Human Lifespan Development
Learning Aim A : Understanding how life affects our growth
and development
Factor is a circumstance/s that influences the development of an individual in any of the
aspects of development.
Growth is an increase in a measurable quantity such as height or weight or other
dimensions.
Development is about the complex changes in skills and capabilities that an individual
experiences as they grow.
For this assignment, I have been asked to research a celebrity and their different life stages.
I will be explaining the process of growth and development through three, different life-
stages showing how growth and development changes over time. I will be presenting factors
that had an effect on the individual during each of the three, different life-stages and then I
will compare the impact of the different factors for my chosen celebrity.
The celebrity I have chosen is Angelina Jolie. She is 43, born on the 4 th June 1975 in Los
Angeles, California. She is an actress, activist, film director and producer and has six
children, three of them are her biological children, 3 adopted from abroad. I will write about
the three following life stages that she’s been through; they are Infancy, Adolescence and
Early Adulthood. I chose not to include early childhood, as there weren’t many events to
research during this life stage. I have chosen this person and these life stages because she
has been through a lot in her life and there are many life events and factors to discuss. I will
be presenting the impact of these factors on the four aspects of development; which are
physical, intellectual, emotional and social.
Life-stage 1: Infancy – (0-2 years old)
Physical Development
Reflexes in Infants
Infancy is the very first life stage and is a short stage as it only ranges from 0-2 years.
However, there are many milestones that take place during this stage. Furthermore, it is a
time during someone’s life when they learn the most through all the PIES and how crucially,
1
1
1
,different types of factors influence their lives. The first stages of development can impact
how they will develop later on in life.
During this life stage, reflexes are one of the key physical developments. This is defined as
involuntary movements or actions. Some movements are spontaneous, occurring as part of
the baby's usual activity. Others are responses to certain actions. Reflexes help identify
normal brain and nerve activity. Some reflexes occur only in specific periods of
development. When Angelina was a baby, she was able to adapt to her surroundings the
same way any other baby would. Just as any other new-born would from the ages of 0-6
months, she would have either involuntarily or as a reaction to something, had a few
reflexes. However, some reflexes, can last to the end of infancy, it is less common for them
to stay with the new-born's response to things. Some reflexes that new-borns have include
root reflex, suck reflex, Moro reflex, Babinski reflex, and step reflex.
For example, the root reflex begins when the corner of the baby's mouth is stroked or
touched. The baby will turn his or her head and open his or her mouth to follow and "root"
in the direction of the stroking. This helps the baby find the breast or bottle to begin
feeding.
The Moro reflex is often called a startle reflex because it usually occurs when a baby is
startled by a loud sound or movement. In response to the sound, the baby throws back his
or her head, extends out the arms and legs, cries, then pulls the arms and legs back in. A
baby's own cry can startle him or her and trigger this reflex. This reflex lasts about 5 to 6
months.
The Babinski reflex is when the sole of the foot is firmly stroked, the big toe bends back
toward the top of the foot and the other toes fan out. This is a normal reflex up to about 2
years of age.
Fine Motor Skills
However, later on these reflexes will begin to fade as a child develops their motor skills.
During the Infancy years a child will develop their fine motor skills first and then their gross
motor skills. Fine motor skills are movements that babies can make with the muscles of their
hands. The fine motor skills of babies develop as they adjust to smaller actions such as being
able to move their fingers, toes and using their lips and tongue.
Toddlers begin using their hands for more tasks than just playing with toys and eating.
By 15 months, they begin to use tools such as cups, spoons, and crayons. They can begin
feeding themselves with utensils. They can also open cabinets and drawers, so parents need
2
2
2
, to be sure that their homes are baby proofed in ways such as putting hazardous chemicals
and cleaning supplies in high cabinets and putting locks on cabinets and drawers that are
not safe for young children. At this age, they can also turn pages in a book and build towers
of 2 to 3 large blocks.
By 18 months, toddlers are refining their ability to use tools such as crayons, and they can
now draw lines and rough circles rather than just scribbling on a page.
By age 24 months, toddlers can help dress and undress themselves and use their hands with
more control and strength as they can unwrap birthday presents or do simple puzzles. Their
fine motor skills will continue to improve in the coming years.
Angelina Jolie developed her fine motor skills at an average age. Angelina's mother was
supportive and encouraged her to be independent. However, when Angelina was younger,
she had many nannies which also taught her how to dress herself (developing her fine
motor skills).
Gross Motor Skills
The second motor skill which infants develop is gross motor skills. This is defined as,
movements that involve using large muscles of the body. These allow children to control
those body movements that require the use of large muscles in the legs, arms and the torso.
By around age 2 months, infants' backs strengthen, and they are able to raise their head and
chest up off the ground and rest their body on their elbows when they're lying on their
stomachs. It will also help if a parent stretches with the new-born to get them used to being
out of the womb. Around this time, they will also kick and bend their legs while lying on
their stomachs; this helps prepare babies for crawling later.
At around 8 months, babies can sit up by themselves and can pull themselves to their feet
while holding onto something for support, such as a table or the edge of a sofa.
By 9 months, babies can not only sit independently for a long time, but also reach and play
with toys while maintaining their balance. In the second year of life, toddlers continue to
become more mobile and more agile.
Around 15 months, babies begin to climb stairs, high chairs, and furniture, but they will not
yet be able to get back down once they reach the top. They begin to transition more
smoothly from one position to another, such as from lying down to sitting up and from
sitting up to standing up.
3
3
3
Learning Aim A : Understanding how life affects our growth
and development
Factor is a circumstance/s that influences the development of an individual in any of the
aspects of development.
Growth is an increase in a measurable quantity such as height or weight or other
dimensions.
Development is about the complex changes in skills and capabilities that an individual
experiences as they grow.
For this assignment, I have been asked to research a celebrity and their different life stages.
I will be explaining the process of growth and development through three, different life-
stages showing how growth and development changes over time. I will be presenting factors
that had an effect on the individual during each of the three, different life-stages and then I
will compare the impact of the different factors for my chosen celebrity.
The celebrity I have chosen is Angelina Jolie. She is 43, born on the 4 th June 1975 in Los
Angeles, California. She is an actress, activist, film director and producer and has six
children, three of them are her biological children, 3 adopted from abroad. I will write about
the three following life stages that she’s been through; they are Infancy, Adolescence and
Early Adulthood. I chose not to include early childhood, as there weren’t many events to
research during this life stage. I have chosen this person and these life stages because she
has been through a lot in her life and there are many life events and factors to discuss. I will
be presenting the impact of these factors on the four aspects of development; which are
physical, intellectual, emotional and social.
Life-stage 1: Infancy – (0-2 years old)
Physical Development
Reflexes in Infants
Infancy is the very first life stage and is a short stage as it only ranges from 0-2 years.
However, there are many milestones that take place during this stage. Furthermore, it is a
time during someone’s life when they learn the most through all the PIES and how crucially,
1
1
1
,different types of factors influence their lives. The first stages of development can impact
how they will develop later on in life.
During this life stage, reflexes are one of the key physical developments. This is defined as
involuntary movements or actions. Some movements are spontaneous, occurring as part of
the baby's usual activity. Others are responses to certain actions. Reflexes help identify
normal brain and nerve activity. Some reflexes occur only in specific periods of
development. When Angelina was a baby, she was able to adapt to her surroundings the
same way any other baby would. Just as any other new-born would from the ages of 0-6
months, she would have either involuntarily or as a reaction to something, had a few
reflexes. However, some reflexes, can last to the end of infancy, it is less common for them
to stay with the new-born's response to things. Some reflexes that new-borns have include
root reflex, suck reflex, Moro reflex, Babinski reflex, and step reflex.
For example, the root reflex begins when the corner of the baby's mouth is stroked or
touched. The baby will turn his or her head and open his or her mouth to follow and "root"
in the direction of the stroking. This helps the baby find the breast or bottle to begin
feeding.
The Moro reflex is often called a startle reflex because it usually occurs when a baby is
startled by a loud sound or movement. In response to the sound, the baby throws back his
or her head, extends out the arms and legs, cries, then pulls the arms and legs back in. A
baby's own cry can startle him or her and trigger this reflex. This reflex lasts about 5 to 6
months.
The Babinski reflex is when the sole of the foot is firmly stroked, the big toe bends back
toward the top of the foot and the other toes fan out. This is a normal reflex up to about 2
years of age.
Fine Motor Skills
However, later on these reflexes will begin to fade as a child develops their motor skills.
During the Infancy years a child will develop their fine motor skills first and then their gross
motor skills. Fine motor skills are movements that babies can make with the muscles of their
hands. The fine motor skills of babies develop as they adjust to smaller actions such as being
able to move their fingers, toes and using their lips and tongue.
Toddlers begin using their hands for more tasks than just playing with toys and eating.
By 15 months, they begin to use tools such as cups, spoons, and crayons. They can begin
feeding themselves with utensils. They can also open cabinets and drawers, so parents need
2
2
2
, to be sure that their homes are baby proofed in ways such as putting hazardous chemicals
and cleaning supplies in high cabinets and putting locks on cabinets and drawers that are
not safe for young children. At this age, they can also turn pages in a book and build towers
of 2 to 3 large blocks.
By 18 months, toddlers are refining their ability to use tools such as crayons, and they can
now draw lines and rough circles rather than just scribbling on a page.
By age 24 months, toddlers can help dress and undress themselves and use their hands with
more control and strength as they can unwrap birthday presents or do simple puzzles. Their
fine motor skills will continue to improve in the coming years.
Angelina Jolie developed her fine motor skills at an average age. Angelina's mother was
supportive and encouraged her to be independent. However, when Angelina was younger,
she had many nannies which also taught her how to dress herself (developing her fine
motor skills).
Gross Motor Skills
The second motor skill which infants develop is gross motor skills. This is defined as,
movements that involve using large muscles of the body. These allow children to control
those body movements that require the use of large muscles in the legs, arms and the torso.
By around age 2 months, infants' backs strengthen, and they are able to raise their head and
chest up off the ground and rest their body on their elbows when they're lying on their
stomachs. It will also help if a parent stretches with the new-born to get them used to being
out of the womb. Around this time, they will also kick and bend their legs while lying on
their stomachs; this helps prepare babies for crawling later.
At around 8 months, babies can sit up by themselves and can pull themselves to their feet
while holding onto something for support, such as a table or the edge of a sofa.
By 9 months, babies can not only sit independently for a long time, but also reach and play
with toys while maintaining their balance. In the second year of life, toddlers continue to
become more mobile and more agile.
Around 15 months, babies begin to climb stairs, high chairs, and furniture, but they will not
yet be able to get back down once they reach the top. They begin to transition more
smoothly from one position to another, such as from lying down to sitting up and from
sitting up to standing up.
3
3
3
