Developmental Sequence Overview

It is important to note that the development of coping appears to be cumulative i.e. children use previous strategies as well as newly developed ones. For example within the information seeking family of coping, a 12 year old child is likely to use social referencing and play (first seen in infancy) as well as asking questions (first seen in preschool), reading and making social comparisons (which are first used for coping between ages 5 and 12). Additionally, coping families are not used in isolation of each other and may be used together to maximise the effects of an individual’s coping.

The following pages examine developmental changes in coping strategies and behaviours from birth to 19 years. Much of the research on coping during childhood and adolescence has been conducted in Western cultures therefore the information listed within the booklet is most relevant to Western populations.

Please note that developmental ranges and ages vary substantially from child to child within typical/neurotypical development. The sequence should be used only as a guide when determining a child’s current development. In writing this guide we have been mindful that every child is unique and develops in their own way due to a wide range of factors. The ages provide a useful starting point and the reader is encouraged to use their own experience and judgement to best understand a child’s developmental progress.

This is not a diagnostic tool. It does not suit a process of diagnosing developmental or psychiatric disorders. Tools such as ICD-10 or DSM-5 are designed for such purposes. The sequence of development described in the guide is designed to help educators set developmentally appropriate goals to help a child progress. Coping

Infancy • Coping is mainly achieved via the caregiver • Engages in some selfsoothing behaviours (pg. 8) Early childhood • Uses voluntary actions to self-regulate, selecting from choices presented by the caregiver • Some independent coping (pg. 10) Middle childhood • Emergence of cognitive strategies • Has a wider range of coping strategies • Considers past experience and interpersonal factors when choosing a coping method (pg. 11)

Figure 2. An overview of the development of coping during childhood and adolescence. Adolescence • Increased self-reliance for coping • Chooses coping strategy with most predicted positive outcomes • Develops better coping responses to interpersonal situations • Early adolescence: Considers their personal values when selecting coping strategies • Late adolescence: considers their long-term goals when selecting coping strategies (pg. 13-16)