Meet Them Where They Are
By Cathy Jameson
Developmental milestones are important to monitor, especially when a child is showing signs of delay. The checklist I would have referenced for my son’s development would’ve been the one from 2004. The CDC changed the checklist in 2022. I haven’t discovered why yet, but people are talking about the 2022 changes again.
I saw this Facebook post shared by a longtime Age of Autism reader mid-week.
I then found this recent video at the end of the week – the topic was also about the developmental surveillance milestone checklist from 2022.
I’m part of a team that works with young children which includes observing and assessing their development. Working mostly with typically developing children, developmental milestones are a big part of what I focus on when I evaluate their abilities in the natural setting. Years of personal research, as well as research I did back in college, contribute to the knowledge I bring to the program. Some parents are grateful for my insight when I share reports while others are not ready to hear what I see their child doing or not doing. My heart goes out to those parents because many years ago, I was once in their shoes.
Knowledge is power, though, so I work to build a relationship with the parents to help them understand what we report to them and how that information affects their child’s education. I’m not part of a medical team, but it was good to review that second video as I gear up some initial assessments. In that video, I was reminded of the steps my son’s team had to take. That included recalling that pediatricians are recommended to complete a developmental surveillance – which is a screening done at every well-child visit. At those visits, doctors will:
1 review monitoring checklist and the child’s history
2 ask about concerns
3 assess strengths and risks
4 observe the child
5 document, and
6 share results with others
Developmental monitoring tools are shared with other health professionals who see the child. It’s a public health tool occurring over a period of time, which when coupled with other screenings, give a bigger picture of the child’s development. Screenings don’t diagnose, but they should be followed up with a comprehensive formal evaluation when problems or delays are noted.
I was not aware that a paper in 2019 would announce the changes to the long-standing milestones so many of us were familiar with. While looking for more information, I learned that revisions for the current checklist was completed in 2019 with parent testing during the summer of 2020. I remember when the new checklists rolled out in 2022, and I also remember thinking it odd that crawling had been taken off the checklist.
After looking at the data I shared then, I found this article, which was posted just a few days ago. Originally published last year on another site, I found myself agreeing with the author. Crawling may indeed be more difficult to study than walking, but I don’t think it should have been removed from a developmental milestone chart. Others agree how important that motor skill is (Why Your Infant Needs to Crawl to Stand Tall: Developmental Movement for Neurological Reorganization).
Again from the second video above, I learned that currently, the CDC’s Development Surveillance Milestone Checklist is used as a tool and recommended at minimum of 4 times between birth to age 5: at 9 months, 18 months, 24 months, and 30 months, or when a parent has a concern. Coupled with the 18- and 24-month autism screenings, the checklist, among others, are conversation starters for parents, physicians, therapists, and others who work with a child or their family. The checklist can also support a parent in between the scheduled well visits also.
When one milestone is missed, that child is referred, instead of opting for a ‘wait and see’ approach, which was the trend back when my son was younger. Advocates for the new checklist have said that they would promote an old adage, You know your baby best, so act early! Parental concerns are what brought them to the clinic in between well-child visits, so I do hope that new parents will take that advice.
Act!
Ask!
Don’t wait a second longer!
Do something!
[Side note: for those of us who do not suggest mainstream well-child visits where vaccines are heavily pushed, one could likely still bring the screening tools to a natural doctor or to their family practice physician.]
As an educator, I use different tools when evaluating children. Because staying informed is a big part of my role, whatever spare time I have in the mornings before going into work is spent on reading up on children’s development. This helps me stay current in trends in my field, too, and gives me time to reflect on topics I can share with parents in our program. Later this fall, I will formally return to school myself, taking a class in special education. My hope is to bring new knowledge to the early childhood setting and to be a stronger advocate to families I serve. I’ll also hope to share some of what I learn here.
Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism.
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Unavoidably Unsafe: Childhood Vaccines Reconsidered
Authors: Dr. Edward Geehr and Dr. Jeffrey Barke
In Unavoidably Unsafe, Dr. Edward Geehr and Dr. Jeffrey Barke confront the prevailing beliefs surrounding childhood vaccines with unflinching scrutiny and bold insight. As seasoned physicians, they acknowledge the revered status vaccines hold in modern medicine while bravely questioning their safety and efficacy.
Drawing on decades of clinical experience and exhaustive research, the authors challenge conventional wisdom by addressing critical issues.
They did not change the developmental milestones, they just no long mention the earliest time babies can roll over, and only now mention the latest date.
Something evil, misleading of young parents right there.
Occupational therapy through card games helped my son to cursive write. I would like to know how?
I still do not understand.
Most have trouble with walking on tippy toes, to later go on and have very flat feet. The ankles bend to the outer side causing knee pain or easy to sprain ankle. Hypotonic muscles in the feet and legs from the stroke they had as child. Maybe brain swelling all during their childhood from unrecognized inflammation from all the vaccines.
There are exercises to help increase their arch, that are on the internet because insurance is not what it use to be. Also hard bottom shoe inserts instead of the softer ones, and don't go cheap either.
Posted by: Benedetta | September 09, 2024 at 09:22 AM
Mile stones.
They did not change them, they just took off the earliest dates a child could roll over, and left just the latest dates that it is darn well serious that it has yet to roll over.
No more exceptional; ahead of the curve, beat all the milestones. That use to be a catch word for parents of vaccine injured children, You all remember? It was beating all the milestones, was well ahead of the milestones until it was not.
Let us talk about tippy toes- hypotonic muscles in the feet that then turn to flat feet, easy to spring ankles, that curve outward.
Spend 600 dollars a visit to the physical therapist which no insurance now a days will pay, or just look it up on line. Exercises to help strengthen an arch in the foot.
That and 60 dollars foot inserts. Better to go with the hard foot inserts by the way.
I need to see some serious punishment. They can start by garnishing wages of every CEO and heads of government agencies. Bill Gates ill gotten gains for that matter.
But alas
Posted by: Benedetta | September 09, 2024 at 12:00 AM
Hello to all. Good luck as you return to the classroom! 🙏 For you and your family. There should be a category for skills that a child/infant had, but then lost. That would be very interesting.
Blessings to all!
G. Martinez
Posted by: Gerardo Martinez | September 08, 2024 at 05:48 PM