First, let's get on the same page with an understanding of key terms:
- Growth is the increase in size of the body or its parts and includes height, body mass and leg length.
- Maturation is the progress towards the mature adult state. Maturation can vary in its timing (when it happens) and tempo (how fast it occurs).
- Development is the complex interaction between an individual's growth and maturation and how they develop emotionally, socially and cognitively.
So, growth, maturation and development all occur at the same time and can be considered in four areas, known as the SPEC model (Lara-Bercial, 2012).