Typical Development

Parents typically remember the first time their child rolls over, crawls, walks, talks – but there is so much in-between; the “little” steps that lead to the bigger ones. There are many charts that describe “typical” development in the areas of communication, fine and gross motor, cognition and social & emotional. Having quick access to specific information contained in developmental charts and documents, can enable parents to learn more about where their child’s development fits in. Having this information can assist families to be both a teacher and an advocate for their child. Using this information lets families:

• Learn how vision or hearing work, the stages and what visual or auditory information they may need to “fill in” for their child.
• Learn how to tell a doctor what they are NOT seeing in their child’s development.
• Be able to ask questions based on general knowledge of development. This could relate to areas other than vision and hearing. For example, if a child has CHARGE, often he/she may be a delayed walker.
• Understand the infant/toddler’s need to communicate and perhaps realize that he/she is using his hands and fingers to babble just like a “typical” child might.
• If a child who is deafblind is not reaching out and grasping and developmentally he/she should be doing that, there are ways in which parents can guide him/her; perhaps by reaching out to the occupational or physical therapist.

Development Resources

Child Developmental

• AbilityPath.org
• Developmental Milestones on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Hearing Development

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Resources include:
  How Does Your Child Hear and Talk?
  Effects of Hearing Loss on Development
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) resources including:
  Your Baby’s Hearing and Communicative Development Checklist
  Speech and Language Developmental Milestones

Vision Development

• Top 5 Milestones in Vision Development by Troy Bedinghaus, O.D., About.com Guide.
• Your Infant’s Vision Development Vision development during the first year of life.
• The American Optometric Association
  • Infant Vision: Birth to 24 Months of Age
  • Preschool Vision: 3 to 5 Years
  • School Age Children