by on 18/09/2018 11114
Last updated 5th May 2020
It is universal that when you become a parent, you want to raise happy, healthy children. You look forward to seeing them achieve their developmental milestones and are prepared to devote eons of time to mould them into capable, well-rounded members of the society. Throughout the journey, it is important to understand children’s developmental milestones and keep a watchful eye on their growth. A milestone checklist or a milestone tracker app can make it easier to keep track and spot any potential developmental delays. While it is true that each child develops at their own unique pace, however, when your child plays, learns, acts, moves and speaks differently on a regular basis compared to most of his or her peers, that is normally a red flag. Sometimes it may just be pure parental instinct that tells you something is amiss. If you do spot the following indications persistently, heed these early warning signs for a possible developmental problem and need for special therapy or education.
If you are worried that your child’s behaviour, development or learning progress may be a cause for concern, the essential beginning step is to ask your child’s doctor for a developmental screening in speech, language, fine and gross motor, hearing, and vision. When the developmental screening indicates the need for further assessment, ask your child’s doctor for a referral to a specialist, which could include a developmental pediatrician, or child psychologist or neurologist, to get a full, individual evaluation to be conducted. As identifying children with special needs is a very tricky task and can be confused with a lot of other issues, it is best to seek input from a specialist.
For an in-depth consultation with a specialist, please visit your nearest multidisciplinary intervention centre here or here. They offer holistic intervention strategies to support children with special needs and early intervention is key!