Developmental objectives for infants and toddlers include more than just meeting physical goals. Social and emotional growth are important factors, too. A study from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents have babies screened for risk factors in these areas. Here is a guide about infant and toddler social and affective development and how early assessment and intervention can help.
Importance of affective development
Social-emotional development screening is recommended for infants and toddlers as part of a complete health history profile. Baby Center says that for infants, many growth milestones involve a social component: smiling, babbling, face recognition. Head movement, visual tracking and rolling over are related to social development as the infant generally learns to do this in response to some parent-provided external stimulation. Toddler growth goals are primarily social: language, helping behavior, interaction and play. However, study authors said that in a busy medical practice, physician focus tends to be on physical growth and health needs and the affective piece of the puzzle is sometimes overlooked.
Pediatric psycho-social disorders and conditions
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says early screening can detect onsets of several psycho-social conditions in children. Some are developmental disabilities like autism-spectrum disorder and Asperger Syndrome. Others conditions are behavioral like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Some are psychomotor like Tourette Syndrome. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry provides a comprehensive parent resources for many emotional disorders children may experience, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.
Child emotional risk screening study
Pediatricians from several colleges in New York surveyed parents of 3,169 children to see what percentage of youngsters were at risk for social or emotional problems. Parents filled out the emotional and social development portion of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, a 30-item assessment tool. The ASQ-SE asks parents to rate their child's progress in communication, problem-solving, interpersonal interaction, responsiveness and emotional maturity.
Conclusions for parents
Of the parents surveyed, 22 percent reported significant delays or problems. Parents were offered the option of receiving psychiatric care for their children. After treatment, parents completed the ASQ-SE. Scores of children who got psychological help showed great improvement over those whose parents had declined intervention. Study authors recommended that pediatricians screen patients for psychological risks. They advised combining pediatric psychiatric services within the larger child health services group. This would make it easier for parents to avail themselves of these options.
Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes about parenting from 23 years raising four children and 25 years teaching K-8, special needs, adult education and home-school.
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