The Basics
Childhood development can be defined as changes that occur from birth throughout adolescence pertaining to motor, emotional, and behavioral skills. We measure these different categories based on defined milestones created by health organizations like the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics. Some of these milestones can include things like walking, grasping a toy, sitting up, etc.
Your child has to learn so many new things in their first couple years of life that maybe we deem as mundane, but they have to teach themselves all from the beginning. Neuroplasticity is what can account for this ability to learn all new things. Neuroplasticity can be defined as the ability of your nervous system to create new neurons and form more connections to send messages throughout the body. Here is a short video explaining just how amazing neuroplasticity is!
The CDC and most physicians will focus on these 4 main domains of development that you will monitor and they will screen within.
Social/Emotional Development
This looks into how your child interacts with you or others and how they show emotion.
Cognitive Development
Cognitive development pertains to how your child will problem solve. Are they trying to figure out how their toys work or maybe how to count their blocks?
Language/Communication Development
This type of development looks into if your child is trying to share their thoughts or somehow tell you what they may need.
Movement/Physical Development
How children move their bodies like walking, crawling, grasping toys, etc.
Find more information on how to best help your child succeed in these domains in the at home resources tab!