Need help understanding your teen’s behavior? Copyright © 2004 David Walsh All right reserved. ISBN: EDCI 597: Middle Grades Philosophy, Organization and Climate (Fall 2009) Book Review Assignment J.D. Barone

Highlights of the Text  Contents  One: Making Sense of Adolescence  Two: A Guided Tour of Their Brains Two: A Guided Tour of Their Brains  Three: Why Adolescents Are Impulsive  Four: Risky Business: Helping Teens Put on the Brakes Four: Risky Business: Helping Teens Put on the Brakes  Five: What We Have Here Is a Failure to Communicate  Six: Male and Female Brains: Sexual Stereotyping and Sexual Identity  Seven: Love, Sex, and the Adolescent Brain  Eight: Monkey Wrenches in the Brain: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs Eight: Monkey Wrenches in the Brain: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs  Nine: Adolescents and Media Nine: Adolescents and Media  Ten: The Story Behind Tired Teens  Eleven: When Things Go Wrong in the Brain: Adolescent Mental Illness  Twelve: The Psychological and Social Dimensions of Adolescence  Thirteen: The Importance of Connection and Guidance Thirteen: The Importance of Connection and Guidance  Fourteen: In Conclusion  Notes  Acknowledgments  Index

Understanding the Brain can Help! Adolescent behavior stems from multiple changes occurring in the brain. Once you understand these changes, you will have the tools to help navigate through the challenges they will face in life Three brain systems:  Brainstem – responsible for unconscious physiological functions (breathing, heartbeat, etc.)  Limbic Brain – seat of emotion Amygdala – almond shaped structure responsible for fear and anger Hippocampus – encoding new memories Hypothalamus – master control system for the body’s hormone system. Ventral Striatal (VS) – involved in motivation  Cortex Prefrontal Cortex (behind the bone of the forehead) The CEO of the brain (not mature enough in adolescent brain) Responsible for planning, considering consequences, managing emotional impulses Hemispheres Left – Analytical thinking Right – Intuitive thinking (visual, audio)

Five Brain Processes that Exercise the Adolescent Brain!  Use it or lose it – experiences help form brain connections  Blossoming and Pruning – Blossoming refers to the growth spurts that occur in the brain. Pruning refers to the withering of branches formed in the brain that are not used. Experiences in life prune or shape the circuits in the brain.  Window of Opportunity - developmental opportunities in the brain occur at specific times. If these branches of the brain are not sparked into action, they fall victim to pruning.  Window of Sensitivity – positive or negative experiences in the brain can have a direct effect on the wiring of the brain.  Myelination (insulation of nerve cells) – without myelin, electrical signals cannot travel effectively throughout the brain.

Understanding those Raging Hormones Hormones  Hypothalamus – master control of the endocrine system.  Testosterone – main growth hormone for males that has a strong effect on the amygdala, the center for fear and anger.  Estrogen and Progesterone – Female growth hormones. These hormones effect the hippocampus or memory center of the brain Neurotransmitters are the message senders of the brain  Norepinephrine – energizer neurotransmitter  Dopamine – the feel-good neurotransmitter  Serotonin – the mood stabilizer neurotransmitter Hormones and Neurotransmitters are directly related, especially during adolescence. As the level of hormones increase, so do the levels of the various neurotransmitters. This is why adults can see dramatic and sudden mood swings in their child.

Effects of Foreign Substances  Drugs, alcohol, and tobacco have a major role in interfering with the neurotransmitters in the brain. These chemicals transmit important messages across the brain. When alcohol, drugs, or tobacco enter the equation, messages become confused and slower, effecting the major developmental processes of the brain.  Substance abuse has a direct effect in the encoding of memories.  Dopamine – the feel-good neurotransmitter Drugs, alcohol, and tobacco cause an increase in the production of this neurotransmitter. Repeated use causes the body to stop producing the normal levels of dopamine. As a result, when these substances are absent from the adolescents system, they feel worse and worse.  Stay Connected with your Child Adolescents need to know that their parents care about what goes on in their lives Know where your kids are. Know who your child’s friends are, where they like to go, and what they like to do. Set curfews – Curfews help establish a greater sense of accountability

Watch out for those Media Influences!  Video game violence causes increase in aggression hormones  When playing video games, children are only required to use quick reflexes in their hands. This takes valuable developmental time away from the reasoning section, or prefrontal cortex, of the brain.  Causes major health issues – children who spend too much time engaging the various forms of media are taking time away from being outside and being active. The result is increased weight problems and health issues among adolescents.  Ways to help: Limit playing time Homework and other chores have priority No TV, computer, or video games in their bedrooms Know what your adolescent is watching or what games they are playing Consistently enforce the rules

“Parent Survival Kit”  In most of the chapters, the reader will find what Walsh calls a “Parent Survival Kit”.  Each kit contains knowledge, attitudes, and strategies that you as a parent can use through your journey raising a teenager.  The more items you have/practice from each survival kit, the more prepared you will be for those ups and downs of adolescence.  In the case that you are missing or answering “no” to questions in the kits, the chapters will help guide you in the right direction. The end of each chapter tells what to do and what not to do when dealing with each topic.

My Favorite Points in the Book  Connection, Guidance, and Love are the most important ingredients that adolescents need.  An adolescent’s job is to find out who they want to be. Adolescence is the search for identity.  “There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is Wings. – Anonymous”  This book would be a good read and beneficial for both parents and teens due to the fact that it can help see both sides of the story.

“There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is Wings. – Anonymous” As an adolescent, teenagers believe that they are more mature than they truly are. They are beginning to form an identity and want to begin the process of becoming more independent. In other words, they want to spread their wings and fly. However, they are still going to need their parents as a form of guidance and a means to show them that there is always a place to turn to in tough times. Through good guidance, teens are able to grow and establish their roots. The key point in the book is that the guidance, connections, and love you provide to your adolescent, as a parent, can prevent them from being carried away down the wrong path.

References  Walsh, D. (2004). Why Do They Act That Way?. Free Pr.