Should I be Concerned?

Children develop at different rates, but most follow a general timeline (preemies may be off schedule by a few weeks or months). If your child doesn’t seem to be meeting developmental milestones within several weeks of the average, ask your pediatrician about it. It may be nothing, but if your child does have a delay, you’ll want to catch it early so a professional can assess your child and you can obtain the necessary services if needed.

Regardless, make sure your child is evaluated regularly. Often vision and hearing problems are hard to spot unless you are a professional, so eye and ear checkups should be done annually at a minimum. Most parents are familiar with physical development; however you will also want to observe how you child’s language and communication skills are developing, how your child adapts emotionally and how your child responds in social situations.

As a general rule, trust your instincts. If something seems odd or wrong to you about the way your baby is developing, ask about it. After all, you know your child best.

If you are looking for more information on learning differences, developmental delays, or a chance to meet other parents who share your concerns, visit the website, www.babycenter.com or call STARNET (Support and Technical Assistance Regionally) at 618-397-8930.