Essay On Atypical Development

Adolescence begins at puberty and many young individuals between the ages of 12 and 18 go through drastic changes during this time. Puberty is the process of physical changes by which a child’s body matures into an adult body (Cronin & Mandich, 2016, p. 306). During this time, many adolescents can experience typical and atypical developmental patterns. Typical development is when one’s general patterns and experiences develop over time and are normal. For example, one learning to walk or read is considered a typical development. Whereas atypical development is when one’s patterns and experiences do not follow the normal course. For example, atypical developments could include learning disabilities or disorders. This paper will discuss the typical and atypical developments that teenagers go through during the adolescence period.

One of the main typical developments that you will see is their physical development that starts when they hit puberty. For example, their secondary sex characteristics start to appear and really sets apart males from females. In females, this includes nipples, breasts, and pubic hair. The male secondary sex characteristics include the growth of their testicles and pubic hair, which is then followed by the growth of facial and armpit hair. When adolescents hit puberty, both girls and boys are known to be concerned with their physical appearance due to their physical development. They do all that they can to “fit in” with the norms of the group who they identify with (American Psychological Association, 2012). It is typical for one to see weight gain, facial features, and acne appear due to puberty. It is very typical to see adolescences raise concerns about their appearance as it is changing. For example, one may become self-conscious of the acne that he or she is developing from puberty and converse with their parents about going to see a