Welcome to Module 4

In Module 4, we put the information from the previous parts of the course all together and talk about what it means for families. We talk about how raising a child can be seen as a journey that may be both joyful and challenging. We describe this journey as a series of steps. Each family is unique, and we recognize that not every family will experience every step or experience them as we describe here.

It is important to mention that one of the best things a family can do for a child is to pay close attention to his or her developmental progress all the time. Some developmental issues, such as established risk conditions may be easy to identify. Other issues may not appear until much later in a child’s life, such as delays in academic skills. A typically developing child may experience challenges later in life. Likewise, an atypically developing child can progress very well with help. By keeping a close watch on a young person’s progress throughout childhood, parents and caregivers can identify any issues as early as possible, and can arrange for intervention, so that the child reaches his or her fullest potential.

While this module may seem to be written for parents, the information in it is just as important for service providers, including early childhood educators, therapists and child development consultants. Reading it will help service providers to carefully listen to parents’ concerns so they can better understand what parents may be going through, and will help them to provide the information and support a family needs to help their child.