Identifying Developmental Milestones in Children - post

Developmental Screening

Developmental screening offers child care professionals a quick snapshot of children’s #development and helps determine if they are meeting crucial milestones. When they conduct #developmental-screenings, child care professionals are able to offer tools and resources to #parents and families, as well as use them in child’s learning environment. ChildCareEd's training Developmental Screening in Early Childhood, provides an overview on how to conduct screenings to identify and support #developmental-milestones in young children.

Screening Tools

ASQ Online Developmental Screening for Enhanced Child Development refers to a tool designed to assess children's development across various domains, such as communication, #gross-motor-skills, fine motor skills, problem-solving, and personal-social skills. ASQ stands for Ages & Stages Questionnaires, which are a series of parent-completed questionnaires used to screen children from one month to 5½ years of age.

The ASQ Online system allows parents or caregivers to complete these questionnaires online, providing a convenient and efficient way to monitor a child's developmental progress. The screening results can help identify potential #developmental- #delays or concerns early on, allowing for timely intervention and support services if needed.

The goal of ASQ Online Developmental Screening is to enhance child development by promoting early detection of developmental delays or disabilities, which in turn can #lead to more effective interventions and improved outcomes for children. It's often used by #healthcare professionals, #early-childhood- #educators, and parents to track developmental milestones and ensure children are reaching their full potential.

ChildCareEd's training Introduction to ASQ-3 & ASQ Online, provides the basics of how to get started with the ASQ as a #developmental-screening tool.

Developmental Milestones

Understanding typical developmental milestones is crucial for recognizing atypical development and providing #early-intervention to support children's #growth-and well-being. In this presentation, we will explore the key developmental milestones across various domains in children.

Cognitive Development:

• 0-6 Months:
  • Demonstrates curiosity by exploring objects with hands and mouth.
  • Begins to recognize familiar faces.
  • Responds to sounds by turning head or eyes.
• 6-12 Months:
  
  • Begins to imitate simple actions.
  • Shows understanding of object permanence.
  • Explores objects in different ways (shaking, banging, throwing).
• 1-2 Years:
  
  • Engages in #pretend-play.
  • Follows simple instructions.
  • Begins to sort shapes and colors.
• 2-3 Years:
  
  • Shows interest in #books and stories.
  • Engages in simple problem-solving.
  • Begins to understand concepts like "big" and "small."

Social and Emotional Development:

• 0-6 Months:
  • Begins to recognize and respond to familiar faces.
  • Shows signs of distress when separated from primary caregivers.
  • Enjoys social interaction, such as smiling and cooing.
• 6-12 Months:
  • Shows stranger anxiety.
  • Demonstrates attachment to primary caregivers.
  • Begins to show preferences for familiar people and toys.
• 1-2 Years:
  
  • Engages in parallel play (playing alongside others without interaction).
  • Demonstrates a range of emotions, including frustration and joy.
  • Begins to show #empathy towards others.
• 2-3 Years:
  
  • Engages in cooperative play.
  • Begins to understand and follow simple rules.
  • Shows increased independence and autonomy.

Speech and Language Development:

• 0-6 Months:
  • Cries to communicate needs.
  • Begins to coo and babble.
• 6-12 Months:
  • Responds to simple words like "bye-bye" or "mama."
  • Begins to imitate sounds and gestures.
• 1-2 Years:
  • Begins to use single words to communicate.
  • Follows simple one-step instructions.
  • Engages in simple back-and-forth conversation.
• 2-3 Years:
  
  • Vocabulary expands rapidly.
  • Begins to use two-word phrases.
  • Asks simple questions (e.g., "What's that?").

Fine Motor Development:

• 0-6 Months:
  • Grasps objects reflexively.
  • Begins to reach for and swipe at objects.
• 6-12 Months:
  • Begins to pick up small objects using thumb and index finger (pincer grasp).
  • Explores objects with hands and fingers.
• 1-2 Years:
  • Begins to scribble with crayons.
  • Starts to use utensils for eating.
  • Builds towers with blocks.
• 2-3 Years:
  
  • Begins to copy simple shapes (circles, lines).
  • Shows improved hand-eye coordination.
  • Begins to dress and undress with assistance.

Gross Motor Development:

• 0-6 Months:
  • Lifts head and chest when lying on stomach.
  • Begins to kick legs when lying on back.
• 6-12 Months:
  • Sits without support.
  • Begins to crawl or scoot.
• 1-2 Years:
  • Walks independently.
  • Climbs stairs with assistance.
  • Begins to kick a ball.
• 2-3 Years:
  
  • Runs and jumps with both feet.
  • Begins to pedal a tricycle.
  • Climbs and descends stairs independently.

Recognizing typical developmental milestones provides a framework for understanding children's #growth-and-development. By monitoring these milestones, we can identify atypical development early and provide appropriate support and intervention to help children reach their full potential.

Early Intervention

Early intervention refers to a systematic approach of providing specialized support and services to children and families as soon as developmental delays or disabilities are identified. This intervention typically begins during the early years of a child's life, from infancy through #preschool-age. The importance of early intervention cannot be overstated, as it plays a critical role in maximizing a child's potential and improving long-term outcomes

"Exceptional Children and Early Intervention" is a 2-hour course designed for #early-childhood-educators, focusing on recognizing potential developmental delays in children. Participants will gain insights into typical and atypical development, enabling them to identify when children are not meeting crucial milestones. Additionally, attendees will learn about the importance of early intervention, as well as the referral process and how to assist families in navigating the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individualized Education Program (IEP) process.