How to Recognize Developmental Delays in Children
Expect your child to smile by three to five months old., Pay attention to the noises your child makes., Pay attention to your child’s ability to form words or sentences., Become familiar with the possible developmental delays., Understand the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Expect your child to smile by three to five months old.
If your child does not start to smile, known as social smiling, at you or other caregivers by three to five months of age, this may be a sign of a developmental delay., Meaningless words and sounds, such as babbling, are normally made by children at six months old and increases until the child reaches 9 to 12 months old.If your child does not make these noises or any noises at all, they may have a developmental delay. , Your child’s first words will usually have single or reduplicated syllables, such as "mama"
"dada"
"baba"
or "papa".By 12 months old, your child should also react to words like “no” and “bye bye” with eye contact and gestures.
Two-word combinations are usually formed by two years of age.
Your child should be able to combine two words to communicate with you, such as "mama play"
"papa milk"
and "ball gone".
They should also have a vocabulary of at least 20 words.
Three-word or larger sentences usually are created by the time they are four years old.
Normally, a child at this age can form sentences to communicate with you and with other children, for example, “Mama play ball”, “Me go play doll” and “I want to eat apple.”, Speech delays are the most common type of developmental delay in children.
There are several possible developmental delays associated with this area, including:
Learning disabilities.
Autism spectrum disorders, a group of neurological disabilities that involve impairment in communication and social interaction, and unusual thinking skills.
Hearing loss or impairment.
Problems with the muscles that controls speech, such as a deformed frenulum, lips or palate. , Make sure you understand the options for treatment of this developmental delay, including:
Speech therapy.
Physical and occupational therapy for articulation difficulties.
Be patient and positive by encouraging your child to read regularly, engage in conversation, and ask them questions in clear, simple words.
Before proceeding with treatment, a hearing test should be done to rule out any hearing trouble, which may also need treatment. -
Step 2: Pay attention to the noises your child makes.
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Step 3: Pay attention to your child’s ability to form words or sentences.
-
Step 4: Become familiar with the possible developmental delays.
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Step 5: Understand the possible treatments.
Detailed Guide
If your child does not start to smile, known as social smiling, at you or other caregivers by three to five months of age, this may be a sign of a developmental delay., Meaningless words and sounds, such as babbling, are normally made by children at six months old and increases until the child reaches 9 to 12 months old.If your child does not make these noises or any noises at all, they may have a developmental delay. , Your child’s first words will usually have single or reduplicated syllables, such as "mama"
"dada"
"baba"
or "papa".By 12 months old, your child should also react to words like “no” and “bye bye” with eye contact and gestures.
Two-word combinations are usually formed by two years of age.
Your child should be able to combine two words to communicate with you, such as "mama play"
"papa milk"
and "ball gone".
They should also have a vocabulary of at least 20 words.
Three-word or larger sentences usually are created by the time they are four years old.
Normally, a child at this age can form sentences to communicate with you and with other children, for example, “Mama play ball”, “Me go play doll” and “I want to eat apple.”, Speech delays are the most common type of developmental delay in children.
There are several possible developmental delays associated with this area, including:
Learning disabilities.
Autism spectrum disorders, a group of neurological disabilities that involve impairment in communication and social interaction, and unusual thinking skills.
Hearing loss or impairment.
Problems with the muscles that controls speech, such as a deformed frenulum, lips or palate. , Make sure you understand the options for treatment of this developmental delay, including:
Speech therapy.
Physical and occupational therapy for articulation difficulties.
Be patient and positive by encouraging your child to read regularly, engage in conversation, and ask them questions in clear, simple words.
Before proceeding with treatment, a hearing test should be done to rule out any hearing trouble, which may also need treatment.
About the Author
Anna Johnson
Anna Johnson is an experienced writer with over 5 years of expertise in museums libraries. Passionate about sharing practical knowledge, Anna creates easy-to-follow guides that help readers achieve their goals.
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