Oct.

2016

Observation of an Adolescent
Class:!FHS 150 - Invitation to Life Span and Human Development
Student Name: Heather Gresham
Assignment: Observation 4: Ages 13-18 years old
Background Information
Adolescents age:! 18 years old
Fictitious name: William
Location: ! Restaurant
Brief description: William is my niece's boyfriend. I met with him, my niece and my sister
at a restaurant. We had lunch together while I asked William questions. He is a senior in
high school and has lived a very hard life already.
I was very fortunate to get to interview William. He was a very interesting kid and very
open to talking about his life. I found him to be friendly and very intelligent. He has had
the hardest childhood of anyone I have ever sat down and talked with. His parents had
a rough divorce when he was 13 years old. He moved with his Dad to Utah at that time.
He fought a lot with his Dad so his Dad kicked him out. He lived on the street for two
years.
Biological Development
William told me that he has a hard time sleeping at night if he doesnt take his
medication. He is on many medications. He has multiple mental problems such as
schizophrenia, bipolar, ADHD, three types of ADD, anxiety and crippling depression. His
father has schizophrenia and his mother has all of the other issues. He told me that he
sometimes will be up all night and he will get bored and cook in the middle of the night.
He has missed a lot of school this year but said that he is able to turn in his homework
still and is passing. He will be graduating high school this school year. According to
Kathleen Stassen Berger in her book Invitation to the Life Span on page 319 is says
that sleep deprivation and irregular sleep schedules increase the risk of insonmia,
night-mares, mood disorders (depression, conduct disorder, anxiety) and falling asleep
while driving. William already has mood disorders but could the lack of sleep from not
having his medication be creating a cycle that is making his mood disorders worse?
(Berger, 2011, pg 319)
William doesnt get along well with his parents of his school. When William was 13
years old his parents had a bad divorce. He moved to Utah with his Dad at that time but
they fought a lot. His Dad kicked him out of the house and he was homeless for two
years at that time. William also said that his school doesnt like him. He was expelled for
yelling at his girlfriend (my niece) and making a scene. He also said that his principal
stole his medication and took it himself. I dont know how if all of that was true or not but
that reminded me of the hypothetical thought that can cause adolescents to sharply
criticize their parents, their school and society. (Berger, 2011, pg 332)

William was very skinny. He said that he gets bullied for being so skinny. With him being
homeless for two years Im sure he didnt get good nutrition during that time. He mainly
went to shelters that handed out sack meals during that time. Also, he now lives with a
friends family that the parents dont cook real meals for the kids. They have quite a
few kids and they just have snack food such as granola bars for the kids to eat. He was
very thankful for the meal I bought him. Williams health definitely could be damaged
lifelong. (Berger, 2011, pg 323)
Cognitive Development
According to William he never had any good role models in his life. His parents both had
psychological problems such as schizophrenia, bipolar, ADHD, ADD, anxiety and
depression just like him. He has a domestic violence charge against him for a fight he
got in with his father. He has had to stop his Dad from trying to kill himself multiple
times. He said that him and his father will tell each other to kill themselves all the time.
Experiences and role models influence choices in our lives. William hasnt made good
choices in his life but he is trying to turn them around. He will be getting his high school
diploma at the end of this school year and will also have his associates degree in film by
the time he graduates high school too. (Berger, 2011, pg 335)
According to Berger Early signs of a future high-school dropout are visible in middle
school. William was homeless around his middle school years. So, Im sure that he had
the signs of never graduating high school but he ended up getting through it and will be
graduating this year. William fought the odds on that one. (Berger, 2011, pg 342)
Psychosocial Development
William already has a vocation in mind for when he graduates high school. He wants to
be an Oceanographer and film ship wrecks. His big dream is to film the Titanic wreck.
Berger says that no teenager can realistically choose among the tens of thousands of
careers available today. (Berger, 2011, pg 354) Even if William doesnt end up doing
that profession it is good that he has a goal in mind to work towards especially with how
his life has been already.
William will most likely be the one in five adolescents that have mental illnesses that
persist into adulthood since his parents have the same mental illnesses he has which I
listed in the biological development section and they still exhibit them. (Berger, 2011,
369)
William has used both legal and illegal psychoactive drugs. During his years of living
on the street he became addicted to four illegal psychoactive drugs and to cigarettes
which are a legal psychoactive drug except for the fact that he was underage to buy
them. He went into rehab after being on the street for two years. He still craves
cigarettes and has a hard time with that. (Berger, 2011, 376)