Hi QC Peds Family,
One of the most common questions that parents ask us at their well-child visits is, “Is my child’s development on track?” This is a nuanced question, and it is one that is quite difficult to answer “yes” or “no” to. Child development is an incredibly complex pathway, and there are many factors that come into play. Things such as genetics, the presence of older siblings, nutrition, home environment, different types of caregivers, and many more can all play a role in how a child develops.
Our biggest reminders for parents are:
- Development is not a linear process, and not all things are going to progress at the same rate at all times. There are going to be times of rapid development and times where things are slowing down, that’s OK! As long as there is progress overall, things are likely headed in the correct direction.
- We know that it is incredibly hard not to, but PLEASE do not compare your child to their peers, whether they be siblings, friends, cousins or parents showing their children on social media. Your child is going to take their own unique development path, and monitoring their progress with your pediatrician is going to be more appropriate than trying to compare with peers.
- If you have developmental concerns, PLEASE bring them to us. All of our physicians and nurse practitioners are experienced in monitoring child development and when referrals should be made for a variety of concerns.
- Whenever a parent has a developmental concern, I evaluate the child on physical exam and talk about where the child’s development is for that particular domain. After that, if the parent desires a referral, we can easily facilitate that through our office’s dedicated referral department. We often refer for developmental concerns to all sorts of specialties, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and feeding therapy.
What can you do to help your child’s development? The most generic answer to that question, no matter your child’s age, is to play with them, get on their level and interact, converse with them (even if that conversation is one-sided!). Oftentimes, parents can get bogged down in certain types of play or developmental activity they should be doing, when in reality, it’s not the activities that help development, it’s the time spent!
One of the more underutilized options that parents have for comprehensive developmental evaluation is local resources through our Area Education Agency (AEA). Any family can ask for a referral for an evaluation, and then therapies or other services can be put in place, should your child qualify. Referrals can be made on the AEA website. You can self-refer, and the evaluator will evaluate your child at home, where they are most comfortable!
At the end of the day, we are always monitoring development closely. It’s one of the main reasons we have regular well-child visits. We want to see your child continue to succeed just as much as you do. If you have concerns, please bring them up at your child’s next well visit, or if there is a more urgent concern, please give us a call, and we can schedule an earlier time for an evaluation.
Dr. Hartman
Further Resources:
Simple Ways to Entertain and Boost Development from the AAP
