The most important reason for monitoring each child's development is to find out if a child's development is on track. It is important to act early if there are signs of potential development delay because early treatment is so important for improving a child's skills and abilities.
Developmental disabilities are surprisingly common
If you have not already had a child in your care with a developmental delay or disability, chances are, you will. About 1 in 6 children has a developmental disability. Children with developmental problems are at increased risk for poor outcomes in many areas important to health, well-being, and success in life. Developmental disorders increase a child's risk for poor school performance, frequent absences from school, and repeating a grade, as well as for having more health problems.
Most children with developmental delays are not identified early enough for them to benefit from early intervention services; you can help change that.
Although about 1 in 6 children has a developmental disability, less than half of these children are identified as having a problem before starting school. This is a problem that you can help solve. Too often, adults don’t recognize the signs of a potential developmental disability, they are not sure if their concern is warranted, or they don’t have resources to help make their concern easier to talk about. But pinpointing concerns and talking about them is very important to getting a child the help he or she might need.
Early treatment is important
Because early treatment can make a big difference in a child’s ability to learn new skills, it is very important for children with developmental disabilities. Speech therapy, physical therapy, and other services are available in every state for free or at low cost to parents. However, if a developmental concern is not identified early, parents can't take advantage of these services.
Key Points to note:
- The most important reason for monitoring each child's development is to determine if his or her growth development is on track
- Most children with developmental delays are not identified early enough to benefit from early intervention
- Early intervention can make a big difference in a child's development and ability to learn new skills
- If you monitor the development of each child in your care, you can help identify children early who may need early intervention
- Developmental monitoring and developmental screening are not the same thing; it’s important to understand the difference
- You are in a perfect position to see and track how all children in your care play, learn, speak, act and move alongside others of their age
- It is never your role to make or suggest a diagnosis for any child
