Adolescent Brain Development and Adverse Choices

STC: 0476 9752

Sexually, adolescents mature about two years earlier than they did 100 years ago. Today’s children, suddenly in some cases, find themselves in grown-up bodies earlier than in past decades, and their psycho-social and cognitive skills are not as developed as their bodies. This course teaches staff guidelines for relating to all the adolescent groups. The 12 to 15 year-old teen is very different from the 16 to 19 year-old. Drug and alcohol use, chaotic and dysfunctional families, mental and learning disorders, and the amount of ACEs all have impact on the adolescent’s ability to understand and comply with court-ordered and parental guidelines. Using the developmental data, learners acquire communication skills that are highly effective with teens at their most pivotal moments.