“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms”
Childhood as we imagine is seen as a sequence of milestones with the very firsts of everything ,first words, first steps, first friendships, first expressions, first adventures yet ever so often as we see reality unfolds rarely in identical ways. As adults when we look amongst us we do recognise that no two adults think alike , react alike, communicate alike or move through life alike , Some take the high road, Some are highly extroverted while some are very deeply introspective, some thrive in academics while some flourish in arts . Similarly a growing child would mirror the same , every child is different from the other and every child would have their own pace and rhythm of development, and that indeed is beautiful part of being human.
Beyond these natural differences, one needs to pay a closer attention as certain developmental patterns may benefit from the same and may require professional support, while recognising these signs early is not about labelling a child to a certain diagnosis or comparing them amongst their peers but rather understanding them and their unique needs and helping them thrive.
Also Read: How Early Experiences Shape Lifelong Outcomes
UNDERSTANDING DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES AS A SEQUENCE
Development is meant to be sequential it is meant to be continuous and the rate of this sequential development varies Development doesn’t happen overnight or randomly it unfolds in a sequential pattern and stages where one skill gradually forms the base for the next.Development is layered; Before a child communicates in sentences, they first begin by giving eye contact, understanding gestures & pointing
Before the child completes a fine motor task such as writing the child begins with completing a gross motor task such Placing, pushing / pulling, stacking.
Before a child independently performs a complex task, they first learn body awareness, coordination with attention and sensory regulation.
UNDERSTANDING DEVELOPMENT BEYOND MILESTONES
While we understand how developmental milestones play a major role in overall growth of the child but lets dive a little deeper and understand how patterns beyond these milestones not only shape but determine overall progress that a child makes , these patterns are very easy to overlook in everyday life ; for instance a child might have had the usual developmental milestones but would be unusually sensitive to sounds, would avoid eye contact or a child that struggles to express their needs or a child who finds unfamiliar environment to beoverwhelming. However, it is also important to understand no single pattern of behaviour or developmental difference should be viewed in isolation to the other.
WHEN SHOULD PARENTS BE CONCERNED?
Concern should never arise when the child is different , differences are meant to be deeply human but when these differences start affecting the child and their communication their understanding , social interaction , their emotions and the way they regulate and express them, their physical coordination , learning or even their everyday functions That’s when and where supportive intervention plays an important and key role.
LOOKING BEYOND LABELS
What we at New horizon child development centre believe is that intervention should always be designed to progress with the child’s development , according to the child’s development AND within the sequence of the child’s development. Progress shall occur when the intervention is shaped according to the natural architectural layout of development itself.
From label to Enable is one of our key mottos where children are far more than their diagnoses or their delays.
Some children simply require more structured approached , more time or a different way of learning as perceived by them, this and right guidance can gradually help a child build skills that once seemed difficult
Support is not about changing who a child is but understanding and learning how they process the world and how can we help them navigate this world one step better at a time.
Also Read: Parents’ Involvement in New Horizons Child Development Program
At New horizons child development centre we understand that development can never be rushed or compared or forced upon the child but rather understood with proper guidance step by step because every achievement and milestone is important and is built and supported by the one before it.
The right way to support a child will always be to help them keep moving forward in their own little way.
By Dr.kareena shanbhag (Pediatric Physical therapist)
Developmental Specialist at New Horizons Child Development Centre