CHILD DEVELOPMENT
It is important for parents to realize that a child develops control and use of her
body in a certain order:
HEAD CONTROL TRUNK CONTROL (SITTING AND BALANCE)
STANDING AND WALKING
This is true even for an older child. Often parents of an older child who is delayed
will try to help her learn more advanced skills (which other children her age are
learning) before she is ready. This often leads to disappointment and frustration both
for parents and child.
For example, Nina is a 3-year-old girl with cerebral
palsy. She still has trouble holding up her head or
sitting without falling over.
However, her mother is sure she is
‘almost ready to walk’. Several times
each day she holds Nina in a standing
position and moves her forward, so
that her feet take stiff, jerky steps on
tiptoe. Her mother does not know
that this stepping is
an ‘early reflex’
normally only seen
in young babies
(see p. 311). It means that in some
ways Nina’s development is still at
the level of a 1-month to 3-month-
old baby. She is not yet ready to
walk. Making her ‘take steps’ will
only keep active the early reflex
which she needs to lose in order to
learn to really walk.
‘stepping reflex’
in a 1-month-old
baby
Trying to make your
child walk before
he is ready
is like telling
him “JUMP NOW!”
when what you need
to do is help him cross
the gap—step by step.
We must help Nina’s mother realize that Nina first needs help with other important
developmental steps before she will be ready to learn to walk. To help her develop
further, her mother will need to:
1. Figure out what developmental age or stage the child is at.
2. Decide what are the next steps forward, so that the child can build new skills on
the ones she has now, in the same order in which a normal child develops.
To do these things, Nina’s mother should first observe the child carefully. In each
area of development, she notes the different things Nina can do, the things she cannot
do yet, and the things she is just beginning or trying to do, but still has trouble with.
Next, her mother compares what Nina can and cannot do with what other children
Nina’s age can do. She can then decide at what level her child is at in each area of
development, and what are the next steps to work toward.
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THE CHART ON NORMAL CHILD DEVELOPMENT
The chart on the next 2 pages shows some of the steps or ‘milestones’ of normal
child development. You can use it to figure out where a child is in her development,
and to plan the next steps that she needs help with.
CAUTION: The development chart shows the average ages when children begin to do things. But
the ages at which normal children develop different skills vary greatly. Just because a child has
not developed certain skills by the ages shown does not mean he is backward or has a problem. Be
sure to look at the whole child.
disabled village children