paper: 5–7 typed, double-spaced pages, not including the title page, reference page, or case study appendix.
References: At least five scholarly sources (peer-reviewed journals).
APA format: Follow APA guidelines for style and formatting, as well as for citing your resources in the body of your paper and on the reference page.
Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.
Note: In graduate-level writing, you should minimize the use of direct quotes. Lengthy quotes do not count toward assessment minimums. It is your interpretation of the material and its application to practice that is assessed.
