Child development consists of biological, psychological and emotional changes occurring as each child progresses from total dependency at birth to increasing autonomy by the time adolescence is reached.
These developmental changes are influenced by genetics, as well as external factors. External factors include the environment the child grows up in, varying circumstances and events, etc.
Given all these factors, it is no wonder that no two children will develop at exactly the same rate. Some children naturally develop slower than others.
There are, however, certain patterns of development. Even with considerable differences in genetic make-up, children tend to be within a certain range of height and weight at various stages of development.
Specific milestones, such as speech development, the ability to walk, hand-eye coordination etc, are equally reached within a certain age range.
Some of these milestones are far more variable in range than others. Receptive speech indicators, for instance, show little variation in children with normal hearing, while expressive speech milestones can vary considerably.
Although minor deviations from these patterns do occur and can still be considered as being within normal range, major delays in growth or developing certain abilities may constitute signs of serious underlying conditions.
This makes it clear just how important it is for practitioners, as well as parents and teachers, to understand the patterns of development in children.
Being aware of, and fully understanding these patterns and the implications of possible variations allows practitioners to recognise early on if there may be a problem.
As a result, underlying conditions can be diagnosed early and appropriate steps can be taken to deal with them.
Without this understanding, problems such as dyslexia or autism, for instance, could easily be missed. If diagnosed early on, steps can be taken to deal with and combat both of these conditions.
These developmental changes are influenced by genetics, as well as external factors. External factors include the environment the child grows up in, varying circumstances and events, etc.
Given all these factors, it is no wonder that no two children will develop at exactly the same rate. Some children naturally develop slower than others.
There are, however, certain patterns of development. Even with considerable differences in genetic make-up, children tend to be within a certain range of height and weight at various stages of development.
Specific milestones, such as speech development, the ability to walk, hand-eye coordination etc, are equally reached within a certain age range.
Some of these milestones are far more variable in range than others. Receptive speech indicators, for instance, show little variation in children with normal hearing, while expressive speech milestones can vary considerably.
Although minor deviations from these patterns do occur and can still be considered as being within normal range, major delays in growth or developing certain abilities may constitute signs of serious underlying conditions.
This makes it clear just how important it is for practitioners, as well as parents and teachers, to understand the patterns of development in children.
Being aware of, and fully understanding these patterns and the implications of possible variations allows practitioners to recognise early on if there may be a problem.
As a result, underlying conditions can be diagnosed early and appropriate steps can be taken to deal with them.
Without this understanding, problems such as dyslexia or autism, for instance, could easily be missed. If diagnosed early on, steps can be taken to deal with and combat both of these conditions.
