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When Should You Be Concerned About Your Child's Development?
Updated: May 10
Do you find yourself frequently wondering whether your child is developing as they should? Pathfinder Health is here to help!
Although worrying is a part of parenting, stressing over your child's development doesn't have to be. We can help you understand typical developmental patterns so you can more easily notice any developmental concerns.
In this article, we'll explore the common red flags for developmental disabilities, disorders, and delays, so that you can act promptly if needed and feel reassured that you are doing everything you can to help your child thrive.
In this article:
How do we measure child development?
When to be concerned about your child’s development
What are developmental delays?
What should you do if you are concerned about your child’s development?
Talk to your healthcare provider
Self-refer to Early Intervention Services
The importance of early identification
How Pathfinder Health Can Help
How do we measure child development?
Developmental milestones
Developmental milestones are tasks or skills that most children can do by a certain age. Generally, children achieve developmental milestones in a set pattern: for example, they crawl, then stand, then walk. Monitoring milestones is a way of tracking a child's development and making sure that they are progressing neurotypically.
The 4 developmental domains
Pathfinder Health divides child milestones into four major developmental domains:
(1) motor/movement,
(2) social and emotional,
(3) speech and language,
(4) cognitive.
Each one of these areas is equally important in helping your child reach full developmental maturity.
When to be concerned about your child’s development
Developmental delays can manifest themselves in a multitude of ways. Parents should be aware of the many different indicators of concern so they can promptly discuss them with their healthcare provider.