Developmental Domains: Piece by Piece  [WLO: 2] [CLO: 1]

One of the keys to working with young children and providing them with the best care and education possible is our individual understanding as caregivers and educators of how young children grow and develop. Only with this understanding will we be able to foster appropriate development of the whole child. As Groark, McCarthy, & Kirk (2014) mention, “It is essential that caregivers understand typical human development because that understanding assists them in predicting how a child will learn and progress through specific areas of child development, or developmental domains” (Section 1.1, para. 2). The purpose of this discussion is to help you gain the necessary understanding not only of what the major developmental domains are, but also how each are intricately pieced together.

To prepare for this discussion,

• Read Chapter 1: “The Importance of Studying Child Development” in the course text.
• Review the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Developmental Milestones (Links to an external site.) web page.
• Complete the Developmental Domains (Links to an external site.) interactivity.
• Based on your current or future career goals, choose which age range you would like to use for your discussion.
  • Infancy: Birth – 12 months
  • Toddler: 1 – 3 years
  • Early childhood: 4 – 8 years
  • Middle Childhood: Age 9 – 12 years
  • Adolescence 13 – 18 years

For your initial post,

• Choose a specific age range from above and include that age range in the subject line of your discussion post.
• Explain, in general, what a developmental milestone is, and tell why milestones are only considered a framework.
• Summarize, in your own words, each domain of development.
• For your chosen age range, list at least four milestones for each domain.

Typical or Atypical Development? [WLO:3] [CLO: 1]Children are considered to be developing typically when they reach developmental milestones according to chronological age. This does not mean that a child always reaches milestones on time. A child could demonstrate slight variations with respect to when or how she or he reaches a milestone since all children develop differently and experience varied influences on their development. However, a problem may be indicated when extreme disparities from the typical expectant age of a developing skill occur. How do we check for these disparities? What do we, as professionals, do when we find large variations? Those are some of the questions we will answer through this discussion. As Groark, McCarthy, & Kirk (2014) highlight, “Early identification is known to lessen future delays…” (Section 1.4, para. 2). As early childhood professionals, ensuring the best possible growth and outcomes for young children is the foundation of what we do.

To prepare for this discussion,

For your initial post,

• Include the name of the case study you chose in the subject line of your discussion post.
• Based on your review of the developmental checklist case study, explain whether you feel the child would be considered slightly delayed in meeting their milestones or might have a significant delay that needs to be further investigated. Support your rationale with specific details from case study developmental checklist (e.g., what areas are causing you the most concern and why?).
• Based on your opinion of the child having a slight or possibly a more significant delay, explain the steps you would take to support this child and their family, providing your reasoning.

https://www.parents.com/baby/development/problems/understanding-developmental-delays/

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html