No Erikson Stage

Physical Changes: Conception (fertilization of an ovum by a sperm) 8 weeks = embryo. 8 weeks - 40 weeks = fetus.

Cognitive Development: Congenital anomalies (birth defects) can be caused by the mother taking drugs, alcohol, or nicotine.

Care Considerations: Emphasize care of the mother to ensure a normal pregnancy, and address unhealthy habits, the mother should develop healthy changes.

Consequences: Commonly used medications and products can have harmful effects on unborn babies.

Erikson Stage: Trust vs. Mistrust

Physical Change: Tremendous physical growth (weight, height, teeth).

Cognitive Development: Progressive vocalization, manipulating objects, obeying certain commands. Must receive affection to have normal physical and mental development--can die from lack of affection.

Care Considerations: Trust vs Mistrust: Form trust by providing safety, parents involve care, cuddling, and hugging infants.

Consequences: Trust vs Mistrust: Mistrust can develop when parents aren't allowing the infant to feel safe or loved in a sense of trust. Do not allow infants to play with objects with moving or removable parts.

Erikson Stage: Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt

Physical Changes: The body grows and proportions change. Protruding abdomen, the head isn't oversized. By 3 years 20 teeth come in, and achieve bowel and bladder control. The motor sensory ability progress; running, climbing, jumping.

Cognitive Development: Aquire language skills and form sentences. Have short attention spans and begin learning ideas, attitudes, and values-- believe their viewpoint is one; leading to independence, which can lead to tantrums.

Care Considerations: Use a form, direct approach. Distract and use a game approach to improve cooperation, give one simple direction at a time, allow supervised independence, and set limits while maintaining safety.

Consequences: Overprotective parents with unrealistic expectations can trigger the development of doubt and shame in their toddlers.

Erikson Stage: Initiative vs. Guilt

Physical Changes: Preschoolers become taller and thinner than toddlers. Self-care skills and being able to independently dress themselves develop. Their motor sensory development continues to improve a sense of balance. Allowing preschoolers to skip and jump coordinately, which enables them to learn skills

Cognitive Development: Able to speak quite well in

sentences. Also developed an awareness

of other people who aren't recognized, and assume that everyone thinks as they do. They have short attention spans but can count, recite the alphabet, and recall their address and phone number.

Care Considerations: Encourage verbalization skills, praise good behavior, and improve acceptance of painful procedures with rewards as distractions.

Consequences: If their parents severely restrict this initiative, criticize, or scold them for their attempts, a sense of guilt will develop. It diminishes the preschooler's natural enthusiasm for learning new motor and language skills. As a consequence, they can become hesitant to take on new challenges.

Erikson Stage: Industry vs. Inferiority.

Physical Changes: From 10-12 start puberty (boys and girls being able to reproduce), and permanent teeth come in. Motor sensory skills are well-coordinated, developing grace and agility with the desire for physical activity and alone time.

Cognitive Development: Progresses logical thinking and thinking in other perspectives with an increased attention span, and pride taken in personal accomplishments. Learn to reason, problem solve, learn to follow rules, and morality to guide their behavior.

Careful Considerations: Provide privacy and some personal control, define and enforce behavior limits, encourage independence, and educate visually.

Consequences: If not accepted by peers or can't meet family expectations, a sense of inferiority and lack of self-worth develops.

Erikson Stage: Identity vs. Role Confusion

Physical Changes: Maturation of the reproductive system occurs. Motor skills improve, but awkwardness in the gross motor skills is evident. Easily become fatigued with activity and requires adequate rest and sleep.

Cognitive Development: Able to acquire lots of knowledge and use reasoning skills. Have the capacity for introspection, develop their philosophy of life, and create future career identity. Prone to stress.

Careful Considerations: Give explanations along with the rationale, encourage questions, involve them in decision-making, determine the best learning strategy, provide privacy, and don't talk to them where they can overhear a conversation.

Consequences: If adolescents are unable to determine their identity and direction, they will lack a sense of who they are. This is known as "role confusion."

Erikson Stage: Intimacy vs. Isolation

Physical Changes: Skin begins losing moisture, gastrointestinal secretions diminish, and maybe problems with weight gain. Motor sensory skills start declining, muscular strength peaks, declines mid 30s, and visual and auditory sensory starts declining.

Cognitive Development: Optimal cognitive functioning, problem-solving skills and creativity are good.

Careful Considerations: Involve significant other as appropriate, watch body language for clues regarding feelings, access them from stress resulting from the multiple roles and responsibilities of this stage, involve them in the decision-making process, and provide teaching based on how they prefer to receive information.

Consequences: A fear of making commitments to others may result in isolation and loneliness.

Erikson Stage: Generativity vs. Stagnation

Physical Changes: Continues to decline: bone and muscle mass, physical strength, and endurance decrease. Potential chronic illness. Motor sensory skills diminish; reflexes, muscles, and joints respond slower. Decreased balance and coordination, prolonged to stress. Visual, auditory, and gustatory senses diminish.

Cognitive Development: Strong cognitive skills, learning may take longer, problem-solving and memory remain consistent until middle years. Creativity may increase.

Careful Considerations: Involve them in the decision-making process, encourage self-care, explore their concept of illness as it relates to body image and career, provide teaching based on how they like to receive information, and encourage lifestyle changes (quit drinking, smoking, etc) to decrease effects of natural age-related decline.

Consequences: If individuals are unable to establish their worth or recognize their contribution to the world, Stagnation may occur. This may result in self-absorption and becoming obsessed with health concerns.

Young-Old 65 to 74 years

Middle-Old 75 to 84 years

Old-Old 85 years to death

Erikson Stage: Ego Integrity vs. Despair

Physical Changes: Loss of muscle and bone and atrophy of the reproductive organs. The cardiac, renal, and immune systems decline. Decreased peripheral (arms and legs) circulation leads to less tolerance for heat and cold.

Cognitive Development: Many older adults may develop dementia, others further develop problem-solving skills and creative abilities.

Careful Considerations:

(65-74) If retired socialize with peers, encourage cognitive skills, and assist with adjustments to new roles.

(75-84) Explore support systems, encourage communication about feelings, provide support for impairments, provide a safe and comfortable environment, and be alert to over medication and sensitivity to medication.

(85-death) Encourage independence by providing activities, support end-of-life decisions by providing information and resources, assist with self-care, involve family members in care giving, and provide care to maintain skin integrity and regular bowel movements.

Consequences: If they experience a sense of satisfaction and pleasure from the events of their lives, a sense of ego integrity will be experienced. In contrast, if the review is interpreted as a series of failures and disappointments, there is a sense of sadness and despair.