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    Adolescent Brain

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    indeneuro
    The document discusses adolescent brain development and strategies for supporting young people. It notes that adolescence from 12 to 25 years old is a period of intense physical and brain changes. The adolescent brain is driven to seek rewards and peer relationships, while having underdeveloped rational thinking skills. This can lead to risky behaviors. The document outlines three main features of adolescent development - impulsiveness, increased reward and sensation seeking, and hyper-rational thinking. It concludes by providing strategies for carers to support young people through this developmental period, such as building relationships, providing structure and unconditional love, and engaging in mindfulness activities.

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    Adolescent Brain

    Uploaded by

    indeneuro
    11 views1 page
    The document discusses adolescent brain development and strategies for supporting young people. It notes that adolescence from 12 to 25 years old is a period of intense physical and brain changes. The adolescent brain is driven to seek rewards and peer relationships, while having underdeveloped rational thinking skills. This can lead to risky behaviors. The document outlines three main features of adolescent development - impulsiveness, increased reward and sensation seeking, and hyper-rational thinking. It concludes by providing strategies for carers to support young people through this developmental period, such as building relationships, providing structure and unconditional love, and engaging in mindfulness activities.

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    The document discusses adolescent brain development and strategies for supporting young people. It notes that adolescence from 12 to 25 years old is a period of intense physical and brain changes. The adolescent brain is driven to seek rewards and peer relationships, while having underdeveloped rational thinking skills. This can lead to risky behaviors. The document outlines three main features of adolescent development - impulsiveness, increased reward and sensation seeking, and hyper-rational thinking. It concludes by providing strategies for carers to support young people through this developmental period, such as building relationships, providing structure and unconditional love, and engaging in mindfulness activities.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    11 views1 page

    Adolescent Brain

    Uploaded by

    indeneuro
    The document discusses adolescent brain development and strategies for supporting young people. It notes that adolescence from 12 to 25 years old is a period of intense physical and brain changes. The adolescent brain is driven to seek rewards and peer relationships, while having underdeveloped rational thinking skills. This can lead to risky behaviors. The document outlines three main features of adolescent development - impulsiveness, increased reward and sensation seeking, and hyper-rational thinking. It concludes by providing strategies for carers to support young people through this developmental period, such as building relationships, providing structure and unconditional love, and engaging in mindfulness activities.

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    THE ADOLESCENT BRAIN

    BEING
    A TRAUMA
    INFORMED

    COMMUNITY
    UNDERSTANDING YOUR YOUNG PERSON
    Adolescence is a period of intense changes for young people. Not just
    physical changes, but also changes to their brain. These changes usually
    capture the ages between 12 to 25 years old and is known to be a
    great challenge for young people and those who support them.
    Adolescent development is characterised by seeking rewards
    and excitement, seeking peer relationships over family, and
    lack of rational thinking due to the brain’s prefrontal cortex
    not being fully developed. A challenge then for carers and
    professionals working with young people is to be able to
    balance young people’s drive to seek rewards, against their Strategies to support young
    limited understanding of the potential risks to their actions.
    people through adolescence
    The three main features of Get to know your young person: This is the primary strategy
    to build a relationship as it will give you common ground
    adolescent development
    to explore and discuss. What are their interests, hobbies,
    Impulsiveness strengths? Who are their close friends? What famous people
    Impulsiveness refers to behaviours that occur without thoughtful do they look up to? What games and music are they playing?
    consideration or reflection. Adults should support young Stay calm and take charge (being bigger, stronger, wiser
    people to develop a ‘space’ between impulse and action. and kind): Young people need an authority figure and
    Increased reward and sensation seeking advocate. You can be both without jeopardising your
    relationship by using collaborative problem-solving. This
    The adolescent brain is driven to seek rewards and sensations.
    uses empathy and acceptance to understand the young
    This is associated with an increase in the body’s dopamine
    person before coming to a mutual solution. This can give
    hormone level and an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex. This
    the young person a sense of empowerment and control
    combination can lead to potential substance misuse and risk-
    and can be particularly useful to decrease defiance.
    taking behaviours. For example, when a young person ingests
    cannabis, their body releases dopamine that makes them feel Provide unconditional love and acceptance: Young people may
    good. But when the cannabis wears off, their body’s dopamine level demonstrate unpleasant behaviour, like being disrespectful,
    plummets and the young person can feel a drive to ingest more pushing boundaries or involvement in crime. It is important to
    cannabis to reach the same level of reward. This also applies to show young people you will be there for them and love them
    risk-taking behaviour, which is another form of sensation seeking. regardless, however you do not condone their behaviour.
    Practice grounding and mindfulness exercises: Carers
    Hyper-rationality can take time to sit with the young person to turn their
    Young people are more likely to have the hyper-rational thinking focus and attention to their inner experience.
    of, ‘It won’t happen to me’. This means most young people are
    One-on-one time: Setting aside quality one-on-
    aware of the risks associated with certain behaviour, but are
    one time with the young person shows them you are
    more likely to disregard the risks by placing more emphasis on
    physically and emotionally present and available.
    the exciting potential benefits and rewards of their actions.
    Seek support of other adults in your networks: Young people
    tend not to listen to their parents or primary carer but may be
    more likely to take the advice of a mentor or other trusted adult.

    Here to help! Come and talk to us if you’d like more practical ways you can be trauma informed.

    Sources:
    >> Siegel, D. (2013). Brainstorm: The power and purpose of the teenage brain. New York: Penguin Group
    LEARN MORE >> Source images: Freepik.com (pikisuperstar, pch.vector)
    Published 2020

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