ABSTRACT
Some of these basic developmental principles clearly overlap. Yet, a solid understanding must include the concept of developmental lines (Freud, 1975). One can follow the developmental lines of self-esteem, self-sustenance, cognition, self-help and care skills, socialization, behavior control, and so on. For example, it is particularly important that cognitive development proceed along with the development of object relations in order for the developmental processes to continue in an adaptive and unthwarted way. In general, one views development as a continuous process with one step leading to another, at times with there being two or three steps forward and one back. Regression reflects a movement back to previous defenses, behavioral patterns, and emotional postures and can be either "in the service of development and adaptation" or a reflection of pathology. Discontinuities in development occur as well. The concept of discontinuity refers to developmental points in which there is a significant leap forward or change in the developmental pathway, which appears almost discontinuous from the processes noted in an individual child's development. These basic concepts provide an essential background for comprehending the stages of development.
