Milestones In A Child's Development

Milestones In A Child's Development

Kids Health The Newsletter About Taking Care Of The Ones That Matter Most

“At What Stage Should My ChildBe Evolving InDevelopment? ” Milestones In A Child’s Development

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Any pediatrician or child care expert will tell you: No two children are alike, and there’s no used fretting if she isn’t able to do what your friend’s baby or toddler of the same age is doing. Nonetheless, there are some general milestones for various stages of early childhood that can serve as general guidelines. 2 MONTHS By the time your baby reaches her two-month milestone, she will be responding to the sound of your voice when she hears it by smiling and looking around for you. She will also be following people with her eyes as they move around the room, and will begin to get bored and fussy if left on her own too long. She can hold also her head up unsupported by now.

• Milestones In A Child’s Development

• Make Therapy Fyn!

• Staff Spotlight

• Autism Awareness 5K

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Kids Health The Newsletter About Taking Care Of The Ones That Matter Most

“Is It Possible For My Child To Be Delayed InDevelopment? ” Milestones In A Child’s Development

6 MONTHS At the half-year mark, your baby’s life is really rolling, and so is she! Aside from being able to roll herself over from any position, she also likes to play, and may be able to sit unsupported. She can pass toys and objects from one hand to another, and exerts herself to get things that are beyond her reach. You’ll also be able to pick out vowels and consonants in her “babbling.” 1 YEAR At 12 months, your baby is aware enough of her surroundings and the comings and goings of her family members to get emotional about them. She can be shy with strangers, fearful at unfamiliar sights and sounds, and downright sorrowful when her loved ones say goodbye. She will probably also be pulling herself to a standing position, and “cruising” by walking about while holding onto furniture. 2 YEARS By the time your child has reached her second birthday, she will have entered the wonderful world of make believe, in terms of the type of imaginative playing she’s starting to do. She most likely is already running and jumping, and putting together simple sentences. She can follow basic instructions -- at least when she’s not cranky. In fact, the “terrible twos” are actually a normal part of development, so don’t let those defiant moments throw you too much. 3 YEARS Watch out! Your three-year-old will soon be climbing everything in the house, if she hasn’t started already. She can also group objects by shape and color, and follow multi-step instructions. She can probably manage stairs now, in her own way. Her sentences are getting longer, and she can identify herself and her loved ones by name and tell you how old she is. 4 YEARS At the four-year mark, your child will truly be exploring the world outside her immediate family. Even if she doesn’t go to preschool, she’ll be interested in interacting with kids about her own age. She can memorize songs and nursery rhymes, can draw a bit and use scissors. In terms of major muscle groups, your child will probably be able to balance on one foot briefly, as well as hop and catch a gently-bouncing ball. 5 YEARS By her fifth birthday or soon after, you child can probably count to 10 or higher, especially when counting items. She may be able to print numbers and letters, as well as draw shapes and people. She can tell a story with full sentences. On the physical front, your five-year-old is probably skipping and doing somersaults.

Again, don’t panic if your child hasn’t reached any of these milestones at the exact age noted. These general guidelines are just that -- a guide. But if you do have any concerns, contact us for a consultation.

Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/ https://childmind.org/guide/developmental-milestones/ http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/devmile.htm

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Make Therapy Fun! Try These 3 Physical Therapy Exercises That Your C hild Will Actually Enjoy

A child’s work is play, so creativity, fun and games are instrumental to making therapy a success. Yet it isn’t just in the office that a child’s muscles need to work. They also need strength and endurance- building activities at home. Just as is the case in therapy, it’s important to make activities fun at home. Here, we’ve outlined some enjoyable exercises and also suggested things you should consider when engaging in play-based therapy at home. PHYSICAL THERAPY EXERCISES Obstacle courses. Children tend to grow bored with repetition, so it’s important to keep activities varied. Obstacle courses allow for an assortment of activities that build strength and agility in a number of ways. Activities can be structured around a child’s needs. For instance, a child who needs to develop leg strength can perch herself on a scooter and use her legs to propel her through a set course. A child working on balance can walk along a balance beam, hop on one leg, or use a unicycle. For added fun, build the obstacle course around a theme, such as a circus, island adventures, or an African safari. Games with paraffin. Paraffin wax is a therapeutic modality intended to heat and moisturize different body parts. Generally used for hand injuries and conditions affecting the wrist and hands, it is applied by dipping the body part into hot wax severaltimes.Paraffinwax isextremelyformidable,

thereby useful for different activities. One game has the patient trying to remove a paraffin “glove” while maintaining the shape of the hand. The wax can be shaped into spheres and cubes as well, which encourages fine motor skills for children who struggle with hand movements. For added fun, consider making a game of basketball with the wax using a waste paper basket as the hoop. Water balloons. Water balloons are surprisingly versatile in their function. Fill them with rice, sand or water to create dumbbells that can be lifted from the side or in front of the child. Roll or throw them back and forth with a child to increase strength and conditioning. Participate in activities that allow the child to lift and carry the balloons for a unique form of resistance exercise. Children can carry the balloons with them along a balance beam or other narrow place for an added challenge to balancing exercises or aim them at a target for eye-hand coordination. If a child needs hand or foot strengthening, allow them to stretch and squeeze the water balloon that is filled with rice or sand with their fingers or toes. Children who benefit from isometrics can push the sand-

• Allow your child to take the lead; this doesn’t mean giving in to his every whim but it does mean following his cues if he’s tired or bored; • Use objects and toys that your child likes in order to maintain interest in activities; • Describe what your child is doing in age- appropriate vocabulary “You are bouncing the ball” without being overly verbose; • Capture your child’s interest before trying to teach a lesson. As you engage in play-based activities, keep in your mind that your child is learning from every moment. If she is old enough to understand, explain the rationale behind movements so that she ismoremotivated tocontinue them.Useprops and other motivators to keep the momentum going. And if your child is exhausted, know when it’s time to move on.

filled balloon against the ground. IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS

As stated earlier, play is a child’s work, so allow them to gain skills through play-based activities. Here are some other aspects to keep in mind:

Staff Spotlight Lisa Tharpe, MA, CCC-SLP Speech-Language Pathologist

Lisa Tharpe is a Speech-Language Pathologist at the Center for Pediatric Therapies at our Lynchburg, Virginia location. She is particularly interested in developing communication skills in the birth to three population through the local early intervention programs and in children with autism. Lisa holds both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees fromMichigan State University. She is certified in the Beckman Oral-Motor Protocol and received continuing education training in the Picture Exchange Communication System, tethered oral tissues and apraxia of speech. Originally from Bay City, Michigan, Lisa now lives in Lynchburg with her adult son and daughter. When not working, she enjoys reading and cooking new recipes.

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The 6th Annual Dan River Autism Awareness 5K run/walk is Saturday, April 29, 2017 at Anglers Park in Danville, VA. The Center for Pediatric Therapies proudly hosts this event. To register, go to www. danriverautism5k.org and click register. Use code cptnews for $5 off your registration fee. Autism Awareness 5K SAVE THE DATE: 4.29.17

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“ We’ve been coming to CPT for years now, and they are fantastic. Their therapists do so well with the kids, and they genuinely just want to help. ” - Mandy M.

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