| Course | PAC 405 Child Psychology |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 3 |
| Paper type | Developmental assessment |
| Length | About 1,038 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Psychology and Addiction Studies |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PAC 405 Module 3
On the Edge of Adolescence: A Developmental Assessment to Guide Helping a Twelve-Year-Old Who Has Started Using
Student Name
Psychology and Addiction Studies Program, Aspen University
PAC 405: Child Psychology
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
On the Edge of Adolescence: A Developmental Assessment to Guide Helping a Twelve-Year-Old Who Has Started Using
Jaylen is the sixth grader whose referral, for beer at a cousin's barbecue and a vape in his backpack, opened this series of papers. Module 1 examined what drives his early use, and Module 2 mapped the adults around him. This paper assesses his development, because how a child should be helped depends on where he is developmentally. Jaylen, his family and Bayview are composites, and the research is real.
The Developing Adolescent Brain
Casey et al. (2008) reviewed research on brain development in adolescence. They described a mismatch in timing. Subcortical regions involved in reward and emotion, such as the ventral striatum, become highly responsive around puberty, while prefrontal regions that support self-control and planning continue maturing into the twenties. During adolescence, the reward system can therefore outweigh the control system, especially in emotionally charged situations, such as when peers are present or a reward is immediate. In calmer settings, adolescents can reason about risks nearly as well as adults. The authors emphasized that this pattern is a normal feature of development, not a defect, and that it helps explain why adolescents take more risks in some contexts than others.
Jaylen is entering puberty, and his use has occurred in exactly the settings the model predicts: with older cousins at a party and with friends on the bus.
Resilience as Ordinary Magic
Masten (2001) reviewed research on resilience in children who faced adversity. She concluded that resilience is common and arises not from rare or special qualities but from the operation of ordinary human adaptive systems: attachment relationships with caring adults, cognitive and self-regulation skills, motivation to master the environment, and effective families, schools and communities. When these systems are working, children often do well despite adversity; when they are damaged or overwhelmed, children are more vulnerable. Masten argued that efforts to help children should protect and strengthen these basic systems.
Jaylen's Developmental Profile
| Domain | Observations and reports | Strengths | Concerns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical | Early puberty; growing quickly; plays basketball three days a week | Strong, coordinated, enjoys physical activity | Fatigue on days after late nights at his cousins' |
| Cognitive | Reasons well about concrete problems; reading at grade level; math above | Quick, curious, good problem solver | Struggles with long written tasks and planning |
| Emotional | Warm, quick to laugh; frustrated easily; rarely talks about his father | Expresses joy and affection openly | Anger when corrected; unspoken grief about his father |
| Social | Seeks older cousins' approval; liked by teammates | Friendly; included on his team | Strong pull toward older peers who use |
| Self-regulation | Restless in class; focused and disciplined in basketball | Can regulate in structured, active settings | Impulsive in unstructured, exciting situations |
How Development Shapes His Risk
The profile and Casey's model together explain Jaylen's pattern. In structured settings, such as basketball practice, he regulates his behavior well. In unstructured, exciting settings with older peers, his heightened reward sensitivity and developing control make use more likely. His desire for his cousins' approval, normal at his age, adds to the pull. This suggests that his risk is concentrated in particular situations rather than spread across his life, and that help should target those situations.
Evidence for Structured Treatment
Weisz et al. (2006) conducted a meta-analysis of randomized trials that directly compared evidence-based psychotherapies for youth with the usual care provided in clinical settings. Evidence-based treatments outperformed usual care, with a modest effect that held across different problems. The authors argued that structured, tested approaches should be used more widely, though they noted that usual care varied and that some evidence-based treatments were tested with youth who differed from clinic populations.
Adapting Counseling to Jaylen's Stage
Several adaptations follow. First, sessions will be shorter, about forty minutes, and active, using drawing, which Jaylen enjoys, and games to practice skills rather than long talk. Second, goals will be concrete and near-term, such as staying in his basketball league and avoiding a second school suspension, rather than abstract goals about health. Third, skill practice will focus on the situations where he is most at risk, such as rehearsing what to say when his cousins offer beer, with role-play that includes the excitement of the moment. Fourth, his mother and grandmother will be partners, with brief joint sessions to agree on rules and to practice responding calmly when he is defiant, since anger at correction is common at his age. Fifth, the counselor will use structured, evidence-based methods, such as cognitive-behavioral skills adapted for his age, consistent with Weisz and colleagues' findings. Sixth, his grief about his father will be approached gently and at his pace, through drawing as well as words.
Grief at Twelve
Jaylen rarely mentions his father, who has been incarcerated since he was eight. Children his age often experience a parent's incarceration as a kind of loss without a funeral: the parent is alive but absent, and the loss is surrounded by silence or shame. At twelve, Jaylen can understand more about his father's situation than he could at eight, and he may begin asking harder questions. His developing capacity for abstract thought, which emerges in early adolescence, means he can now think about what his father's absence means for him, which can bring new grief. The counselor will not press, but will make room through drawing and occasional questions, and will ask his mother whether visits or letters are possible and wanted.
Further Assessment
His restlessness in class and difficulty with planning, combined with good focus in basketball, could reflect attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, stress or simply a mismatch between his energy and the classroom. With his mother's consent, Bayview will request teacher and parent rating scales and, if indicated, a referral for evaluation, because untreated attention problems can increase substance use risk.
Conclusion
Jaylen is on the edge of adolescence, with a brain that responds strongly to reward and a control system still developing. Casey, Jones and Hare explain why his risk peaks in exciting peer settings, Masten shows that his relationships and skills are ordinary systems of resilience that can be strengthened and Weisz, Jensen-Doss and Hawley support structured approaches. Counseling that is short, active, concrete and shared with his family fits where Jaylen is in his development.
References
Casey, B. J., Jones, R. M., & Hare, T. A. (2008). The adolescent brain. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1124, 111-126. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1440.010
Masten, A. S. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. American Psychologist, 56(3), 227-238. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.227
Weisz, J. R., Jensen-Doss, A., & Hawley, K. M. (2006). Evidence-based youth psychotherapies versus usual clinical care: A meta-analysis of direct comparisons. American Psychologist, 61(7), 671-689. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.61.7.671
What the PAC 405 Module 3 instructions ask for
Developmental processes are the third module of PAC 405, and assignments usually ask for a developmental assessment of a child and an explanation of how helping should be adapted to the child's stage. The Module 3 directions in your Aspen course take priority; Jaylen is invented. Describe the child's development across domains, drawing on observation and reports. Explain relevant developmental science, such as brain changes in early adolescence. Identify strengths through a resilience lens. Show how development shapes risk. Adapt the helping approach concretely to the child's stage. Reference each study in APA 7, and treat developmental differences as features of a stage rather than deficits. Note where further assessment is needed and who would do it. Keep the child's interests in view, since they are the material for active sessions.
How this PAC 405 Module 3 example is built
Jaylen is entering puberty, reasons well about concrete problems, struggles to sit still and cares intensely about his cousins' and teammates' opinions. Casey, Jones and Hare's review of adolescent brain research explains the imbalance between reward and control systems. Masten's American Psychologist article reframes his strengths as adaptive systems. A five-row table profiles physical, cognitive, emotional, social and self-regulation development. Weisz, Jensen-Doss and Hawley's meta-analysis in the same journal supports structured, evidence-based approaches. Adaptations include shorter, active sessions with drawing, concrete goals tied to basketball and school, role-played practice for moments with his cousins, parents as partners and a gentle approach to grief about his father.
Where the marks sit in the PAC 405 Module 3 rubric
Developmental assessments earn credit for describing development across domains, using developmental science accurately and adapting help to the child. This example profiles Jaylen in five domains with specific observations, then explains why his risk is highest in exciting peer settings, using Casey and colleagues' model. Masten's framework turns strengths into targets, such as his self-regulation in basketball. The adaptations are concrete, from session length to skill practice, and they follow from the profile. Weisz and colleagues' finding justifies structured approaches over unstructured talk, and the paper treats differences as features of a stage rather than flaws in a child. A referral for attention assessment is planned with consent.
Common PAC 405 Module 3 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Developmental papers often describe stages in general without assessing the particular child. Profile the child across domains using observations and reports. Use developmental science accurately; the adolescent brain is not simply immature but developing unevenly. Identify strengths, since resilience arises from ordinary systems that can be strengthened. Show how development shapes risk, such as heightened sensitivity to peers. Adapt counseling specifically, including session length, activities and involvement of parents. Avoid treating developmental features as disorders. Note when further assessment, such as for attention problems, is warranted, and say who will carry it out. Match activities to the child's interests.
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PAC 405 Module 3 questions, answered
What does PAC 405 Module 3 usually ask for?
Aspen's PAC 405 covers developmental processes in this module, so a developmental assessment of a child and adaptations of helping to the child's stage are typical. See the Module 3 prompt.
Why do young adolescents take more risks?
Casey, Jones and Hare describe reward systems maturing earlier than control systems, so risky choices are more likely in emotional or peer-filled situations.
What is resilience in children?
Masten described it as ordinary magic: positive adaptation arising from basic human systems such as close relationships, self-regulation and supportive schools.
Where can I find a free PAC 405 Module 3 sample paper?
Read it free on this page: a developmental assessment of a twelve-year-old with a profile table and adaptations of counseling.
Do evidence-based treatments work better for youth than usual care?
Weisz, Jensen-Doss and Hawley's meta-analysis found evidence-based youth treatments outperformed usual clinical care.