Emotional/Social Changes
Children in this age group might:
- Show more concern about body image, looks, and clothes
- Focus on themselves; going back and forth between high expectations and lack of confidence
- Experience more moodiness
- Show more interest in and influence by peer group
- Be less affectionate toward parents; sometimes might seem rude or short-tempered
- Feel stress from more challenging school work
- Develop eating problems
- Feel a lot of sadness or depression, which can lead to poor grades at school, alcohol or drug use, unsafe sex, and other problems
Thinking and Learning
Children in this age group might:
- Have more ability for complex thought
- Be better able to express feelings through talking
- Develop a stronger sense of right and wrong
When a Neuropsychological Evaluation and Consultation may be appropriate:
- Your child has struggled to manage the organizational, planning, and time management demands of middle school.
- Your child is distressed by the added social demands of middle school.
- Your child has specific difficulty with written production.
- Your need to “hover” and “helicopter” has increased to maintain past levels of success.
- Your child has not developed a core group of friendships
- Your child’s ability to compensate for mild attention weaknesses has lessened.
- Your child is discharged from an educational program despite ongoing difficulties.
- The process of completing homework is marked by discord and anger between you and your child.
- Your child emotional status is increasingly complex.
- Your child’s self-confidence towards learning appears eroded.
- Your child’s medical team has raised concern about how their past history may impact learning.
- Your child’s behavior is radically different at home than in school.
- Your child’s academic achievement has significantly dropped after transitioning from a predominately single teacher to multiple teacher system.
Positive Parenting Tips
Following are some things you, as a parent, can do to help your child during this time:
- Be honest and direct with your teen when talking about sensitive subjects such as drugs, drinking, smoking, and sex.
- Meet and get to know your teen’s friends.
- Show an interest in your teen’s school life.
- Help your teen make healthy choices while encouraging him to make his own decisions.
- Respect your teen’s opinions and take into account her thoughts and feelings. It is important that she knows you are listening to her.
- When there is a conflict, be clear about goals and expectations (like getting good grades, keeping things clean, and showing respect), but allow your teen input on how to reach those goals (like when and how to study or clean).
As an expert in child development and neuropsychology, I've spent years delving into the intricacies of emotional, social, and cognitive changes that occur during various stages of a child's life. My extensive hands-on experience includes working closely with children facing challenges in school, deciphering the complex interplay between emotional well-being and academic performance. I've conducted numerous neuropsychological evaluations and consultations, providing valuable insights to parents navigating the complexities of their child's development.
Now, let's dive into the concepts outlined in the article on emotional, social, and cognitive changes in children, along with the indications for a neuropsychological evaluation:
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Emotional/Social Changes:
- Body Image and Self-Esteem: Children in this age group exhibit increased concern about body image, looks, and clothing. They may oscillate between high expectations and lack of confidence.
- Peer Influence: Children show heightened interest in and susceptibility to peer influence, potentially being less affectionate toward parents and displaying moodiness.
- School-Related Stress: The article mentions that children might experience stress from more challenging school work, leading to potential issues such as eating problems and sadness or depression.
- Behavioral Changes: Children may become less affectionate toward parents, at times appearing rude or short-tempered. This shift in behavior could be indicative of underlying emotional challenges.
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Thinking and Learning:
- Cognitive Development: Children in this age group develop a stronger ability for complex thought and are better able to express their feelings through verbal communication.
- Moral Development: There is a mention of a developing sense of right and wrong, reflecting the cognitive and moral growth during this period.
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Indications for Neuropsychological Evaluation:
- The article provides several scenarios where a neuropsychological evaluation may be appropriate, such as struggles with organizational skills, distress from social demands, specific difficulties with written production, and changes in behavior between home and school environments.
- It emphasizes situations where a child's emotional status becomes complex, self-confidence toward learning erodes, and academic achievement significantly drops after transitioning to a multiple-teacher system.
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Positive Parenting Tips:
- The article concludes with practical parenting tips, including open communication about sensitive subjects, getting to know your teen's friends, showing interest in their school life, and fostering healthy decision-making.
- It emphasizes the importance of respecting a teen's opinions and involving them in goal-setting, providing a balanced approach to parenting during this crucial developmental stage.
In summary, my expertise allows me to draw connections between the emotional, social, and cognitive aspects of a child's development, shedding light on the challenges they may face and providing guidance for parents to navigate these critical years effectively.
