I have chosen to look at factors that determine when and if a child meets their developmental milestones. The factors I will look at will be bilingualism, gender, and # of siblings. This was not an easy topic to select but the one that hits closest to home. As a parent of an 8 month old and a 2 year old I am always wondering if what my children are saying and doing appropriate for their age. I think many parents have this concern and as educators we can help parents and families by being more knowledgeable in this area.
As a new parent I made sure to meet their health needs by visiting the doctor. When I started to take my daughter to the doctor, they had a completely computerized system where they asked me developmental questions and if my child was meeting them. They would write my responses and gave suggestions also on how to meet certain milestones. For example, they encouraged some tummy time to build my daughters upper body strength. I thought it was great but unfortunately, each time I went to an appointment I was seeing a new doctor. I wasn't comfortable with this, so I switched doctors and what a difference it was. Medically, my doctor is great but she does not have this computerized system in her office. So I feel, that I have to be the one asking the questions and be better informed about developmental milestones. The doctor isn't sitting down with me and asking me a plethora of questions concerning development like the previous clinic.
Now as an educator, I think I am a little well-versed with what is expected and when (especially with taking courses through Walden) but not all parents are. I think there needs to be a bigger push for education in this area. Some doctors press for a child meeting milestones by a certain point while others take a more laissez-faire attitude about it. They tell parents don't worry, give it more time. The reality is for some kids they don't have time to wait. I think there should be a more systematic system in place to catch developmental delays early before a child starts school. This should be standard and maybe my research can help this along.
Developmental milestones is a very important topic to review because I have a friend whose two little boys have both been diagnosed with autism and I see how hard it is for her and the children. She started noticing that they were not walking when they suppose too or talking and this made it hard for her to understand their needs. When this happened it caused them to get upset and act out because they couldn't express themselves. I feel if she had know she could have went and got help earlier.
ReplyDeleteSo, I think information such as this should be available to parents to help guide them in the right direction. I can't wait to read what information that you collect on this topic throughout this course. Good Luck!
What a great topic. I had 1st grade twins in my school. The mother was concerned because one twin was lagging behind the other. Her pediatrician told her not to worry. She pursued it further and it turned out the lagging twin had Celiac Disease. She had no gastrointestinal symptoms, just delayed growth and development. Recognizing developmental progress and seeking answers when a child is lagging is important. The girl has been on a gluten free diet, is in 3rd grade and up to par physically and educationally with her sister and other 8 year olds.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good topic, Johan! Sometimes it seems like there is such a disparity between pediatrician response to parents with concerns in this area. One will suggest a solution / treatment while another will just suggest waiting a few months or so to see if the problem solves itself. It can be so frustrating for the child's parents and teachers!
ReplyDeleteThis is actually a topic that some parents will avaoid and ignore. I have seen children with very obvios developmental delays and when i tried to speak to the parents it is very difficult. No matter how sensitive you try to be, parents do not want to hear this type of news. I believe having that type of assistance at the providers office as you had is a great help in reaching the parent and helping htem realize where their child should be at each age.
ReplyDeleteI am impressed by the specific way in which you define your research topic. I often have parents ask me if their children are progressing developmentally for their age. It will be a very interesting topic for you to research.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right that some doctors tell parents to give it more time and don't alert parents to specific milestones and whether their child is on target. Many times it falls on early childhood educators to mention areas of concern to parents. Often by the time we see them at three and four it's too late!
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