Children all develop at different rates, according to their own time line. Very often they will fall behind schedule in one or more areas, but excel in others. Eventually their development will even out and they should be on par with other children their age.
What is important is not the rate at which they are developing a certain skill, but whether or not there is change in all development areas. These areas are gross and fine motor skills (walking and drawing, for instance), self-help skills (dressing and toilet training), language and communication skills (both speaking and understanding) and social skills (interacting with others, making eye contact).
Nine percent of children under the age of 36 months have developmental problems. These manifest in their difficulties with learning, talking, playing or practical skills. Between 16 and 18 percent of children under the age of 18 have learning disabilities, speech problems and emotional or behavioural problems. Many of these conditions go away eventually, or can be treated and dealt with. Less than three percent of children with developmental problems will have severe conditions, such as autism, mental retardation and cerebral palsy.
In order to keep track of a child's development, parents should make use of developmental time lines and make a note of which of the milestones their child is able to reach early or late. These are rough guidelines, but can serve as warnings if your child is nowhere close to being able to do things that other children the same age can do. Children born prematurely might take longer to reach the milestones, but should be making steady progress all the time. Doctors tend to assess a premature baby's development based the date they were due on, rather than their actual date of birth.
Delayed development can be caused by genetic disorders, accidents, serious illness and in some cases, neglect. Speech problems can be caused by a child having a hearing impairment, or conditions that affect the nasal cavity, throat, or larynx. Central nervous problems are highlighted when a child cannot communicate with gestures or pointing. Many developmental delays have no discernible medical cause.
If you do notice problems or behavioural issues with your toddler, write them down and use the notes when you consult a doctor or paediatrician. Doctors can do informal tests to assess your child, but they should be tested properly at nine months, 18 months and 30 months old. Using standard developmental tests, doctors can spot any potential problems and refer your child to a specialist for further testing and evaluation. Doctors are able to spot physical conditions that a parent might overlook, which is why ear and eye tests are important during appointments. Any problems that a parent notices between scheduled appointments should be dealt with as soon as possible by seeing a doctor.
What is important is not the rate at which they are developing a certain skill, but whether or not there is change in all development areas. These areas are gross and fine motor skills (walking and drawing, for instance), self-help skills (dressing and toilet training), language and communication skills (both speaking and understanding) and social skills (interacting with others, making eye contact).
Nine percent of children under the age of 36 months have developmental problems. These manifest in their difficulties with learning, talking, playing or practical skills. Between 16 and 18 percent of children under the age of 18 have learning disabilities, speech problems and emotional or behavioural problems. Many of these conditions go away eventually, or can be treated and dealt with. Less than three percent of children with developmental problems will have severe conditions, such as autism, mental retardation and cerebral palsy.
In order to keep track of a child's development, parents should make use of developmental time lines and make a note of which of the milestones their child is able to reach early or late. These are rough guidelines, but can serve as warnings if your child is nowhere close to being able to do things that other children the same age can do. Children born prematurely might take longer to reach the milestones, but should be making steady progress all the time. Doctors tend to assess a premature baby's development based the date they were due on, rather than their actual date of birth.
Delayed development can be caused by genetic disorders, accidents, serious illness and in some cases, neglect. Speech problems can be caused by a child having a hearing impairment, or conditions that affect the nasal cavity, throat, or larynx. Central nervous problems are highlighted when a child cannot communicate with gestures or pointing. Many developmental delays have no discernible medical cause.
If you do notice problems or behavioural issues with your toddler, write them down and use the notes when you consult a doctor or paediatrician. Doctors can do informal tests to assess your child, but they should be tested properly at nine months, 18 months and 30 months old. Using standard developmental tests, doctors can spot any potential problems and refer your child to a specialist for further testing and evaluation. Doctors are able to spot physical conditions that a parent might overlook, which is why ear and eye tests are important during appointments. Any problems that a parent notices between scheduled appointments should be dealt with as soon as possible by seeing a doctor.
