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Developmental Profile Essay

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A human being begins life as a single cell. This cell changes throughout its life time to develop into a unique individual. Human development is the scientific study of the patterns associated with this change in accordance with the internal and external conditions of its existence (Papalia, Olds & Feldman, 2009). In exploring human development, there are three key areas that need to be addressed. These comprise of physical development, cognitive development and finally psychosocial development. Within each of these areas, it is apparent that most address three key issues. Firstly, is the development process continuous or a series of discontinuous stages? Secondly is there one path of development characteristics or does the individual take …show more content…

Jane works part time at a local Woolworths supermarket and has had a stable boyfriend for 12 months. Jane has a great relationship with all her siblings, with a special bond to her older sister. She gets on really well with both her parents and still loves physical hugs and attention from them. Her relationship with her boyfriend is one of trust and respect with no sexual contact. In presenting this profile it will show that Erikson’s, Piaget’s, Brofenbrenner’s and other theories all fit along the continuum of development. Physical development explores growth and how a person physically changes throughout their lifespan. Jane was born at term with no problems or complications during pregnancy or birth. As a young child learns control over their body and learns to interact with the environment. Skills such as fine and gross motor develop along with less visible skills such as hearing, vision, taste, smell and touch. How a child grows physically is dependent on their genetics and their environment. Access to nutrition and the stimulation of a suitable environment are essential for growth. Milestones of Motor Development according to Denver, (Papalia et al., 2009, p.131) list the ages at which 50 % of children are expected to achieve motor skills. Jane reached all these milestones early. She walked at 9 months and skipped the stage of crawling. When she reached the age of 5 she became very clumsy and needed to go back to

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