“Have you heard their child is two and a half years old and yet has not spoken a word?” “Do you know their child is yet to have their first tooth? I got to know during the 1st birthday celebration of the kid?”, “Their child remains so silent. What might be the issue?”
You might have heard this kind of conversation in your day-to-day life. Some parents often get to listen to it. In the above conversation, the delayed development of “first activity” in a child’s life refers to the delay in achieving developmental milestones.
What are developmental milestones?
Developmental milestones are the behaviors or physical skills seen in children as they grow and develop. For instance, crawling, walking, talking, etc., are all such conventional milestones that might differ from age to age.
There is an average time range in which a child may reach each milestone. For example, walking may begin as early as eight months in some children, while some may take 18 months.
Developmental delay occurs when children do not reach their developmental milestones at the expected time. According to studies, some developmental delays can affect a child’s physical skills or growth.
The leading causes of developmental delay often cannot be pointed out exactly. However, many biological factors, pregnancy-related complications, and environmental factors are some of the possibilities that can cause developmental delay.
The developmental milestones that are typically seen in a child can be seen in the image below.
What is the importance of identifying these milestones in children?
These milestones can help to identify a child who needs special assistance with their development. The sooner the child receives the assistance, the better the outcome. The services provided to ease the development of these children may vary from one child to another. It depends on the developmental delay they show. Moreover, a few of these services include speech therapy, physical therapy, and developmental preschool.
As a parent or a society, it is necessary to understand that one should identify the developmental delay correctly at an early stage of their child. It will help them provide their child with the needed assistance at the right time. Eventually, it will help them in living their life with ease.
These children’s growth and learning pace might not be the same as children of the same age. However, it does not mean that it can not be developed. Therefore, it is necessary to note that a child who is going through a delay in achieving developmental milestones needs more attention and care.
It can be emotionally tiring for parents and, at times, a difficult task. Hence, there are child care professionals that can assist them in the process. They can help the children develop holistically by giving them proper growth and development tools to develop at their own pace.
