**3. Developmental changes that occur during adolescence**

Many changes occur during adolescence, the most obvious being the physical ones. Pediatric and other medical references tend to focus on these physical changes, and this information is readily available. For this reason, the physical changes that occur during puberty and adolescence will not be discussed here. Rather, the focus will be on the other developmental changes that occur: the cognitive and emotional changes. These develop more insidiously and health care providers may be less familiar with them. In addition, healthcare providers may be deceived by the physical appearances of adolescents which are not necessarily proportionate to their cognitive and/or emotional development.
