The Process Of Becoming An Adult

What is Adolescence? It is the period of life from puberty to maturity terminating legally at the age majority (Merriam-Webster, 2013). In addition to, it is the transitional period between childhood and adulthood. This is an individual’s most difficult time because they are no longer needed to be taken care of like they were in their early childhood. Huge responsibilities and real life situations have suddenly caught up to them. Their parents are slowly letting them grow up and handle conflicts on their own. Unfortunately, this all leads to adolescents’ most frustrations to grow because of the amount of independence they have. In addition to, the desire and pressure of acceptance by their peers are stronger than ever. For these reasons and numerous others, suicide is the third leading cause of death during the adolescent years (Karaman, D., & Durukan, I., 2013). This leads individuals to question why are adolescents at such a young age trying to attempt suicide and who should be blamed when a child has committed suicide? Fortunately, psychologists have found preventions and signs that can help adults to figure out if their child is at risk of attempting to suicide.

Puberty refers to the adolescent physiological development and psychological development period of rapid change, the transition from childhood period to adulthood; a critical period of life and worldview is gradually formed. Usually is after the child 10 years old. In the transition to adult sexual development, performance, body, and an important period of heart full development characterize sexual maturity. Sexual maturity is the core of puberty.

Whenever an individual is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the individual and the family members often wonder what the future holds for them, and the diagnosed individual. Although there is no statistical evidence on the life expectancy for the community of people with ASD, most premature deaths that do occur are related to the lack of care in an institution, infection, and/or poor medical supervision (Van Hecke, 2010). Premature deaths can also be linked to suicide by individuals in the ASD community, often those with a less severe version of the disorder. Suicide can most commonly occur when the individual develops a mental illnesses, often as the cause of a disconnect from society. Common mental illnesses associated with ASD

There are many factors that constitute being an adult. An adult is much more than turning the age of 18. The definition in the dictionary states an adult means being completely grown: fully developed and mature. I think there is much more that defines an adult. In the United States an adult is considered to be someone who takes responsibility of themselves and their actions. An adult has stability in their life and is able to take care of themselves physically, mentally, financially and emotionally. In other countries and cultures there definition of an adult differs.

I am the director of the Transition to Adult Living (TAL) program of the Presbyterian Home for Children in Talladega, Alabama. The TAL program provides services for females, ages 19-24 years of age and offers services for the young ladies in the following areas:

There are many different cultural factors that have led to the emergence of emerging adulthood (the transition to adulthood has become so delayed and prolonged that it has spawned a new transitional period extending from late teens to the mid- to late-twenties). First, entry-level positions in many fields require more education than they did in the past, prompting young adults to seek higher education in record numbers and thus delaying financial independence and career commitment. Secondly, wealthy nations with longer-lived populations have no pressing need for young people’s labor, freeing those who are financially able for extended exploration.

In this assignment, you will critically evaluate articles in the field of adult development. Each week, you will read two articles from the Annual Editions: Human Development textbook (see the weekly readings for the chosen articles). For each article, do the following:

The transition to adulthood always seemed to be some momentous or celebratory event; something which everyone should be able to look forward to. While that's what is brought to mind when the transition is brought up, that isn't always the reality. I became an adult more than ever as a 15-year-old in the second semester of my freshman year.

My transition from childhood to adulthood took place when I got my first job, as a lifeguard, the summer of my Freshmen year of High School. During this summer I learned important skills and life lessons and by the end of the summer I had a new perspective on what it means to be an adult and the challenges that came with this transition. These skills include teamwork, communication and a new sense of responsibility.

Becoming an adult for me has meant gaining a better understanding of who I am and what is important to me and discovering the type of person I would like to become. This process has allowed me to celebrate my strengths, accept my weaknesses, and commit myself to making a difference in the world. The challenges I have faced include overcoming my working memory issues and discovering what I am good at and what I most enjoy.

Emerging adulthood is a phase of the life span between adolescence and full-fledged adulthood which encompasses late adolescence and early adulthood. Jeffrey Arnett a Psychologist suggested a new period of life called Emerging adulthood. A time of the end of adolescence to young responsible adults. As Arnett describes emerging adulthood with the age of identity exploration, age of instability, age of self-focus, age of feeling in between, and age of possibilities. Age of identity exploration is when emerging adults decide who they are, where they want to pursue an education, and what they enjoy doing. You need to learn about your interests and be creative with your life. Learning enables us to survive have full life overcome fear help us cope with change. To help us reach our full potential means we need to express our creativity our drive to bring something new into being. Age of instability once you decide if you want to attend college or move in with family or friends. Age of self-focus when you no longer depend on your parents deciding what talents you have that will help you choose a career. Talent is an ability or an aptitude that has value it is often thought as a gift in the sense that a person seems to be born with. Age of feeling in between are starting to take responsibility for but do not feel like a complete independent adult yet. Age of possibilities the feeling of being young and having free will to decide what you want to do with your life. Free will is to do what you ought to do. So many entitled kids think a good paying job will just be handed to them and they don’t have to work for it. Many if you are lucky you are born into a family where you don’t have to worry about money or getting a job but for most we need to work for what we want. In this generation many need the motivation to work. Work will enable us to provide for our families and will occupy a large part of our life. Work allows us to contribute to the building of the world and it provides us with a sense of dignity in life. This time is a critical development that reflects how you are shaped by your family, experiences, and morals. This transition works to establish your identity. Sense of identity is an individual understanding

People mark the point of reaching adulthood in many different ways, such as the eighteenth birthday, puberty, or getting their drivers license. I consider the major transition point into adulthood as being when I got my first job. I was hired about a month after my sixteenth birthday. I had been applying for jobs so I would have something to do and a way of making money. I applied to numerous different places and many different kinds of places, including fast food restaurants and clothing stores. The day after I sent in all my applications, I got a call from Sonic Drive-In. I was so excited to have my first job. I have worked there for nearly six months and loved every minute of it.

Growing up can be difficult. Especially the period of life puberty takes place in. As children around the

Adolescence is the transitional period in a persons life time that links childhood and adulthood. The factors that influence development during adolescence include genetic/biological and environmental/social. There are many developmental issues that take place during the transition from an adolescent to a young adult. The issues of emerging adulthood(18-25) are characterized by new experiences, experimentation, exploration as well as new developmental tasks.

What does it mean to be an adult? Does accountability make a person an adult? Does learning and improving on past experiences make someone an adult? Will caring for one’s self make somebody an adult? These are all small pieces to the puzzle but there is more to an adult then being a self-reliant, hardworking individual that pays their bills on time. In my opinion, you can be sixteen years old and be classified as an adult or twenty eight years old and not be an adult. Being an adult means that you are responsible, mature, and independent.