continuum – ECI – Module 1: Atypical Development

Atypical development

Child development exists on a continuum. The development of most children falls somewhere in the “middle” of that continuum. A child is described as developing atypically when one of two situations arises:

A child reaches developmental milestones earlier than other children his/her age
A child reaches developmental milestones later than other children his/her age

It is very important to pay attention to children whose development is just a little bit different. They are referred to as “gray area” children because for the most part, their development is typical. This is why they may not qualify to receive services in the developmental areas in which they may be struggling, especially during their school years. It is important to monitor their progress and especially watch those areas in which they may be developing typically, but lagging a bit behind their peers. Here are a few examples:

A child may have a lot of words in his vocabulary, but may still struggle with articulation or pragmatics.
A child may walk to get to where he/she needs to get, but he/she may still take much longer than other children to get to his/her destination.

It is also quite important to pay attention to children with moderate to severe delays, or who have multiple disabilities. These children are usually identified quite early in life and end up receiving a wide variety of services. Intervention should be focused on providing as much support as possible to both the child and his/her family, so that the child can be active and participate in his/her community.

The focus of intervention for children with severe developmental delays may be different from intervention for other children. A seriously involved child may never learn how to read or walk, but with proper intervention, he/she may learn how to eat or use the toilet on his/her own. This will make a huge difference in his/her life and the lives of those who care for him/her.

After the family has received information about intervention support, parents make a decision on what types of services to accept. They should be supported in any decision they make.

see References

Temperament

Temperament¹, or the way a person behaves, includes a whole range, or continuum of traits or characteristics. Caregivers may notice when a young child’s temperament falls on either of the extreme ends of this continuum because the child’s behavior and emotional needs may require additional management and support that is not required for his or her peers. These may be signs of atypical development. Parents will most likely need of professional help.

Children who place very few demands on their caregivers may be seen as very “easy” children. Some of them rarely cry and may not react to pain or feelings of hunger. However, it is important for caregivers to be aware that it is atypical not to react to pain or hunger, and these are not signs of an easy temperament. Instead, these may be red flags that something in the baby’s or child’s development may require immediate professional attention. A first step is usually a referral to a pediatrician, who will start a screening process.

Some characteristics of children who are mistakenly thought to have an easy temperament include:

the child does not appear to feel pain (may not react to an immunization shot);
the child does not cry when hungry;
the child is not bothered by being left alone for significant amounts of time;
the child may oversleep.

Children whose temperament falls on the other end of the continuum may be described as being “overly difficult”. Children with overly difficult temperaments need help and should not be left to “overcome” this temperament on their own. Some characteristics of children considered as overly “difficult” include:

the child may cry at the slightest sign of discomfort;
the child may not enjoy being held or cuddled;
the child may not establish eye contact with others;
the child may be very difficult to feed;
the child may not have regular sleep habits and/or may continue to wake up several times during the night past the age of six months.

Most children go through “easy” or “difficult” stages. However, if these characteristics are present most of the time, these are reasons for parents and caregivers to be concerned and seek for professional advice.

see References

1 see References