Milestones to watch for between well-child visits
Your firstborn is a Chatty Cathy who spoke in complete sentences by 24 months. Your second kid — not so much. Her vocabulary consists of grunts and groans rather than words.
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All kids are different, but this seems off. Should you add “worry about Alice” to your overflowing task list?
“Development includes motor skills, language skills and social skills,” says pediatrician Minh-Y Canh, DO. “Your child may fall into a wide range of what’s considered normal, but there’s often little reason to be concerned.”
Here’s what to look for in between pediatrician appointments to know if your toddler is on track. Keep in mind: These are averages, so your child may be ahead of or behind the goal.
Your child’s pediatrician will expect your child to meet these milestones:
If your child has a speech delay:
The delay isn’t necessarily developmental: “Impaired hearing can cause a speech delay, so we’ll want to evaluate speech and hearing abilities,” says Dr. Canh.
Delayed speech can result in temper tantrums or behavior issues because kids have difficulty communicating their needs. Dr. Canh says speech therapy can make a big difference for these children.
Your child’s pediatrician will expect your child to meet these milestones:
If your child has a social delay:
See the big picture. Dr. Canh urges parents, day care providers and preschool teachers to look at the child holistically: “If a baby was kept at home and didn’t have much exposure to other children, they may not interact much when they enter day care or preschool,” she says. “They’re not lacking social skills — they just haven’t learned how to interact with kids. Or they may have a little anxiety they’ll need to overcome.”
In some cases, a child doesn’t socialize well at day care or preschool because they have delayed speech and can’t effectively communicate. Once again, speech therapy can come to the rescue. “Speech therapy goes a long way to helping children build social skills,” says Dr. Canh.
Your child’s pediatrician will expect your child to meet these milestones:
If your child has a motor skills delay:
Your child’s pediatrician will make recommendations to improve motor development — such as encouraging Grandma to let your kiddo explore more with crawling and sitting. Your child may also receive a referral to an occupational or physical therapist to work on fine motor skills (holding a spoon) or gross motor skills (walking).
“Early intervention and practice make a remarkable difference in helping kids reach future milestones. If necessary, we can also refer you to a developmental-behavioral pediatrician for an in-depth evaluation.”
When children are young, their brains are pliable so they can learn a lot, very quickly. Pediatricians want to stay ahead of the concern rather than addressing something at a later date when it’s more difficult to catch up.
“At your well visit, your child’s doctor will offer anticipatory guidance, which means we let you know what to look for between now and the next appointment,” says Dr. Canh. “If something worries you before your next visit, reach out to your pediatrician. We want to hear your concerns and talk to you to make a plan.”
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