Dear Acenda,
My daughter just celebrated her first birthday! While this is an exciting time, I can't help but worry about her developmental progress. A few of my friends have said that their children are up and walking on their own, but my daughter can only take a few steps before toppling over. I know each child develops at a different pace, but it's hard not to compare her progress to others. How do I know if she's reaching appropriate developmental milestones? Is there anything I can do to help her?
Sincerely,
Distressed About Development
Dear Distressed About Development,
You've come to the right place! You're absolutely right in saying that each child develops differently, but it's also understandable to feel a bit worried that your child is falling behind on their milestones. Thankfully, Acenda's team of Motherhood and Family Advocates has put together guides outlining language, cognitive, social emotional, and motor developmental benchmarks:
- A Guide to the First 6 Months with Your Baby
- Child Development Milestones for 1 to 2-year-olds
- Child Development Milestones for 2 to 3-year-olds
- Child Development Milestones for 3 to 4-year-olds
If a family is concerned or curious about their child's development, they can reach out to one of our Early Childhood Specialists to discuss their concerns and ask questions by calling 856-431-4180. Some families and caregivers may feel intimidated or overwhelmed by such an extensive list of child development milestones. The Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) measures your child's milestones against the average for their age. Caregivers are asked to respond to questions by either checking "Yes", "Sometimes", or "Not Yet". Families can take our free ASQ where they input their child's age (1 month to 5 years) and answer questions on their child's development in the following areas:
- Communication (How your Child Talks)
- Gross Motor (How Your Child Plays)
- Fine Motor (How Your Child Uses Their Hands)
- Problem Solving (How Your Child Learns)
- Personal/Social (How Your Child Interacts with Their World)
Once completed, one of our Early Childhood Specialists (ECS) receive the survey results and will reach out to families via email or phone to review them. If any of the results indicate a potential concern, the ECS can provide the family with activities they can do at home to strengthen their child's skills, refer them to a pediatrician for further review, or even help get them connected to Early Intervention if further assistance is needed!
Our ECS can also provide free Developmental Coaching for families who would like to work on all of their child's developmental skills. This coaching can be done via zoom or phone-call, depending on the family's preference.
The most important thing to realize is that you're not alone in your worries! Acenda is here to help and guide you through the journey of motherhood and keep up with developmental milestones.
Acenda Cares for Moms
Our team of Motherhood & Family Advocates provide pregnancy and child development resources for new and expectant parents from prenatal care through kindergarten. We're here to help answer your questions and provide useful pregnancy and parenting support when you need it most. Best of all, our resources and support services are completely free for all families.
For more information about our specialized pregnancy and development services, please call 856-431-4180.