D is for Developmental Milestones: Building Skills

 

A child's developmental level is specific to the child but there are key milestones expected by set ages to guide the expected progress and make people aware of any early signs of delay.  The delays may not be significant in the long term but they do alert people to keep an eye on the child's development and prompts early intervention. When we get involved before the gap becomes too noticeable, we can help prevent a widening gap and the secondary impact of those delays.  For example, delays in gestures may lead to delays in speech which may impact early academic skills.  If a child is late to crawl and walk, they may catch up and even excel in gross motor skills or they may remain delayed because it was a sign of an underlying issue that needed to be identified and addressed.

We never want to delay the offer of help.  We don't want to wait and see. We want to jump in and help in any way we can as soon as we can.  Knowing the anticipated developmental milestones will help guide this process. They are a useful tool as well for new parents and others who are not sure when a child should be able to do something.  They set us all on a level field where we can all refer to the checklist and determine where the child is at.  

Sometimes we find that our child is ahead of the game and we might feel a little proud that they are doing so well, like the student who gets straight A's on their report card. It is wonderful to see the child thriving and to see glimpses of their natural talents that are developing early on.  However, just as early delays do not necessarily indicate a problem, early skills do not mean the child will excel either.  Whether you walk at 9months or 18months, at age 3, both are walking equally well.  However, some who are the late walkers are late due to other issues so checking in on that is definitely worth the time and effort to ensure the best possible outcome. 

The Canadian government and Durham region websites and others like Baby Navigator provide access to reliable developmental skill charts.  Any delays should be discussed with the doctor and the parent should advocate for early referrals to specialists if there are any concerns. They system itself takes time and if you get t0 the appointment and there are no remaining concerns, it is counted as a win.  If there is a valid delay, it is also a win as you took the first steps to help.

Sometimes we look at building only the most obvious of skills but every skill is meaningful. People often wonder when a child should start talking.  The guidelines for this milestone is 1-2 words at 12 months, 20 words by 18months and 200+ words including two word combinations by 24 months. But did you know there are guidelines for when a child should be able to wave or give you a toy? When should they be able to put on their coat , cut with scissors, draw a circle, eat with a spoon or help clean up their toys?  Believe it or not, the age is often earlier than we expect it to be quite often.  Of course, they may not be very proficient yet but according to their age and current skill level, they can often do things we didn't expect except that we read it on a developmental chart and decided to check it out.

When we discover the child(ren) in our life fall at 'X' on a chart, our next step is just to take that information to help and to encourage that child.  Even if they are right in the middle for everything, our next step is to encourage them to move forward to what should be their next step.  Do not expect that because child A did something at child B's age that child B will do it too but do not just let child B remain as they are. Don't expect far beyond their level but guide them to keep growing and learning new things.  Leading by example is one way to do this. 

We are the adult in their life present to help them grow and if we can do this in a loving, caring manner, it will help the child flourish. Knowing appropriate developmental milestones will help us guide correctly but they are just guidelines.  Our children are greatly treasured people in our lives.  Every day, be sure to appreciate your child as a unique individual and celebrate who they are as our greatest gifts!