From birth through adolescence, infants and children progress through a series of stages of development. From day to day, each child is growing, developing and changing as time passes. When they progress through each stage of development, each child moves through a steady progression of milestones that include various areas of development. These milestones vary by age and involve acquiring new motor abilities, developing thinking skills and learning emotional regulations, as well as social growth. The stages of development include gestation and birth, infancy, early childhood, middle childhood and adolescence. The general principals of development are widely used within the various pediatric disciplines that help occupational therapy practitioners
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Infancy is the period from birth through approximately 18 months of age. During this stage, the child goes from a naïve newborn to an on the verge toddling baby. This first stage of child development includes rapid physical growth that supports new abilities. The child will develop physical and emotional growth along with sensory and motor skills. By the end of stage and the child is about 12 months old, the child may also have the ability to say simple words, such as "mama," and understand a limited vocabulary of basics, such as "no." Early childhood is the next developmental stage. This stage the child is between 18 months old and five years of age, where the child has now become a toddler and preschooler. During the toddler stage, children are up on their feet walking and running. Language and communication skills are sharply increased. During this time, the child is entering a new world where they are making new friends based on similar interests. Social and emotional skills are developing with the ability to share with others and show empathy toward others. Middle childhood begins at the age 6 and lasts until puberty, which then varies in age. Throughout this …show more content…
Teens will typically strive to become more independent and often focus more on friendships and romantic relationships than those with their immediate family. Additionally, adolescents may look toward their adult futures and investigate a potential profession through internships or after-school jobs. (Loop, 2014). Within each developmental stage, each period has domains of development. They are physiologic, motor, cognitive, language and psychosocial. Deficits in any of these skills may interfere with the child’s performance in the areas of self-care, play, education and social participation. For instance, when a child suffers a delay in communication/ interaction skills, the child is limiting themselves to the big picture of expressing one’s self. Children learn language from the interaction back and forth from their parents and other family members. When a child sends a message, whether it be with a gesture, a sound, or a word, the parent’s responses serve as helpful feedback that reinforce and encourage his learning. If a child delays in their communication skills then the child is unlikely to receive as much of this essential feedback. It is
Infancy is the period from birth through approximately 18 months of age. During this stage, the child goes from a naïve newborn to an on the verge toddling baby. This first stage of child development includes rapid physical growth that supports new abilities. The child will develop physical and emotional growth along with sensory and motor skills. By the end of stage and the child is about 12 months old, the child may also have the ability to say simple words, such as "mama," and understand a limited vocabulary of basics, such as "no." Early childhood is the next developmental stage. This stage the child is between 18 months old and five years of age, where the child has now become a toddler and preschooler. During the toddler stage, children are up on their feet walking and running. Language and communication skills are sharply increased. During this time, the child is entering a new world where they are making new friends based on similar interests. Social and emotional skills are developing with the ability to share with others and show empathy toward others. Middle childhood begins at the age 6 and lasts until puberty, which then varies in age. Throughout this …show more content…
Teens will typically strive to become more independent and often focus more on friendships and romantic relationships than those with their immediate family. Additionally, adolescents may look toward their adult futures and investigate a potential profession through internships or after-school jobs. (Loop, 2014). Within each developmental stage, each period has domains of development. They are physiologic, motor, cognitive, language and psychosocial. Deficits in any of these skills may interfere with the child’s performance in the areas of self-care, play, education and social participation. For instance, when a child suffers a delay in communication/ interaction skills, the child is limiting themselves to the big picture of expressing one’s self. Children learn language from the interaction back and forth from their parents and other family members. When a child sends a message, whether it be with a gesture, a sound, or a word, the parent’s responses serve as helpful feedback that reinforce and encourage his learning. If a child delays in their communication skills then the child is unlikely to receive as much of this essential feedback. It is