From birth to end of life, patients are categorized into the following developmental stages: newborn (0-28 days), infant (0-12 months), toddler (1-3 years), preschool (3-5 years), middle childhood (6-11 years)… Considered the “work” of children, play is a crucial component of development throughout the life span.

One of the first steps in providing care across the life span is understanding how a patient population grows and develops over that time frame. Physical growth may be easier to assess, but this assessment must be coupled with all forms of development—cognitive, psychosocial, personality, communication, sexuality, and motor function—to fully understand a…

development — the process by which a person gains various skills and functions. id — the primitive or unconscious part of the mind, which seeks gratification through physical needs. life span — understanding how a patient population grows and develops over that time frame. play — considered the work of children; a crucial aspect in growth and development.